New York, March 12 (QNA) - In partnership with the United Nations Women Regional Office for the Arab States (ROAS), the Arab League organized a high-level side event on the margin of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, under the theme 'Breaking chains: women's Quest for life in Gaza.' in the participation of the State of Qatar.
HE Minister of Social Development and Family Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad represented the State of Qatar at the meeting.
Her Excellency chairs the State of Qatar's delegation at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, running from March 11- 22.
The meeting discussed international support for Palestinian women within the frameworks of international humanitarian law and human rights law. Moreover, it highlighted human rights violations, illegal acts, and crimes against humanity practiced against women and girls in the Gaza Strip, in addition to underscoring the importance of humanitarian solidarity with Palestinian women in light of the dangerous escalation and unprecedented Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territories, especially on the Gaza Strip. The meeting also examined the effects of the aggression on women and girls, as well as ways to provide them with protection.
In her speech at the meeting, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the Arab League Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh called on the international community and all human rights institutions to support Palestinian women in their struggle. Abu Ghazaleh stressed the importance of the international community standing by the Palestinian people to ensure their security and safety, bearing its responsibility towards eliminating injustice against them, and committing to implementing international legal frameworks for human rights and international humanitarian law, in addition to the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda.
For her part, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability, and Partnerships Kirsi Madi called for the protection of women in armed conflicts. Madi also stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the urgent need to achieve justice and protect women's right to a violence-free life.
In turn, Palestinian Minister of Women's Affairs Amal Hamad said that the women of Palestine paid a heavy price with their lives, property, and dreams in face of the crime of genocide against the backdrop of silence on the part of the world and the human rights system, something that revealed the civilized world's true colors.
At the conclusion of the high-level event, the head of the Arab League's delegation in New York Ambassador Maged Abdelfattah pointed out that the United Nations Security Council got paralyzed as a result of geopolitical shocks, which in turn prevented reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip five months into the Israeli aggression, despite the Arab group's efforts to support Palestine. The Ambassador expressed the Arab League and Arab world's appreciation for all efforts aimed at preventing Israel's impunity.
Important and influential international and Arab figures participated in the high-level event, including female ministers and heads of national mechanisms concerned with womens affairs in Arab states, in addition to high-level representatives of United Nations offices and specialized agencies, as well as civil society organizations and experts concerned with womens issues.
The 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) is the UNs largest annual gathering on gender equality and womens empowerment, held under the priority theme of "Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective". (QNA)