On 29 June 2021, the Central Asia Women Leaders Caucus hosted the online roundtable discussion entitled “The Role of Global and Regional Platforms and Coalitions in Enhancing Women’s Participation and Leadership in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding”. The event has been organised jointly by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, UNDP in Uzbekistan, and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).
In addition to members of the Caucus – Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, Chairperson of Mejlis of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan Gulshat Mammedova, Deputy Chairperson of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Balaim Kesebaeva, Deputy Toraga of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Aida Kasymalieva, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan Nigora Gavharzoda, the event was also attended by Permanent Representatives of the Republic of Ireland and Mexico to the UN, representatives of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, UN Women, the secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the secretariat of the Global Alliance of Women Mediators, and parliaments and civil society institutions of Central Asian countries.
The contributors to the panel discussion discussed the role of global and regional platforms and coalitions of women leaders, international experience in expanding the participation and leadership of women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. It also served to deliberate on the prospects for enhancing the Caucus’s membership and engagement in global initiatives and coalitions, such as the Women, Peace & Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact, and the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediators Networks involved in peace processes.
More than twenty years have elapsed since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The international community has recognized that women’s participation and influence is crucial for building inclusive societies, preventing and resolving conflicts, and sustaining peace. The WPS Agenda has catalysed essential advancements for women and girls across the globe.
Reviewing the experience of international and regional women’s platforms and coalitions is an important factor on the path of improving the Caucus’s work, in particular its role in promoting women’s participation in regional conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
During the 29 June online roundtable conversation, Caucus members adopted a Joint Statement, which notes that one of the Caucus’s priorities is to develop effective ways of fully realizing the creative and peacebuilding potential of women throughout Central Asia, and use this potential to strengthen regional peace and stability. At this event, the Central Asia Women Leaders Caucus also reiterated its commitment to the Global WPS Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Decade of Action to deliver Global Goals, and other normative frameworks developed under the auspices of the United Nations.
The panel participants expressed their interest in establishing a dialogue partnership with other regional and global WPS platforms and coalitions as a means of sharing best practices.
