Filenews 25 February 2021
With the aim of highlighting the role of women in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as in peace-building, the Republic of Cyprus is launching the Implementation of the National Action Plan for Women, which in turn implements the United Nations Resolution on Women, Peace and Security. The Action Plan was presented today to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Minister Nikos Christodoulides and Gender Equality Commissioner Josephine Antoniou.
In his greeting, Mr Christodoulides initially said the adoption of the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, has recently been adopted by the National Council and aims to implement UNSP Resolution 1325 Women, Peace and Security.
Mr Christodoulides said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has integrated the gender dimension into foreign policy priorities with a view to strengthening women's rights and promoting gender equality, while at the same time taking relevant actions to build and strengthen cooperation with other states at regional and European level.
Giving examples of the Ministry's actions, Mr Christodoulides referred to the active and institutionalised participation of Cyprus in the design of policies related to gender equality at EU and EU level, as well as the effective and systematic participation in international for a and high-level discussions and conferences on the subject, demonstrating in practice at international level, as noted by the , Cyprus' commitment to promoting equality.
Mr. Christodoulides then said that in the context of gender mainstreaming in foreign policy, the Ministry is making use of the development and humanitarian policy of the Republic of Cyprus, supporting a number of programmes and actions concerning the rights of women and girls in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine where specific programmes are currently being implemented on the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Minister said that the actions could not be absent from the effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation to promote equality, bearing two concrete examples. The first, he said, is future cooperation with the respective Norwegian Ministry in September 2021 aimed at exchanging actions and practices in relation to the implementation of Resolution 1325. As a second example, he added, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in discussions with Spain's counterpart about planning actions to promote the rights of women and girls.
In this context, the Minister stressed, the implementation of the Resolution "Women, Peace and Security", with the adoption of a specific National Action Plan, is among other things an integral part and important tool of the foreign policy of the Republic of Cyprus.
Mr. Christodoulides said that the project has been shaped through public and very constructive consultations with all the relevant Ministries and Civil Society, under the coordination of the Office of the Commissioner for Equality, and constitutes an integrated design with four main pillars, participation and empowerment, protection, prevention, and promotion and information on the Resolution.
Within the framework set by these key pillars, Continued Mr Christodoulides, a series of targeted actions are planned, which will be systematically monitored and evaluated.
The Minister said that by recognising the disproportionate and different impact of war on women and girls, the aim is to highlight the role of women in conflict prevention and resolution and peace-building.
More specifically, he explained, through the Action Plan, the framework is set for a coherent, horizontal policy, which creates appropriate synergies between the actors involved and aims to further strengthen cooperation with a view to addressing existing weaknesses and providing effective protection where and where necessary.
Mr. Christodoulides said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, treating gender mainstreaming in foreign policy as a priority, has already proceeded with the operation of a Gender Dimension Integration Unit, as well as the establishment and implementation of an Action Framework for "Promoting Gender Equality: Integrating the Gender Dimension into Foreign Policy 2019-2023".
Through this Framework of Action, it has identified, recorded and implemented a number of actions, which also concern the implementation of Resolution 1325 within the framework of foreign policy.
In conclusion, Nikos Christodoulides noted that the positive consequences of the implementation of Resolution 1325 are not limited to the protection and promotion of women's human rights, but also reinforce the effort for full and meaningful equality, which undoubtedly contributes to the well-being of societies as a whole, and to economic development, creating the basis and prospects for sustainable development.
In her own speech to the presentation, Gender Equality Commissioner Josephine Antoniou said that armed conflict and violent conflicts cause enormous suffering around the world, but have different consequences for men and boys and different for women and girls.
While women, he said, are not involved in inciting conflict, they nevertheless experience the most frightening consequences. It took, he noted, countless conflicts and long-term efforts for the international community to recognise these effects on women and to accept that women are an integral factor in conflict prevention, peace, the promotion of reconciliation and the reconstruction of indigenous communities after such conflicts.
Ms Antoniou said that all this was recognised in 2000 by the UNSA by Resolution 1325. In addition to confirming the important role of women in conflict prevention and resolution processes, it urged all parties to take specific measures both to protect women from gender-based violence, but also to increase women's participation in conflict resolution negotiations and to integrate the gender perspective into all peace and security efforts.
The Commissioner noted that the effective participation of women in peace processes is a dynamic process of integrating women's gender and equality, adding that studies and research have shown that when women participate in peace processes agreements are stronger by 35% and are likely to last more than 15 years.
Ms Antoniou then stressed the great importance of Resolution 1325 for the occupied Cyprus, where women experienced violence and rape during the Turkish invasion. Recognising that Resolution 1325 and its related directives enhance the full and active participation of women at all levels of decision-making and in the role that women can play in peacekeeping, the Cypriot State has drawn up the first national action plan.
"It is an action plan that includes and involves almost all Ministries-Departments of our country. Through the four pillars of the National Action Plan, measures and actions are included that will enhance the participation and empowerment of women, prevention and protection at local, national level, always with the close cooperation of the citizens' state," he said, concluding: "Peace and security are our shared responsibility, men and women, together we must raise the issues of equality. , security and peace are high on our priorities because they concern everyone, they mainly concern society as a whole."
The presentation of the National Action Plan was then made by the official of the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality, Andri Savva. As he said, among other things, this is a five-year plan covering the period 2021-2025.
Actions include promoting more women in high, leading positions in peace and security tasks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international organisations, while the implementing body is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as other Ministries, always in cooperation with the Commissioner's Office. He also noted that for the monitoring and evaluation of the project, a committee with a guiding and consultative role will be set up, with a mandate as long as the duration of the project and which will meet every 6 months.
Source: eyenews/KYPE
