Women of the Great Lakes region meet in Nairobi, advocate for more vigorous measures to make their participation in political and dialogue processes a reality

Nairobi (Kenya), 13 February 2019 - The Women’s Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region convened its 10th Advisory Board meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, today. The meeting focused on how to strengthen political advocacy, develop and implement a concerted strategy on Women Peace and Security (WPS) in the Great Lakes region for 2019 leading up to 2020. More specifically, the meeting addressed the following: take stock of developments since the last Advisory Board meeting also held in Kenya on 22 February 2018; discuss actions to implement the Regional Plan of Action endorsed at the Gender Ministers meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, on 23 November 2018, including strategies relating to women’s meaningful participation in political and peace processes, prevention and protection efforts in relation to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence; discuss the outcome of the solidarity missions undertaken in 2018 and agree on practical ways to implement the recommendations, particularly how to achieve the minimum quota of 30% of women’s representation in decision making and peace processes; discuss plans for the upcoming Advisory Board visits to Rwanda, Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Uganda in 2019; review the work of centers of excellence focused on WPS agenda and identify ways to assess them; discuss how the Advisory Board can better support the work of, and create synergy between various women’s fora and involve partners’ in supporting WPS objectives, including economic empowerment; and discuss the Terms of Reference of the Advisory Board.

The Advisory Board is the governance mechanism of the Women’s Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework agreement. It is convened by the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region. It provides strategic and policy guidance, and supports communication aspects of the Women’s Platform. The Advisory Board meets once a year.

The Women’s Platform is an initiative of the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region. Established in 2013, the Women’s Platform seeks to empower women and women’s organizations in the region as leaders and peacemakers, and to promote their active contribution in the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to support women and women’s organizations contribution to the implementation of the Framework agreement by strengthening their collective action, providing grants for projects, and enabling women to play a key role in peace processes; combat violence against women and support women affected by violence; advance women’s livelihoods and property rights; and promote women’s equitable access to and management of natural resources.

Today’s Advisory Board meeting was chaired by Said Djinnit, United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region. Other participants included the members of the Advisory Board of the Women’s Platform, as well as experts from governments of the Great Lakes region, the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the African Development Bank, civil society and members of the donor community.