“Gender-blind counter-terrorism policies and practices have the potential of not only being ineffective, but to also negatively impact women and girls’ rights.” This was one of the key messages pronounced by Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), in an event during the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62). Organized on 12 March 2018 by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and UN Women at the UN in New York, the panel discussion on The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation also saw the participation of the UN Ambassadors of Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
“CTED conducts neutral expert assessments of Member States’ implementation of key Security Council resolutions aimed at countering the threat to peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Gender considerations are now fully mainstreamed in our assessments, and we continue to reaffirm the notion that effective counter-terrorism responses should be human rights compliant, and gender-sensitive,” Ms. Coninsx stressed.
The panel discussion allowed Member States, United Nations officials, and women civil society leaders to take stock of progress made and challenges ahead in terms of advancing efforts to increase women’s participation and leadership and a gender dimension in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism. The event took place in advance of the General Assembly’s 6th Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which is planned for June 2018.
Speakers included Member States, United Nations officials, and women civil society leaders:
- E. Mrs. Lana Zaki Nusseibeh,Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations (statement)
- E. Mr. Koro Bessho, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations (statement)
- Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (statement)
- Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (statement)
- Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (statement)
- Fauziya Abdi Ali, President, Women in International Security Kenya, Chair, Sisters Without Borders
- Yenny Wahid, Director, The Wahid Institute
A webcast recording of the event is available here.
To see the flyer, please click here.