WPS National Focal Points Network

Date: 
Friday, September 23, 2016
United Nation Theme: 
WILPF, NGO & Advocacy Documents

WPS National Focal Points Network

EVENT INFORMATION

  • Friday, September 23st, 2016 1.15pm-2.30pm

  • United Nations Headquarter, Conference room 4, 46st and 1 avenue, 10017 New York

 

ORGANISED BY

  • Permanent Mission of Spain

  • Permanent Mission of Canada

  • Permanent Mission of Chile

  • Permanent Mission of Japan

  • Permanent Mission of Namibia and the United Arab Emirates

 

PARTICIPANTS

  • Keynote Speaker: Amb. Swanee Hunt, Founder and Chair, Inclusive Security

  • H.E. Mr. José Manuel García-Margallo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Spain

  • Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Namibia (TBC)

  • H.E. Ms. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, UAE

  • H.E. Mr. Marcos Robledo, Vice Minister for Defense, Chile

  • Canada, Minister (TBC)

  • Japan, High Level Representative (TBC)

 

On September 20, on the margins of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly's General Debate, a foundational meeting was held to launch the WPS Focal Points Network. The meeting was attended by more than 20 Ministers, High Level representatives and regional organisations representing a broad global participation and thus commitment to the participation of women in peace processes.

The Ministerial Segment focused on how to enhance the effective coordination and implementation of the WPS agenda through national and regional efforts bearing in mind that having a regulatory framework is not sufficient in itself. With the aim of ensuring a practical implementation of the WPS agenda, the National Network of Focal Points on WPS has partnered with more than 50 countries and organisations to share best practises along the way.

The speakers at the Ministerial Segment reaffirmed their commitment to this practical approach in creating inclusive national plans and strategies. In this context, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Mr. Timo Soini, underpinned the importance synergies by using lessons learned from the 1325 implementation process to other sectors linking providing humanitarian assistance to upholding the status of women and girls and prevention conflict relation sexual and gender based violence. The Arms Trade Treaty was also highlighted as an international agreement which recognises cross cutting nature of issues when linking arms trade and gender-based violence

The meeting subsequently had a focal point discussion on integrating the best practises into the implementation processes at a national and regional level.

The joint communiqé, signed by 41 Member States and 3 regional organisations, was released after the meeting. The participating Ministers, High Level representatives and regional organisations reaffirmed their commitment to working in a collaborative manner to increase the participation of women at the decision making level of national and regional peace processes and conflict prevention programmes.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, of Spain also noted the meeting of this network is be held in 2017 in the city of Alicante, Spain.

Document PDF: 

Event- WPS National Focal Points Network

FocalPoints.pdf