Champions for Change: The Power of Women Peacemakers and Peacebuilders in Ukraine

Jun 3, 2019
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In 2009, Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan sat in the United Nations Security Council when then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presided over a debate on Women, Peace and Security. As the Turkish delegate, two points from the discussion stand out in his memory. First, the numerous NGOs present to witness the adoption of the new resolution. He recalls “there was a very positive and refreshing mood around this large civil society presence… illustrative of civil society’s key role in shaping the women, peace and security agenda.” And secondly, Secretary Clinton was among the few women among the delegates in the council. “So while we were discussing the importance of women’s protection needs and, above all, their active participation in peace and security matters, it was very visible that on the highest-levels the gap was far from closed.”