On 31 October 2000, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The resolution highlights the role of women in conflict resolution and peace building, urges member states to provide adequate protection for women and girls in conflict situations and increase the representation of women in conflict resolution and peace building activities. It was an important step in emphasizing the gender dimension of conflict, conflict resolution and peace building.

The event will start with the launch of the Status of Arab Women Report: Means to strengthen the role of women in conflict resolution and peace building. The study has been prepared based on the three case studies Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine, and provides recommendations for policy makers on how to better integrate women in conflict resolution and peace building.

The launch will be followed by the round table discussion 1325: Ten years on – where are we now?, in which experts and representatives of United Nations entities will discuss the impact of the resolution so far and will provide recommendations for all stakeholders for the way forward.

In a third part of this anniversary, a training workshop on how to develop national action plans will be held for participants from National Women Machineries from ESCWA member countries that are or have been experiencing conflict. The workshop will outline important factors for the planning process, provide some good examples, and give guidance on how to develop national action plans for ESCWA member countries.