AMMAN — The government of Finland and UN Women reaffirmed their “longstanding” partnership to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the Arab states during an event hosted by the embassy of Finland in Cairo.

 

The event commemorated the 26 years of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and marked a new chapter in the cooperation of Finland and UN Women through a 150,000-euro initiative aimed at strengthening women's leadership and participation in mediation and peace processes across the region.

 

The Finland-funded project, titled “Advancing Women's Leadership in Mediation in the Arab States Region through the Arab Women Mediators Network [AWMN]”, supports the network's institutional development, strengthens its regional role and expands opportunities for women mediators to engage in peace and security processes.

 

The initiative builds on a decade of cooperation between UN Women and Finland to advance the WPS agenda in the Arab states, according to a statement by UN Women Arab States office.

 

Through direct support to UN Women’s regional projects on WPS, this partnership has contributed to the establishment of the Arab Women Mediators Network, supported the adoption and implementation of National Action Plans on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia, and expanded opportunities for women's participation in conflict prevention, peace building and mediation.

 

Strengthening women's participation and leadership in formal mediation and negotiation processes remains a priority across the Arab states, said the statement.

 

Regional networks are crucial in ensuring women mediators are connected to decision-makers, and in creating opportunities for women’s expertise to inform and influence peace and mediation processes.

 

UN Women Regional Director for the Arab States across the Arab States Moez Doraid said, "Women are already playing critical roles in preventing conflict, mediating disputes and building peace in their communities. Yet their expertise and leadership remain largely underrepresented in formal peace processes."

 

"Through our longstanding partnership with Finland and the League of Arab States, we are strengthening the Arab Women Mediators Network to expand opportunities for women to participate in and influence mediation efforts. Sustainable peace requires women's leadership and meaningful participation at every stage of the process,” he added.

 

Ambassador of Finland to Egypt Riikka Eela said, "Finland’s national Women, peace and security plan has a strong international dimension. We have focused on Arab region for many years, and UN Women is our close partner in this work."

 

"This project is a logical complement and continuation of our other activities in the region. Globally, women’s participation in formal peace processes continues to decline. This means we must work harder. Sustainable peace is only reached through inclusive processes," she added.

 

Established jointly by the Arab League and UN Women in 2020, the Arab Women Mediators Network serves as a regional platform connecting qualified women mediators and supporting their engagement in conflict prevention, negotiation, mediation and post-conflict recovery processes.

 

The network also facilitates knowledge exchange, cooperation and collective advocacy to strengthen women's influence in peace and security processes.

 

Running from June 2026 to June 2027, the Finland-supported initiative will support the implementation of the Arab Women Mediators Network's annual workplan through facilitating Network members' participation and knowledge exchange in regional and international forums.

 

It will also contribute to strengthening practical learning through engagement with active mediation contexts in the region, and promoting exchanges and dialogue on mediation among women mediators and peacebuilders, including young women peacebuilders.

 

Through this initiative, Finland, UN Women and the Arab League seek to strengthen the Arab Women Mediators Network as a regional platform for mediation expertise, cooperation and knowledge exchange, while expanding opportunities for women to contribute to and influence peace and security processes across the Arab states.