9-10 December 2011 Istanbul, Turkey The regional women’s lobby for peace, security and justice in Southeast Europe (RWL SEE) held the strategic meeting of the steering committee of the RWL in Istanbul from 8 to 11 December. The main topics were: the security situation in the region, strengthening of women in the Euro-Atlantic integration processes and strategic development of the Regional Women’s Lobby. In the meeting were present the members of the Steering Committee of all seven countries of the region, Edita Tahiri from Kosova, Gordana Sobol from Croatia, Sonja Biserko from Serbia, Marieta Zaqe from Albania, Slavica Strikovic from Montenegro, Memnuna Zvizdic from Bosnia and Hercegovina and Irina Pockova from Macedonia. In the meeting were present also representatives of UN Women Flora Macula and Edwin Berry.

The meeting was opened by the Chair of the Regional Women’s Lobby, Ms. Edita Tahiri, and Deputy Prime minister of Kosova, wherein she highly appreciated the activities of the Regional Women’s Lobby as a powerful organization with the mission of strengthening the women for peace, security and justice within the scope of UN Resolution 1325. She also emphasized the challenges that this organization faces and expressed the desire that Istanbul meeting will contribute to the further strategic development of the RWL.

During the constructive debate on the points of agenda for this meeting, moderated by Mrs. Flora Macula, Advisor for Governance and Peace in UN Women, members of the Steering Committee gave valuable contribution through identification of the challenges and opportunities for fair and lasting solutions. Country context has been discussed and women’s support to cooperation of seven countries of the region. Engagements of women’s for the issues of improvement of the neighbouring relations between Serbia and Kosovo, state consolidation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and improvement of the multi-ethnic situation in Macedonia were also discussed. Participants agreed that there is a need to increase number of women in decision-making positions and strengthen the position of women in the peace and security processes through the region.

RWL Steering Committee members expressed special thanks to UN Women for the continuous support for the Regional Women’s Lobby. In one of the sessions, the representatives of RWL and UN Women discussed the knowledge product of UNDP on the activities of the RWL and representatives, Tracy Gough and Jocelyne Talbot, of the UNDP were present at the meeting.

After the constructive and inspiring debate, the participants agreed to a joint statement.

For RWL:  

Diana Çekaj – Berisha, Coordinator