During three days, 21 – 23 November, Officials from Key Government Ministries and civil society organizations implementing UNSCR 1325 in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda meet to discuss the creation of a regional network. The meeting is taking place in Mombasa, Kenya and is carried out as part of a partnership between the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian law and Africa Youth Trust, Kenya.
The project forms part of the Institute´s regional programme in Africa, and it seeks to strengthen the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 within the five EAC partner states.
The overall goal of the project is to above all, increase the regional coordination of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security among EAC partner states, by contributing to the establishment of a regional network of key actors in this field.
In this first year of implementation, a mapping exercise to identify actors implementing UNSCR 1325 within the EAC region has been carried out. Country visits to each of the EAC partner states were carried out in order meet the actors identified and during each country visit, meetings were held with government officials from various Ministries whose mandate is to promote women’s human rights. Meetings were hosted in Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, which brought Government Ministries and civil society organizations working on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 together. Each meeting also resulted in consensus regarding the need for the creation of a regional network to synergize the implementation of resolution 1325 in the EAC.
Objectives of the Regional Networking Forum
The main objective of the forum is to bring together stakeholders implementing UNSCR 1325 within the five EAC partner states.
The forum is also expected to:
- Promote partnership and networking among actors within the five EAC partner states.
- Seek consensus on the structure of the regional network and its functions
- Discuss the priorities for the regional network moving forward.