New York / Information Office  / October 29

 The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations co-organized with the UK and Canada delegations to the UN, UN Women and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, a side event at the UN Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 2021 United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security titled "A New Chapter in Afghanistan: Ensuring International Cooperation in Support of Afghan Women & Girls."

This event is designed to bring together key stakeholders, including the Friends of Women in Afghanistan and regional partners to exchange views and hear from Afghan women leaders.

At the opening session of the event, HE the State of Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani stressed that empowering women in Afghanistan is necessary to achieve peace, security and economic stability, calling for humanitarian aid to be independent of the political track.

She noted the commitment of the State of Qatar to provide humanitarian assistance and continue evacuation efforts in coordination with international partners and relevant UN agencies and departments, pointing out that the State of Qatar called from the beginning to preserve the gains made over the past 20 years, especially for women and girls in Afghanistan.

The event focused on the vital and active role of the UN and the international community, especially concerning the status of women in Afghanistan, focusing on their participation in political and economic life, the right to education for girls, and expanding women's access to education and employment.

HE the UK's Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth and Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Lord Tariq Ahmad, HE Canada's Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security Jacqueline O'Neill, Executive Director of UN Women Dr. Sima Sami Bahous, and Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Mette Knudsen attended the event, which was moderated by HE Executive Director of Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security Ambassador Melanne Verveer.