Ministry of Foreign Affairs participates in Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network Meeting in Washington

Ahood AlZaabi, Director of the United Nations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network (FPN) meeting co-chaired by the United States and Romania and held in Washington DC, from 6th to 9th June 2023.

The meeting aimed to promote and advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda as a foundational framework for policy development.

During the meeting, the roles and responsibilities of focal points for the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network were discussed, key achievements of member states in implementing national plans related to Security Council Resolution 1325 were reviewed, and opportunities for collaboration were addressed to focus the efforts of centres of excellence on the WPS agenda.

Participants from the parliaments of FPN Member States were also invited to exchange views on efforts to implement the WPS agenda through parliamentary work.

AlZaabi stressed during the meeting that the WPS agenda is a priority for the UAE and provided an overview of the objectives of the National Action Plan for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. She also explained the role of the General Women's Union in the establishment of the Fatima bint Mubarak Centre for Women, Peace and Security, which aims to disseminate knowledge and promote the exchange of information and best practices to develop the Women, Peace and Security field.

She also highlighted the Centre’s objective to train women to work in the military, security, and peacebuilding fields and build capacity, especially among those working in government agencies that focus on the WPS agenda to ensure support for women's participation in leadership positions in peace processes at the local and international levels.

AlZaabi also participated in the session on Women, Peace and Security Sustainability, during which she shared best practices undertaken by the UAE in its continuous efforts to support the WPS agenda in the long term. She also discussed the UAE’s efforts to enhance ways to address challenges to the WPS agenda.

She stated that the UAE was one of the founding members of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network and believes that the network is an important platform for partners to advance sustainable efforts towards the WPS agenda. She stressed that the UAE, through its membership in the UN Security Council, seeks to create opportunities for progress in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment while fostering a safe and inclusive environment for women globally.