Regional seminar on the Sustainable Development Goals and gender equality for parliaments of the Middle East and North Africa

The Seminar will define opportunities available to, and challenges facing, parliaments in implementating the SDGs and gender equality. It will help participants share experiences, good practices and challenges, and examine the steps that they can take to support SDG implementation at the national and regional levels.

A discussion of Goal 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions) will centre on how parliaments should implement the SDGs so as to capture synergies and build coherence when national policies are being developed. To be able to do this, each parliament will need to evaluate its own institutional processes. Special emphasis will therefore be placed on developing more effective, accountable and transparent institutions as well as inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making processes that can effectively accelerate the translation of the global commitments of the SDGs into meaningful change on the ground.
 
The Seminar will also offer a platform for participants to discuss concrete solutions from the region to achieving the SDGs and especially gender equality and women’s empowerment. By sharing knowledge and understanding of the best practices in the region, participants will aim in their respective parliaments to strengthen the consideration of women’s effective participation in leadership position at all levels and in all sectors, and to combat discriminatory laws and practices and other social and cultural barriers to women and girl’s empowerment.

The Seminar therefore aims to spur greater national commitment as well as strong regional cooperation to develop strategies that effectively integrate all SDGs into national legislation.

Please note that the Seminar is only intended for the following parliaments of the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 

For further information, please click here.

Click here to see the agenda.