Monique Tummers of
Cordaid attended the first week of CSW59. In this blog she reflect on her
experiences at her first CSW.
I
have been several times to New York before but with the CSW in town it looks
like a complete different city. It already started at the airport where the
immigration officer – normally not known for his welcoming attitude – asked me
what kind of business I was here for. Thinking that it would be too complicated
to explain about the CSW I answered “meetings in the UN. “Aha” he said with a
smile on his face “You are attending the women’s conference. Welcome.”
I have only been able to attend a fraction of the over 200 meetings. But every time I am impressed by the level of strong engagement by both speakers and audience. Though the events covered many issues, the lack of sustained funding for programs and capacity building of the organizations that are implementing 1325, was raised in most of the events I attended.
I have only been able to attend a fraction of the over 200 meetings. But every time I am impressed by the level of strong engagement by both speakers and audience. Though the events covered many issues, the lack of sustained funding for programs and capacity building of the organizations that are implementing 1325, was raised in most of the events I attended.
Hasina
Safi and Samira Hamidi from our partner organization Afghan Women's Network
(AWN) were very explicit about this issue during Thursday’s panel discussion
“What Beijing+20 means to Afghanistan: a critical look from a women’s movement
perspective. “
Hasina
Safi: “Peace and development cannot happen without us, women. We need the
international community to support us with policies but also with sustainable
funding. Policies and funding that are put in place in consultation with us.
Because what is the purpose of political declarations if it doesn’t match the
realities on the ground. “
Our
CEO Simone Filippini also pointed this out in her Op-ed In The Guardian
United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325: women, peace
and security gives us the political framework to get women on board and to
change the perception of women from victims to agent of change in conflict
resolution processes. Yet 15 years later, donor countries invest billions in
their own (military) security, but fail to allocate the resources to implement
UNSCR1325 and hence to implement measures to improve the security situation of
women. This lack of political will to generate adequate funding deprives the
world of a most effective response to radicalization.
Cordaid,
UN Women and GNWP facilitated a closed session meeting on Thursday with UN
agencies, member states and civil society organizations to discuss modalities
of a Global Acceleration Instrument (GAI) for the financing and implementation
of UNSCR 1325. The meeting resulted in an agreement to elaborate the GAI
further with the aim for launching during the 15th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325 in
October.
I
left last Friday, looking back at a very interesting and inspiring week wishing
those who stay on a successful last week of CSW59.
=Monique Tummers, Cordaid=
Cordaid is a member
of WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform
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