The State Minister for Peace: Harmony between Negotiators and Voices of the Community Guarantees the Success of the Peace Process
Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, State Minister for Peace, attended the national conference titled "Afghanistan Peace Process: Progress, Challenges and Expectations", and said at the end of the meeting: "Unity in preserving the values achieved in the last two decades, and creating harmony between peace negotiators and voices from the context of the society is a guarantee for our success in this process.
During the conference, organized by the Women's Initiative for Peace and Security (WIPS) at the Kabul-Serena Hotel, participants worked in groups regarding the progress and challenges of the peace process and how institutions and actors will influence the process. In the last part of the conference, two panels were held on the topic of the peace process and the presence of women from different sectors, as well as the efforts of the international community and the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) for the success and inclusiveness of the peace process.
Concluding the conference, the State Minister for Peace said that the ups and downs of the Afghanistan peace negotiations were predictable, and emphasized that the role of civil society organizations and movements advocating for the fundamental rights of citizens, including women, is very important and vital in institutionalizing human and Islamic values.
He praised the establishment of grassroots organizations, saying that the "Women's Initiative for Peace and Security" is in line with the main goals of the State Ministry for Peace, as the inclusion and meaningful presence of women in the peace process is one of the ministry's top priorities.
Referring to international academic researches, Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi said: "When civil society groups, including women's rights organizations, are part of the peace process, the chances of breaking agreements are 64% lower." Also, if women are involved in the peace process as witnesses, signatories, mediators and negotiators, the duration of the agreement reached is 35% longer.
The State Minister for Peace called the facilitation of the activities of civil society organizations and women's rights activists as one of the ministry’s responsibilities. Mentioning the establishment of Women's Affairs Commission in the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), he said that receiving women's views and their coherent transfer to peace structures would provide a good opportunity for a meaningful presence of women in the peace process.
Referring to the consensus at the national, regional and global levels, as well as in the Islamic world, Mr. Naderi stressed that without dialogue and understanding, an end to the Afghan crisis could not be achieved militarily. He stressed that there is a collective understanding that the only peaceful solution to the crisis is to move the peace negotiations forward and to be present at the negotiating table.
Furthermore, Roland Kubia, EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Stefano Pontecorvo, NATO's Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, Caecilia Wijgers, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Alison Blake, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Aleta Miller, UN Women Representative in Afghanistan, Jaap van Hierden Country Director of Cordaid, Najiba Ayoubi, Member of the Leadership Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Farida Momand, Member of the Leadership Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Hasina Safi, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Dr. Sima Samar, Former State Minister for Human Rights and International Relations, Fatima Gailani, Member of the Negotiation Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Nilofar Ibrahimi, Member of the Wolesi Jirga (House of Representative), also delivered their speeches at the conference.
They spoke about the progress and challenges of the peace process, the Ministry of Women's Affairs' support for women's participation in the peace process, the presence of women from various sectors in the peace process, the efforts of the international community and the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) for the success and inclusiveness of the process.
It is noteworthy that the Women's Initiative for Peace and Security (WIPS) was established as a result of the unification of 15 major civil society organizations to advocate for the meaningful participation of women in all areas of peace and security in the capital and provinces of the country.
