CENTRAL ASIAN WOMEN LEADERS’ CAUCUS VISITS THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS TO ADDRESS THE UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION SESSION

11 Nov 2022

CENTRAL ASIAN WOMEN LEADERS’ CAUCUS VISITS THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS TO ADDRESS THE UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION SESSION

THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

On 10-11 November UNRCCA and UNDP organized the visit of members of the Central Asian Women Leaders’ Caucus (CAWLC) and civil society representatives from Central Asia to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The visit included participation in the dedicated session of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and a preceding side event, as well as the meetings with the high-level UN officials.

The high-level meeting of the UN PBC Commission sought to promote meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and the implementation of the WPS agenda in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with a particular focus on women’s role and leadership in the context of the climate change. The first ever PBC session focusing on the region of Central Asia and the situation of women in particular, provided the WLC members and civil society with an exceptional opportunity to share their unique experience and contribute to the global discussion about approaches to address gaps in implementation of the WPS and strategies to advance meaningful participation of women in policies countering adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation.

SRSG Natalia Gherman stressed importance of continuous analysis on the linkages between climate change and conflict prevention from a gender perspective and uncovering new entry points for advancing gender equality, improving climate resilience and sustaining peace.  Underscoring the pivotal role of the WLC in implementing the WPS agenda at the regional and national levels, she commended the platform’s ongoing effort to expand the spectrum of its advocacy and policymaking work by focusing on the impact of climate change on the situation of women in Central Asia. She encouraged the WLC to cascade their experience to the grass-root and community level, thereby strengthening regional cooperation on WPS and bolstering collaborative action in response to negative implications  of climate change on women and girls.

The side event organized within the framework of the PBC session featured presentations of the civil society representatives, offering profound analysis and recommendations on policies promoting meaningful participation and leadership of women at all levels of climate change, environmental and disaster risk governance in all Central Asian countries. Participants discussed existing barriers for strengthening gender mainstreaming in climate change action in the region and shared best practices and examples of success stories of women-led climate projects in Central Asia.

Within the framework of the visit, the members of the Central Asia Women Leaders’ Caucus held meetings with the UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed,  President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Assistant Secretary-General, Head of UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States, Ivana Zivkovic and Chairs of the Informal Working Group on WPS at the Security Council, Permanent Representatives of Ireland and Mexico. The discussions covered a wide spectrum of issues related to the situation and the role of women in promoting sustainable peace and security in Central Asia and the larger region. High-level UN officials marked the Caucuses’  role in advancing regional cooperation and its leverage and further potential to contribute to advancing women participation in peacebuilding processes across Central Asia. They encouraged the platform members to explore opportunities to engage women of Afghanistan in its activities.

The visit of the WLC members to the UN Headquarters, including participation in the PBC session  serves as a recognition of the platform’s growing prominence and its potential to further contribute to sustainable peace and security in Central Asia.