The Arab International Women’s Forum was represented at the 39th Session of the Arab Women’s Committee and Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 64th Session on the Status of Women in the United Nations, held on 9 and 10 February 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
AIWF was invited by Dr Hala Al Tuwaijri, Secretary General, Council for Family Affairs and Dr Haifa Abu Ghazala, Assistant Secretary-General & Head of the Social Affairs Sector, League of Arab States to participate in this vital meeting on empowering women and advancing their status at the Arab level to enhance their economic empowerment and political participation across the region and internationally, as well as following up the implementation of the SDGs and the Women, Security and Peace Agenda.
Representing AIWF on this special occasion was Dr Afnan Al Shuaiby, valued AIWF Board Member and former Secretary General & CEO of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce in London. The Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women was held in cooperation with UN Women and other international partners to reach a consensus Arab statement to be submitted to the 64th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Key topics included the report of the General Secretariat’s activity between the previous and the current sessions, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, women’s empowerment in the Arab world, and the follow-up to the recommendations of the Ministerial Conference that focused on women’s empowerment and its impact on social development.
The Meeting renewed the Arab region’s commitment to the principles of the Beijing Platform for Action and delivered key messages and recommendations from the member states of the Arab League relating to the implementation of Beijing Platform for Action, to which AIWF was proud to contribute. These messages will reflect the priorities of the region for the next five years to coincide with the next regional review of ‘Beijing + 30’ and reflect regional perspectives in relation to the twelve critical areas of concern and issues around the empowerment of women in the Arab region. The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action flagged 12 key areas where urgent action was needed to ensure greater equality and opportunities for women and men, girls and boys. The areas of concern include: women and poverty; education and training of women; women and health; violence against women; women in armed conflict; women and the economy; human rights of women; and women and the environment.
Key messages and recommendations emerging from the meeting will be presented in a report during the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York in March 2020. The Preparatory Meeting and the Arab Women Committee session was attended by Ministers and heads of national committees concerned with women’s affairs in the Member States as well as relevant regional and international organisations. During the meeting, the Arab Women Committee announced Riyadh as the capital of Arab women for 2020 under the slogan ‘Women are a homeland and an ambition’.
The Arab International Women’s Forum congratulates the Family Affairs Council and the League of Arab States for its highly successful implementation of this key meeting and looks forward to supporting both organisations in bringing its pivotal recommendations to fruition in the years ahead.
