PROMINENT
ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN WOMEN LEADERS TO HOLD UNPRECEDENTED MEETING AT
UN
WITH WOMEN HEADS OF STATE TO INITIATE NEW MIDDLE EAST PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS
Delegation of Israeli, Palestinian and international women leaders
achieve historic agreement on principles for Middle East peace and urge
international support.
UNIFEM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 18 September 2006
United Nations, New York -- A delegation of top Israeli, Palestinian and
international women leaders arrive at the United Nations on September
20th to meet with President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen, at
a time when Finland holds the Presidency of the European Union, in an
effort to marshal high-level political pressure to restart negotiations
in the region. Joining the President of Finland will be President Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Africa?s first elected woman head of state,
who traveled to the occupied Palestinian territory in 2001 to hear the
stories of women living in conflict as part of the Independent Experts?
Assessment on the impact of war on women, commissioned by the United
Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
It is hoped that together
these leaders, representing both the North and the South, can begin to
focus international attention on the need to resolve the long-standing
Israeli-Palestinian conflict so as to prevent broader conflict in the region. Taking advantage of the opening of the 66th Session of
the UN General Assembly, they are also meeting with Mr. Amr Moussa, who
heads the League of Arab States, and with critical foreign ministers, as
well as with high-level UN officials.
The International Women's Commission for a Just and Sustainable
Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IWC) convened in 2005 by Noeleen Heyzer, the
Executive Director of UNIFEM, at the urging of Israeli and Palestinian
women leaders, was established to ensure the meaningful participation of
women in mainstream peace negotiations.
IWC maintains that implementing
UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which mandates women's involvement
in conflict resolution, is critical to restarting negotiations and
improving their outcomes. The IWC charter stresses the goal of bringing
an end to Israeli occupation through immediate final status
negotiations, leading to a viable sovereign Palestinian state alongside
the state of Israel. Since its inception, IWC has succeeded in joining
women living in different realities and experiences to speak out on the
most difficult political issues in one voice.
Leading the delegation to New York are Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Member of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, and Dr. Naomi Chazan, former Deputy
Speaker of the Israeli Knesset and professor of political science,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The IWC has agreed to the following principles, which will be presented
to the heads of state in New York:
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The Arab League Initiative of 2002 provides an appropriate framework
for the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and for
comprehensive peace in the region. This initiative could lead to the
realization of ?a new Middle East? that the people in the region desire,
rather than one that would be externally imposed.
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In the interim, the international community must insist on a complete
cessation of hostilities and protection of people in both Lebanon and
the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), according to international
law. This should be followed by the promotion of good will measures such
as: exchange of prisoners; free movement of people and goods and the
cessation of the construction of the separation wall in oPt to pave the
way to permanent settlement negotiations.
Members of the IWC at the UN meeting will include: Dr. Hanan Ashrawi,
Member, Palestinian Legislative Council; Ms. Zahira Kamal, former
Minister of Women's Affairs, Palestinian Authority; Ms. Samia Y.M.
Bamieh, former Director of European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs; Dr. Naomi Chazan, Professor of Political Science, Hebrew
University of Jerusalem; Ms. Aida Touma-Sliman, General Director, Women
against Violence Organization; Dr. Galia Golan, Professor Emeritus,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ms. Leire Pajin Iraola, State Secretary
for International Cooperation, Spain; Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive
Director of UNIFEM; and other prominent international figures from
Europe and the United States.
In August, 2005 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recognized the IWC
through an official decree. Before leaving for the UN meeting, the
Palestinian delegation met with President Abbas to brief him and gained
his support. In Israel, the IWC launch coincided with the adoption in
the Knesset of a law calling for implementation of UN Security Council
Resolution 1325, giving credence to the IWC.
With support of its international members and facilitation of UNIFEM, an
IWC delegation visited Brussels in December 2005 to meet with EU
officials. A visit to New York and Washington took place in May 2006,
providing the IWC with a dialogue with high-level officials in the
United Nations and in Washington, including Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, and UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, Ibrahim
Gambari.
Going forward, the IWC hopes to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations
and offer policymakers a stake in resolving the Israel-Palestine
conflict with fresh, incisive political analysis and innovative
proposals from women leaders for actions and strategies that can serve
to advance the peace process.
Media Inquiries:
Nanette Braun, Communications Specialist, UNIFEM Headquarters, +1
212-906-6829, nanette.braun [at] unifem.org
UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations, providing financial
support and technical assistance to innovative programmes promoting
women's human rights, their economic and political empowerment, and
gender equality in more than 100 countries. In 2006, UNIFEM is
commemorating its 30th anniversary. For more information, visit
http://www.unifem.org/. UNIFEM, 304
East 45th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Tel: +1 212-906-6400.
Fax: +1 212-906-6705.
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