Rabat – Morocco on Wednesday launched its first national action plan on a UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
The launch of the national plan stresses Morocco’s commitment to boost gender equality and female empowerment.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and Ambassador Omar Hilale shared the news on the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN.
Bringing together members states, UN bodies, and NGOs, the session is taking place from March 14 to 25 to review the global situation of gender equality and female empowerment in the face of climate change.
Morocco’s launch of the WPS action plan demonstrates King Mohammed VI’s vision for a “just, democratic, and egalitarian society,” said Bourita in a speech.
“The presentation of this plan is not an exercise in formalism, it is rather a direct implementation of resolution 1325 and successive resolutions of the security council,” he stressed.
The Moroccan official also emphasized that the adoption of the plan is in line with the country’s approach to guarantee “an inclusive, innovative, and holistic” strategy that prioritizes peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy and a culture of peace as well as women’s economic empowerment.
Resolution 1325, which was adopted in 2000, tackles the impact of war on women, stressing the importance of women’s equal participation “in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and in post-conflict reconstruction.”
It also urges member states to adopt special measures to protect girls and women from sexual violence in conflict zones.
Morocco emphasized that its national plan reflects the changing paradigm in viewing women in relation to conflicts, asserting that they must be agents of change and equal partners in decision-making in face of current issues such as climate change, terrorism, and health emergencies, noted the Moroccan chief of diplomacy.
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The new action plan aligns with a joint statement on women, peace, and diplomacy co-drafted by Morocco, UAE, Israel, and Bahrain during the 48th session of the Human Rights Council.
The document stressed the role of women in conflict prevention and peace processes, urging states to promote women’s participation in diplomacy.
In September 2021, UN Women commended Morocco’s “significant progress towards gender equality by adopting Law 19-20 to amend Law 17-95 and Law No. 5-96.” The texts called for the strengthening of female representation in policymaking and economic fields.
In addition to promoting gender equality, Morocco has been active as a reliable partner and mediator of regional conflicts such as the Libyan case, advocating for stability and peace in the MENA region.
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