CONFERENCE: UN Special Envoy Mary Robinson, Femmes Africa Solidarité and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region to Organize the First Regional Conference on Women, Peace, Security and Development in the Great Lakes Region

Source: 
Femmes Africa Solidarité
Duration: 
Sunday, July 7, 2013 - 20:00
Countries: 
Africa
Central Africa
Burundi
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Initiative Type: 
Conferences & Meetings

PRESS RELEASE


UN Special Envoy Mary Robinson, Femmes Africa Solidarité and the International
Conference on the Great Lakes Region to organize the first Regional Conference on
Women, Peace, Security and Development in the Great Lakes region


Implementing the Framework of Hope and the UNSCR 1325


Bujumbura, 8 July 2013 - Mary Robinson, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region in Africa, in
partnership with Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes
Region (ICGLR) is organising the first Regional Conference on Women, Peace, Security and
Development to be held in Bujumbura, Burundi on 9, 10 and 11 July 2013.


The Conference aims to develop a road map for women's engagement in the peace process by
implementing the “Peace, Security and Cooperation” (PSC) Framework and the United Nations Security
Council resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in the Great Lakes Region. In Mary Robinson's words, this plan will
help to ensure that women's voices are heard “from the bottom up and adhered to and implemented
by Governments from the top down.”


The PSC Framework is a milestone in national, regional and international efforts to bring peace in the
Great Lakes region and in particular in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where sexual
violence continues at appalling levels and is regularly used as a weapon of war. The PSC Framework,
also called the “Framework of Hope” by the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, was signed on 24
February 2013 by 11 African countries and was the fruit of a concerted effort between the United
Nations, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the South African Development
Community (SADC) and the African Union.


Recognizing the recurring cycles of conflict and violence that permeate eastern DRC, this peace
agreement represents an avenue for hope for the people of the region to build stability by addressing
the root causes of the conflict and calling for the establishment of oversight mechanisms. The threeday conference will also consolidate an integrated regional approach for the full and effective participation of women in conflict resolution and peace building through the implementation of a Regional Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 in the Great Lakes region.


Around 100 women leaders from the region will attend the conference, including representatives of
governments, representatives of key international institutions and civil society, including women's
groups and networks, national and regional NGOs working on women, peace and security.


This regional conference is organized with the support of the Swedish International Development and
Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Ireland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of
Switzerland and UN Women.


For further information please contact Yannick Coumarin at advocacyge@fasngo.org
Web sites : FAS: http://www.fasngo.org/ ICGLR: https://icglr.org/ UN: http://www.un.org/sg/index.asp