NICOSIA, MAY 17 – The first antenna of the MWMN was launched in Cyprus on 17-18 May 2019, following up on a previous meeting organised in Nicosia in July 2018 by the Cyprus Women’s Lobby with the joint support of the MWMN, the Women Mediators Network across the Commonwealth, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and UNFICYP.
The MWMN/Cyprus Antenna will gather women mediators from both communities to advance gender equality, democracy, peace and inclusiveness. The launch, opened by the Italian Ambassador Andrea Cavallari, is articulated in two parts: a public launch event on 17 May on the challenge of women’s meaningful and effective participation at the global level and an interactive mediation workshop involving local women on inclusive and gendered mediation and peacebuilding taking place the following day.
Acknowledging the need to foster women’s participation in a key region for global peace and stability, in 2017 Italy decided to establish a Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, as one of the flagship initiatives of the Italian mandate in the Security Council combining Italy’s role in the Mediterranean area, its commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and to the promotion of gender equality policies. The establishment of the MWNM is also included in Italy’s III National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the 2016-2019 period. The initiative is promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and Women in International Security Italy (WIIS).
The Mediterranean Women Mediators Network will consist, in its initial stage, of approximately 50 qualified members from Mediterranean countries. The Network’s geographic scope encompasses the UN Member States of the Mediterranean area, including some lacking a direct outlet to the Sea, which nonetheless belong to the Mediterranean history and culture, as well as Permanent Observers States of the UN. (@OnuItalia)