THE Philippines is all set to host next week the International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (ICWPS), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) said Thursday.
The three-day event begins October 28 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. It will have two high-level panels that will assess the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and four thematic discussions on the policy and practical aspects of the WPS agenda’s implementation.
The thematic sessions will delve into the role of women in peace processes, the effective execution of the National Action Plan, financing strategies for WPS initiatives, and the intersection among gender inequities, climate, peace, and security.
There will also be a special forum on multi-stakeholder and cross-regional partnerships, parliamentary roundtable dialogues on advancing the WPS agenda, 23 side events, as well as exhibits by local and international institutions and organizations.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said that state representatives, and civil society organizations from 73 countries have confirmed their participation, with 19 ministers expected to attend, including United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
The conference “will bring together women leaders, peacebuilders, and peace advocates … with the aim of highlighting [women’s] indispensable role in their country’s peace processes,” Galvez said.
“Lasting peace for all can only be attained when women are included and given the chance to let their voices be heard,” he added, highlighting the role of women prime movers in the nation’s peace processes such as the late Haydee Yorac and Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.
Galvez said pressing issues affecting women and children in the Philippines are getting more attention from the international community because of the awareness created by the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the ICWPS would provide the platform to encourage international development institutions and the private sector to invest in initiatives that are focused on women, peace and security.
Pangandaman said that on the second day of the conference, the parliamentary panel would allow local legislators to participate in the discussions to learn about the laws of other countries that the Philippines can adopt as best practices.
Through the dialogues, she said the Philippines will also be able to evaluate the implementation of its NAPWPS, identify gaps in its rollout, and come up with recommendations on how to further improve the plan.
The conference is led by the Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Budget and Management, Opapru, and the Philippine Commission on Women.
Other core group members involved in the planning of the three-day conference include the Presidential Communications Office, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, UN Women, and the Asean Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.
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