Peacebuilders

It is critically important that Member States, including those on the Security Council, and UN representatives hear directly from women living in conflict-affected areas about their needs, priorities and locally-developed recommendations and that these be reflected in international policies.

We systematically call on the UN system to consult with women civil society representatives both in New York and at the country level.

Over the last decade we have been invited to facilitate the civil society statement at the annual Security Council open debates on women, peace and security in October, as well as those on sexual violence in conflict. This is a role we take very seriously and are privileged to be entrusted with this important selection process.  We are committed to ensuring this process is consultative. Every year we invite organizations and individuals to nominate women civil society representatives from diverse nationalities, regions and backgrounds from conflict-affected countries on the Security Council’s agenda, to speak on our behalf.  

In 2015, the Security Council committed to inviting civil society representatives, including from women’s organizations, to participate in country-specific briefings. We work with the rotating presidents of the Security Council to ensure this commitment is upheld and that women’s perspectives are integrated into the design and implementation of peace operations and into the Security Council’s responses to emerging or deteriorating crisis situations.

We also advocate for the leaders of peace operations to hold regular consultations with local women and women’s organizations so that their needs and priorities are considered and responded to by the mission.

Shaharzad Akbar

Shaharzad Akbar, Executive Director of Rawadari, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan in December 2023.

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Karima Bennoune

Karima Bennoune, international legal expert and Professor of International Law at the University of Michigan Law School, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan in September 2023.

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Naw Hser Hser

Ms. Naw Hser Hser was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in July 2023. She spoke in her capacity as a longstanding woman human rights defender and Advisory Board Member of the Women's League of Burma.

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Khanim Latif

Khanim Latif, Iraqi civil society activist and Founder and Executive Director of Asuda for Combating Violence against Women, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Iraq in May 2023. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Zubaida Akbar

Zubaida Akbar, Afghan woman human rights defender and Afghanistan Program Officer at Freedom Now, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan in March 2023. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Rebecca Kabuo

Rebecca Kabuo, activist with Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Zahra Nader

Ms. Zahra Nader was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2022. She spoke in her capacity as an activist, journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Zan Times.

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Yalda Royan

Yalda Royan, Afghanistan Country Team Lead of VOICE Amplified, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan in June 2022. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Mariana Karkoutly

Ms. Mariana Karkoutly was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict in April 2022. She spoke in her capacity as a civil society activist and Co-Founder of Huquqyat.

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Mahbouba Seraj

Mahbouba Seraj, Executive Director of Afghan Women Skills Development Center, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Elham Saudi

Elham Saudi, representing the organization Lawyers for Justice in Libya, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Libya.

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Amal Kabashi

Amal Kabashi, Coordinator of Iraqi Women Network, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Iraq. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Celia Umenza Velasco

Ms. Celia Umenza Velasco was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2021. She spoke in her capacity as an Indigenous leader, Legal Coordinator for the Indigenous Reservation of Tacueyó and member of ACIN (Association of Indigenous Councils of the North of Cauca), and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Hala Al-Karib

Hala Al-Karib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Sudan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Entesar Al-Qadhi

Entesar Al-Qadhi, Executive Director of Marib Girls Foundation for Development, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Yemen. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Najiba Al Naggar

Najiba Al Naggar, Programs Manager of SOS Center for Youth Capabilities Development, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Yemen. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Fatima Maiga

Fatima Maiga, independent consultant and Founding Member and President of the Coalition des Femmes Leaders Nord, Sud et Centre du Mali (NSC), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Mali. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Caroline Atim

Ms. Caroline Atim was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in April 2021. She spoke in her capacity as a civil society activist, Director of the South Sudan Women with Disabilities Network, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Sandrine Lusamba

Sandrine Lusamba, representing the organization SOFEPADI, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Zarqa Yaftali

Ms. Zarqa Yaftali was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2020. She spoke in her capacity as a women's rights activist, as Executive Director of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Nyachangkuoth Rambang Tai

Nyachangkuoth Rambang Tai, representing the organization Assistance Mission for Africa, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in South Sudan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Khin Ohmar

Ms. Khin Ohmar was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict in July 2020. She spoke in her capacity as an an experienced peace and security advocate from Myanmar, Founder and Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Progressive Voice, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Sabah Alhallak

Sabah Alhallak, Member of the constitutional committee, the Board Member of the Syrian Women’s League and the founding Member of Syrian League for Citizenship, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Syria. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Assitan Diallo

Assitan Diallo, President, Association des Femmes Africaines pour la Recherche et le Développement (AFARD), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Mali. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Alaa Salah

Ms. Alaa Salah was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2019. She spoke in her capacity as an activist, community leader, and member of MANSAM, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Marwa Mohamed

Marwa Mohamed, representing the organization Lawyers for Justice in Libya, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Libya. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Amina Arale

Amina Arale, representing the organization Somali Women Development Center (SWDC), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Somalia The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Jamila Afghani

Jamila Afghani, representing the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Afghanistan section, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and WILPF facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Lydia Minagano

Lydia Minagano, a project manager of the Peace Implementation Monitoring Initiative (PIMI), member of the Strategic Defense and Security Review Board (SDSR-B), and member of the South Sudan Women’s Coalition, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in South Sudan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Nujeen Mustafa

Nujeen Mustafa, a refugee and disability rights advocate, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Syria. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement in partnership with Human Rights Watch and Crisis Action, but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Inas Miloud

Ms. Inas Miloud was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict and spoke in her capacity as Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tamazight Women’s Movement in Libya and Co-Coordinator for the 1325 Network in Libya, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Rosa Emilia Salamanca

Rosa Emilia Salamanca, representing the organization Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económia (CIASE), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Colombia. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG. Ms. Salamanca delivered her statement in Spanish.

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Loune Viaud

Loune Viaud, representing the organization Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Haiti. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Angelina Nyajima Simon Jial

Angelina Nyajima Simon Jial, representing the organization Hope Restoration South Sudan, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in South Sudan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Ghizaal Haress

Ghizaal Haress, activist and member of the Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of the Constitution, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Rasha Jarhum

Rasha Jarhum, Co-Founder and Director of Peace Track Initiative and representative of Women's Solidarity Network, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Yemen in November 2018. She also briefed Member States at the March 2021 UN Security Council Open Arria-formula Meeting: Call to Lead by Example: Ensuring the Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation of Women in UN-led Peace Processes. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statements but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Josephine Mbela

Josephine Mbela, Lawyer and Advocacy and Administration Officer of l’Association Congolaise pour l’Accès à la Justice (ACAJ), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG. Ms. Mbela's statement is currently available to download in French. La déclaration de Mme Mbela est actuellement disponible au téléchargement en français.

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Randa Siniora

Ms. Randa Siniora was selected to represent civil society in her capacity as General Director of the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Women and peace and security” in October 2018.

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Grace John Kenyi Geri

Grace John Kenyi Geri, representing the organization Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) and the South Sudan Civil Society Forum, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in South Sudan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Suzan Aref

Suzan Aref, Coordinator of the Iraq Cross Sector Task Force on Security Council Resolution 1325, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Iraq. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Justine Masika Bihamba

Justine Masika Bihamba, representing the civil society organization Synergy of Women for Victims of Sexual Violence, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

DRC

Hanaa Edwar

Hanaa Edwar, co-founder and chairperson of Iraqi Al-Amal Association, and co-founder of the Iraqi Women Network, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met for the open debate on protection of civilians. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Jackline Nasiwa

Jackline Nasiwa, representing the civil society organization Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice (CIGPJ), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in South Sudan on 8 May 2018 and 3 March 2021. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statements but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Razia Sultana

Ms. Razia Sultana was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict and spoke in her capacity as Senior Researcher with Kalandan Press, a coordinator of the Free Rohingya Coalition, Director of Arakan Rohingya National Organization’s women section and the founder of Rohingya Women Welfare, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Jeanine Bandu Bahati

Jeanine Bandu Bahati, representing the civil society organization Encadrement des Femmes Indigènes et des Ménages Vulnérables (EFIM), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Habiba Sarabi

Habiba Sarabi, Deputy Chair to High Peace Council & Senior Advisor on Women to the Chief Executive of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

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Mariam Safi

Mariam Safi, researcher and peacebuilding practitioner, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan in March 2018 and March 2022. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Hajer Sharief

Hajer Sharief, representing Together We Build It organization, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Libya. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Wazhma Frogh

Wazhma Frogh, representing the Women & Peace Studies Organization - Afghanistan (WPSO-AFG), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, specifically the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG

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Charo Mina-Rojas

Ms. Charo Mina-Rojas was selected to represent civil society in her capacity as a member of the human rights team of the Black Communities' Process in Colombia, a member of the Afro-Colombian Solidarity Network and a member of the Special High Level Body for Ethnic Peoples, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on "Women and peace and security."

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Fatima Shehu Imam

Fatima Shehu Imam, representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Borno State, and the Network of Civil Society Organizations in Borno State (NECSOB), was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Lake Chad Basin. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Radhya Almutwakel

Radhya Almutwakel, representing the Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Yemen. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Mina Jaf

Ms. Mina Jaf was selected to represent civil society and spoke in her capacity as Executive Director of Women Refugee Route and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Betty Sunday

Betty Sunday, representing the organization Women's Monthly Forum on the Peace Process, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in South Sudan. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource

Carine Kaneza

Carine Kaneza, representing the Women and Girls Movement for Peace and Security, was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Burundi. The day before she was meant to brief the Security Council she was blocked from speaking by a number of council members. The UK Mission to the UN, which was the President of the Security Council agreed to film her reading her statement which the NGOWG distributed as well as her written statement available here.

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Asha Gelle Dirie

Asha Gelle, representing the Committee of Goodwill Ambassadors was invited to provide a civil society perspective and recommendations when the Security Council met to discuss the situation in Somalia. The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security facilitated her statement but she did not speak on behalf of the NGOWG.

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Rita Lopidia

Ms. Rita Lopidia, Executive Director and Co-founder of Eve Organization for Women Development in South Sudan delivered a statement on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Women and peace and security."

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Yanar Mohammad

Ms. Yanar Mohammad was selected to represent civil society and spoke in her capacity as co-founder and President of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Women and peace and security”.

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Julienne Lusenge

Ms. Julienne Lusenge was selected to represent civil society and spoke in her capacity as the President of Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix et le Développement Intégral (SOFEPADI) and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Women and peace and security”

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Hamsatu Allamin

Ms. Hamsatu Allamin was selected to represent civil society during the UN Security Council on sexual violence in conflict in April 2015, and spoke in her capacity as Regional Manager of the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

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Ilwad Elman

Ms. Ilwad Elman was selected to represent civil society and spoke on in her capacity as Director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Somalia, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Protection of Civilians.

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Suaad Allami

Ms. Suaad Allami was selected to represent civil society and spoke in her capacity as Founder and Director, Sadr City Women's Center and Legal Clinic and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on women and peace and security.

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Orzala Ashraf Nemat

Ms. Orzala Ashraf Nemat, a long-time advocate for the rights of women in Afghanistan, was selected to represent civil society and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security.

Link to Peacebuilder Resource