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High-level meeting highlights the need to connect Nordic women mediators with their counterparts in conflict affected countries

Published on Thursday, 19th of May 2016

How can women’s meaningful participation in peace processes be increased? More than 15 years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, formal peace and mediation processes have lagged behind in effectively engaging and meaningfully involving women.

Addressing this gap in terms of third party mediation was the topic of the high-level seminar held last week at the United Nations in New York, organised by the partner countries and operational partners of the Nordic Women Mediation Network. CMI is one of the partners of this growing platform that aims to close the performance gap in women’s meaningful participation in peace processes by increasing the number of Nordic women that are actively involved in international peace mediation efforts, and by connecting and promoting networks of women mediators in the south. The network also looks to be a pilot for similar initiatives.

“Women’s meaningful participation in mediation and conflict prevention is much more than a gender issue, it is a matter of sustainable peace,” said Børge Brende, Foreign Minister of Norway, in his introductory remarks at the meeting which was co-organized by Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. CMI was one of the operational partners together with FBA, NOREF, PRIO and UNU-GEST. The event was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN and was attended by, amongst others Margot Wallström, Swedish Foreign Minister, Karin Landgren, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Liberia, Elisabeth Rehn, Finnish Minister of State and Elizabeth Spehar, Director of the Policy and Mediation Division at the UN headquarters.

CMI’s Itonde Kakoma (left), Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström and Director of the Policy and Mediation Division at the UN headquarters Elizabeth Spehar at the high level meeting on women in mediation last week.

CMI’s Itonde Kakoma (left), Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström and Director of the Policy and Mediation Division at the UN headquarters Elizabeth Spehar at the high level meeting on women in mediation last week.

CMI’s Head for Sub-Saharan Africa, Itonde Kakoma represented CMI at the event and moderated the panel discussion.

“It was great to see a pragmatic and forward looking discussion during the event, and one in particular that helps us link active senior women peacebuilders with the experience and connections to power and influence of the women in the Nordic Women Mediators’ network,” Kakoma notes.

CMI works with South Sudan Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and with Yemeni Women’s Forum for Peace and Dialogue to play more influential roles in their own processes.

Read more about CMI’s work in gender and inclusion here.

The high-level meeting of the Nordic Women Mediation Network was held at the UN headquarters in New York the 11 May. #NWMN