On 16 October 2023, an international conference on the theme “Women, peace and security” was held in Almaty on the platform of the Dialogue of Women of Central Asian countries. The event, chaired by Kazakhstan, was organized with the support of the United Nations and the National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the press service of the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan reports.
Deputies of the Parliaments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, representatives of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, heads of state bodies of the participating countries, representatives of international organizations, the diplomatic corps, the non-governmental sector and public figures met on the sidelines of the conference.
In her welcoming speech, Deputy Chairman of the Majilis of the Kazakhstan Parliament Daniya Espayeva noted that today the escalation of conflicts in different parts of the world and growing instability aggravate the role and position of women.
“This is of particular importance in the context of the escalating situation in the Middle East, as a result of which both women and children as the most vulnerable segments of society become victims. And the agenda we are discussing today should be viewed through the prism of the need for a more detailed solution of issues related to the safety of women in armed conflicts and humanitarian disasters,” the Deputy Speaker of the Majilis said.
During the thematic sessions, the forum participants touched upon emerging security challenges in Central Asia and opportunities to promote the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the region.
A dialogue of women activists of the participating countries with representatives of international organizations took place on the sidelines of the conference. The discussion was attended by Adviser to the Regional Office of the UN Women Nargis Azizova, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Kaha Imnadze, representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for Central Asia Hans Friedrich Schodder and representatives of non-governmental organizations of Kazakhstan.
At the end of the Conference, the participants adopted a final document with commitments to create conditions for strengthening work on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution “Women, Peace and Security” in the region.
The Dialogue of Women of Central Asia is an informal platform for discussing topical development issues and strengthening cooperation between women parliamentarians in the region, supported by the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The dialog was launched in December 2020. In previous years, Uzbekistan (2021) and Turkmenistan (2022) presided over the Dialogue. In 2023, Kazakhstan chairs over the Dialogue.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000, became the first linking the status of women in conflicts with the agenda of international peace and security. In total, the United Nations has adopted 10 resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) issues, comprehensively covering the four main components of the WPS agenda, namely: 1) the role of women in conflict prevention, 2) women’s participation in peacebuilding, 3) protection of the rights of women and girls during and after a conflict, and 4) the specific needs of women during repatriation and resettlement, as well as the needs for rehabilitation, reintegration, and post-conflict recovery. ///nCa, 17 October 2023 [Photo credit – Majilis of Kazakhstan Parliament]