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Home / Namibia to host focal meeting on women, peace and security issues
Namibia to host focal meeting on women, peace and security issues
2018-07-16Staff Report 2 Albertina Nakale WINDHOEK - Namibia will be hosting the third meeting of the focal point on United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSC) 1325 next year to discuss issues on women, peace and security. This was announced by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah when she addressed the annual diplomatic corps event on Friday in the capital. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on October 31, 2000, after recalling resolutions 1261 (1999), 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), and 1314 (2000). The resolution acknowledged the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls. It calls for the adoption of a gender perspective to consider the special needs of women and girls during conflict, repatriation and resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration, and post-conflict reconstruction. On June 22, the ministerial committee of the organ meeting was convened in Luanda, Angola to discuss political and security issues in the SADC Region. She said it is at that meeting Namibia introduced an agenda item on “women, peace and security”. The minister explained this item is based on a UNSC resolution 1325, which was initiated by Namibia during its membership to the UN Security Council from 1999 and 2000. On October 2000, inspired by the situation in Burundi, Namibia called for women in peace keeping, peace building activities. Since then, subsequent resolutions were adopted and a global network of focal points for women, peace and security was established. To date, the global focal points network has 77 members dedicated to the implementation of UNSC resolution 1325. “I am raising this issue not only because it is important but also to inform that Namibia will be hosting the third meeting of the focal points on UNSC resolution 1325,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said. Resolution 1325 was the first formal and legal document from the security council that required parties in a conflict to prevent violations of women’s rights, to support women’s participation in peace negotiations and in post-conflict reconstruction, and to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict. It was also the first Council resolution to specifically mention the unique impact of conflict on women. The resolution has since become an organising framework for the women, peace, and security agenda, which focus on advancing the components of Resolution 1325. Equally, the minister briefed the diplomats will accelerate the process of its ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (ACFTA). Namibia finally signed the trillion-dollar AfCFTA which requires members to remove tariffs from 90 percent of goods, allowing free access to commodities, goods, and services across the continent. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimates that the agreement will boost intra-African trade by 52 percent by 2022. The proposal will come into force after ratification by 22 of the signatory states. Geingob signed the much-anticipated trade agreement recently during the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) meeting at the 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly held from July 1-2, in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Trade Minister Tjekero Tweya is expected to table the agreement in the National Assembly for its adoption and ratification. 2018-07-16Staff Report 2
