CCCPA hosted an Experts Workshop on “The Global Study on the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325: Enhancing Women’s Participation & International and Regional Partnerships” on 7 April 2016 in Cairo, Egypt. The workshop was jointly organized with the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo and UN Women, to examine the recommendations of the Global Study with the objective of identifying key challenges and gaps, as well as outlining the way forward in advancing the women, peace and security agenda.Speakers included Ambassador Hala El Ghanam, Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for International Political Affairs; Charlotta Sparre, Ambassador of Sweden in Egypt; Moushira Khattab, Former Minister of Family and Population; Mohamed Naciri, UN Women’s Regional Director for Arab States; Birgitta Holst-Alani, Senior Advisor for Staffan de Mistura (UN Special Envoy for Syria); and Alaa Murabit, Member of the High-Level Advisory Group for the Global Study on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325. Participants included representatives from the Egyptian government, regional organizations (e.g. the League of Arab States), gender advisors, academics, as well as practitioners from the field.

The discussions at the workshop focused on the question of women living under foreign occupation; the importance of strengthening the role of women as peacemakers; the need for ensuring predictable and sustainable funding to support the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda; prioritizing research, trainings and capacity building programmes on mainstreaming gender in peace processes; and enhancing institutional partnerships on the regional and international levels.

Women, peace and security continue to be one of the top priority areas of work for CCCPA in Africa and the Arab region. The Center has been actively engaged in advancing the women, peace and security agenda, through integrated training courses, workshops and conferences, as well as conducting policy-oriented research. This workshop marks an important step in the Center’s on-going efforts in opening new spaces for dialogue and building enhanced regional partnerships on issues related to the women, peace and security agenda.

For more information, please contact Sarah Abdelgelil at sarah.abdelgelil@cairopeacekeeping.org; or Salma Kadry at salma.kadry@cairopeacekeeping.org.