Beirut-Kuwait, 19 October 2020 (ESCWA)--In support of Kuwait's efforts to engage with United Nations security council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security (WPS), ESCWA organized a webinar series on the WPS Agenda, on 28 and 29 September, and on 13 October, in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Kuwait.
 
“Kuwait firmly believes in the need for an effective participation of women in maintaining peace and security. The workshop comes as a recognition of the powerful and vital roles that women play in our society,” said the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Ms. Hanaa Alhajery, in her opening statement.
 
For her part, the Leader of the Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development Cluster at ESCWA, Ms. Mehrinaz El Awady, underlined the links between the WPS Agenda and State obligations under international human rights law and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She insisted on the need to allocate human and financial resources to the implementation of the WPS Agenda, which can become a powerful engine to push the implementation of all other obligations and have an impact on countries’ performance in closing several gender gaps.
 
The webinar series brought together 50 participants from various governmental and non-governmental entities in Kuwait, as well as academics working in the fields of sustainable development, women’s affairs, human rights, and security and peace issues. They discussed the WPS Agenda and its links with international frameworks for women's rights and sustainable development. They also reviewed available options for countries to engage with the Agenda, as well as experiences and lessons learned from the Arab region and beyond.
 
In conclusion, participants agreed on the added value of a having a national action plan on WPS in Kuwait, which would reinforce the national frameworks and policies protecting women’s rights in the country.
 

 
For more information:
 
- Ms. Rania Harb, Public Information Assistant, +961-70-008-879; email: harb1@un.org