Finland draws attention to the unlocked peacebuilding potential of women and natural resources at the 26th session of the Human Rights Council

The Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva organized a side-event during the 26th session of the Human Rights Council on 24 June to present the policy report “Women and Natural Resources: Unlocking the Peacebuilding Potential”. The report was released by UNEP, UN Women, United Nations Peace Building Support Office and UNDP in November 2013 with the aim of improving the understanding of the complex relationship between women and natural resources in conflict-affected settings, and making the case for pursuing gender equality, women’s empowerment and sustainable natural resource management together in support of peacebuilding.  The side-event was a human rights focused continuation of several previous events organized around the findings of the report in Geneva, New York and Nairobi.

Photo: Leena Mahr
Ambassador Kairamo

Opened by Ambassador of Finland Ms. Päivi Kairamo, the side-event aimed to raise awareness about the main findings of the report and enhance understanding of how policies and programmes that address the gender - natural resource - peacebuilding nexus can be better grounded on human rights, in particular through a focus on principles of non-discrimination, participation and accountability. The purpose was to explore measures capable of helping overcome obstacles to the full enjoyment of women’s rights to land and other natural resources in peacebuilding contexts, and to promote dialogue and cooperation among the gender, natural resources, peacebuilding and human rights communities.

In addition to the author organizations of the report, the Permanent Mission of Finland was happy to organize the side-event with a great amount of co-sponsors: the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey as well as Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Femmes Africa Solidarité.

The report can be downloaded from the following link: http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/UNEP_UN-Women_PBSO_UNDP_gender_NRM_peacebuilding_report.pdf(Link to another website.)

Photo: Leena Mahr