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Nordic Women Mediators discussed peace mediation in changing security environment

Published on Tuesday, 8th of November 2022

 

Photo: Atte Kajova, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Some 50 women professionals in the field of peacemaking were gathered in Helsinki for the Nordic Women Mediators’ Annual Meeting to discuss the practice of peace mediation and women’s role in the changing security landscape.

The Nordic Women Mediators (NWM) Annual Meeting was organized on 2-4 November 2022.  

The Annual Meeting was opened by a high-level panel Navigating peace in the current global security environment, hosted by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, joined in the panel by Former President Tarja Halonen, Chair of the Governing Board of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund Stefano Manservisi, and Executive Director of the African Development Bank Mette Knudsen, who is also a member of the NWM from Denmark. The panel was moderated by Astrid Thors, a Finnish member of the NWM. 

The meeting then continued by plenary discussions with NWM members, focusing on Nordic cooperation in the changing security landscape; as well as taking stock of the achievements and lessons learned of the networks seven years of operation.

Photo: Maria Santto

Women mediators discussed support to Ukrainian women 

The NWM discussed how the network can best support the agency of women in Ukraine. Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland Olga Dibrova and the Director and Founder of the Mediation and Dialogue Research Center in Kyiv, Tetiana Kyselova, participated in the discussion on Ukraine.  

The NWM network explored how to strengthen support to and cooperation with Ukrainian women to amplify their voices and support their demands of the inclusion of women in all processes that affect their lives, security and fundamental rights.  

The meeting was co-organized by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Nordic Women Mediators – Finland, and CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation. 

 

What Nordic Women Mediators network? 

Rooted in UNSCR 1325 and its objective for women’s increased participation, the Nordic Women Mediators seek to address the underrepresentation of women in mediation and peacebuilding. Established in 2015, the NWM functions as a collaborative forum building on five national networks: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. It aims to support women’s inclusion in peace process work through advocacy, and on operational level. 

NMW has more than a hundred peace mediation and crisis management professionals as members.  The network gathers yearly to an Annual Meeting, hosted by the coordinating country of that term – a responsibility that changes on rotational basis. 


More information:

Nordic Women Mediators Website

Press release on 2. November 2022: Nordic Women Mediators meet in Helsinki – Ministry for Foreign Affairs (um.fi)