Conference on the future of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
On the 23rd of November, a conference will take place on “The future of the Women’s Peace and Security Agenda”, in which the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, the President of the Women for Africa Foundation, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, and the NATO Special Representative, Clare Hutchinson, will speak.
The event, organised by the Instituto Universitario General Gutiérrez Mellado and the Fundación Mujeres por África with the collaboration of the General Secretariat for Defence Policy, is part of the commemorative events for the 20th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000). It is also related to the “Women’s Defence Dialogues” initiative to discuss their perceptions on this subject.
Resolution 1325 marked a milestone in the defence of gender equality and in the assumption of new commitments by the international community to promote the role of women as agents of peace. Since then, ten resolutions have been approved that focus on the importance of women’s participation in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in inclusive political processes in order to achieve sustainable and lasting peace.
The conference will be opened by the Rector of the National University of Distance Education, Ricardo Mairal, and the Secretary General of Defence Policy, Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez. The round table will then discuss the progress made to date from a comprehensive and cross-cutting approach and the challenges that still remain to be overcome in order to achieve the objectives of this Agenda.
In particular, the promotion and protection of women in conflict situations, their leadership in decision-making and their contribution to peacekeeping operations, among other aspects, will be addressed. Representatives from the academic, political, institutional and social spheres, as well as from UN Women and the NATO Committee on Gender Equality, will participate.
The event will be closed by the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, together with the President of the Women for Africa Foundation, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, and the Special Representative, Clare Hutchinson.
The conference will be held in the afternoon, from 16:00 to 19:00, and will be broadcast live and deferred on the UNED channel.