Members of the Women's Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region met in Goma, eastern DRC, from 11 to 12 July 2016 to strengthen their potential in the implementation of the Framework and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in relation to conflict resolution and peace building in Africa’s Great Lakes region. More specifically, the Platform aims at ensuring that women in the core countries of the PSC Framework, namely Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, play a prominent role in peace efforts in the Great Lakes region.

The meeting brought together women from organizations receiving grants from the Platform; leaders from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Women Forum; members of the Advisory Board of the Women’s Platform, including Madame Bineta Diop, the African Union Special Envoy on Gender; Government representatives from Ministries of Gender; as well as Zachary Mburi Muita, the Executive Secretary of the ICGLR; and the United Nations.

The meeting provided a forum for the participants to share experiences on how the Women’s Platform has helped them participate in conflict resolution and peacebuilding in their communities, and to make recommendations on the future of the Platform.

“There is a critical need to ramp up support and efforts to ensure that women and girls are at the forefront of finding lasting solutions to the root causes of conflict in the region and that their vital voices are heard, heeded and included in peacekeeping, peace building processes and beyond. I believe the Women’s Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework has a significant role to play in this,” Said Djinnit, Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region and Chair of the meeting, told the participants.

The meeting of the Women’s Platform adopted a declaration which is expected to be conveyed to the African Union Summit in Kigali and to the Heads of State and Government of the PSC Framework signatory countries.

The Women's Platform was launched in January 2014 by the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region to enable women's organizations from the Great Lakes region to actively participate in the implementation of the PSC Framework, especially by playing a leading role in public life and in the protection and respect for women's rights.