The 20^th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has swept the world and affected socio-economic life as well as health sector infrastructures globally. The pandemic has particularly had significant effects on the socio-economic reality in the Arab world, and more specifically on women.
 
The Women, Peace and Security Agenda, and the early-warning systems that are developed through national action plans for implementing UNSCR 1325, contribute to building states’ immunity and their capacity to respond to crises.
 
The United Nations’ agencies, as well as other regional organizations, have joined efforts to support Arab states in responding to the Women Peace and Security Agenda through technical cooperation, knowledge fostering, and capacity-building frameworks.
 
The 20^th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 comes as an occasion for Arab states to reaffirm the importance of UNSCR 1325 and its accompanying national action plans, take stock of the regional response to this resolution, and learn more about national experiences and best practices in adhering to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. It also provides an opportunity to examine progress achieved and accelerate response to the Women Peace and Security Agenda in the upcoming period through the development of national action plans.

In this context, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-WOMEN), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Arab Institute for Women (AIW) at the Lebanese American University, organized a high level virtual meeting on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of UNSCR1325 on 4 November 2020.
 
The meeting aimed to: 1) look into regional efforts exerted by states in the Arab region to advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; 2) launch regional discussions on progress achieved in responding to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; and 3) review and discuss the role of national action plans to implement UNSCR 1325 in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
 
The meeting was attended by government representatives as well as representatives of national women’s machineries involved in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the Arab region.

 All related documents, opening statements, country interventions and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.