The Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström recently appointed ILAC´s Executive Director, Agneta Johansson as one of fifteen inspiring women comprising the Swedish Women´s Mediation Network in recognition of her work in peacebuilding and rule of law.
I am very honoured to have been invited to contribute to the important work of the Women’s Mediation Network. The rule of law is a key component of sustainable peace and must be considered when determining what to include at each step of peace negotiations, says Ms. Johansson.
Part of Sweden’s peacebuilding and feminist foreign policy, Foreign Minister Wallström initiated the Swedish Women´s Mediation Network in 2015 to promote peaceful conflict resolution and actively support women’s meaningful participation in sustainable peacebuilding. The Network counts, with senior female ambassadors and experts in international law, peace processes mediators, and experts in security sector reform, reconciliation, human rights, humanitarian affairs and other areas of peacebuilding.
Members of the Network shall actively participate in peace processes as well as promote the inclusion of women and civil society in peace-making and conflict resolution. Based on the approach that local ownership and inclusivity is key to achieving sustainable peace, the network aims to empower and build the capacity of local women peacebuilders.
The rule of law and functioning justice institutions are essential to protecting the rights and security of women in transitional settings. Having worked with civil society and justice sector institutions in this field for more than 30 years, I look forward to contributing my experience to the Network, Agneta Johansson concluded.
In 2011 the UN General Assembly approved Resolution (65/283) on Peace Mediation, encouraging the international community to strengthen women´s position within peace-making process. Yet, women remain under-represented as negotiating parties and as mediators.
Foreign Minister Wallström said that she is proud of the Network and they have “met for inspiring conversations, when our mediators told me about their efforts in, among others, Syria, Afghanistan, Colombia and Ukraine”. “Women’s participation in peace processes contributes to sustainable peace and is an important part of our feminist foreign policy,” she concluded.
For more information, please contact ILAC´s Communications Officer Vanessa Passos at vanessa.passos.araujo(at)ilac.se.
