Amman: Minister of Social Development Wafaa Bani Mustafa on Tuesday patronized the first-ever Regional Open Day on Women, Peace, and Security in the Arab States, organized by UN Women with the participation of experts and representatives of civil-society organizations.
According to Jordan News Agency, Bani Mustafa emphasized that the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda is not merely a UN document but a vision for a more stable global future. She highlighted the essential role of women in peace processes, post-conflict reconstruction, and security and political decision-making. The relevance of the WPS Agenda for Arab states was underscored, given the region's ongoing crises and significant numbers of internally displaced persons, which create considerable humanitarian and social pressures on women and girls.
Bani Mustafa commended the efforts of national, regional, and global mediation networks, especially the Arab Women Mediators Network, in promoting women's leadership, supporting peace efforts, and enhancing the implementation of the UN Secretary-General's initiative to expand diplomacy for peace. She pointed out that out of 113 countries with national action plans for UN Security Council Resolution 1325, only eight are Arab states, and just 29 countries, including Jordan, have allocated budgets to their plans.
She further mentioned that peace agreements involving women tend to have higher implementation rates and longer-lasting effects, contributing to justice, inclusion, and more effective peace outcomes. The minister emphasized the importance of regional partnerships, expertise exchange, and stronger alliances to tackle shared challenges. She outlined priorities such as increasing women's participation in peace processes, securing funding for women-led organizations, and creating regional solidarity networks to enhance women's roles in protection, prevention, response, and recovery.
UN Women Regional Director for the Arab States Moez Doraid expressed gratitude to Jordan for hosting the event and acknowledged the support of partner countries. He noted that the event offers an inclusive space for all WPS Agenda actors, including government officials, civil-society representatives, Arab League member states, and UN agencies, to renew commitments to Resolution 1325.
Doraid highlighted the opportunity for critical assessment of regional implementation since 2000 and emphasized the need for more urgent advancement, particularly in ensuring meaningful women's participation in peacebuilding efforts. The three-day program includes seven dialogue sessions focusing on strengthening women's contributions to peace and security, examining areas such as UNSCR 1325's impact, coalition-building, cross-border cooperation, and sustainable financing for the WPS Agenda.
The discussions aim to generate key recommendations for concrete implementation through evidence-based exchanges and presentation of outcomes and findings.