Women, Peace and Security

Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Iraq, Alice Walpole, on Sunday called for an increase of women’s role in politics and include them in the decision-making process in Iraq and elsewhere.

Her comments were delivered during a regional forum aimed at advancing women’s rights in Iraq and across the Middle Eastern region, with participants from Iraq, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada has said that when women play an active role in conflict prevention and peace building, and when their rights are respected, we are better able to achieve long-term, sustainable peace. As Canada’s first Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, Ms. O’Neill will lead our country’s efforts to support women, help prevent and end conflict, and build a better and fairer world.

On April 4, General Khalifa Haftar advanced with his Libyan National Army (LNA) on Tripoli in an attempt to take over the capital from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).  Prime Minister Fayez Serraj who leads the GNA described the offensive as “an attempted coup”. Haftar has been slowly building alliances, and now has the backing of France, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Serraj and the GNA have the backing of Turkey, Qatar, and Italy, however, the GNA’s army is an array of militias.

Women’s rights are a pillar of the UAE’s foreign policy, Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh told a conference on sexual and gender-based violence in Oslo on Thursday 23th.

A UAE delegation, lead by Mr Nusseibeh, co-hosted the "International Conference on Ending Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Crises" in the Norwegian capital on May 23 — 24.