The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cyprus Colin Stewart pointed to the importance of the active participation of women in the negotiation process.
A reception was held at the Ledra Palace Hotel last night in line with the exhibition organized by the Good Offices Mission of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus to shed light on the role of women in the Cyprus negotiation processes.
Photographs of women who served as political or legal advisors of the leaders, co-chairmen or working group members in technical committees during the negotiations between the two sides were displayed at the exhibition.
“WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION WAS NOT NOTICED”
During a speech at the closing reception of the exhibition, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cyprus Colin Stewart noted that the event aimed to draw attention to the increasing role of women (key figures) in the negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem.
“First of all, the contributions of the women who took part in the negotiation processes were not noticed,” Stewart said while referring to the importance of the event.
Stating that the participation of women in the negotiation processes should be increased, Stewart said, “However, it must be disclosed that the number of women taking part in the Cyprus negotiations and the duties they undertake are very important, even more than all the talks mediated by the United Nations.”
KARABACAK: “PHOTOS AT THE EXHIBITION DISPLAY WOMEN TAKING PART IN THE SOLUTION PROCESS, BUT NOT KNOWN”
Legal Counselor of the Cyprus Turkish leadership office Sülen Karabacak said that the exhibition consisted of photographs of women who were involved in the Cyprus settlement processes but were not well known.
Explaining that she took her first position in the Turkish Cypriot leadership in the preparation of the Annan Plan in 2001 and that she took occasional duties after 2001, Karabacak stated that she was one of the three women in the delegation in the negotiations in Switzerland and that she believed that each of them contributed to the process from different perspectives.
HADJIKYRIACOU “WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO FOR WOMEN’S BROADER PARTICIPATION IN SOLUTION PROCESSES”
Representing the Technical Committee on Gender Equality, Soula Hadjikyriacou noted in her speech that the Committee held the first round of meetings with non-governmental organizations with different views, within the framework of the Action Plan agreed upon by the leaders.
Noting that they developed some recommendations at the end of the study, Hadjikyriacou stated that these recommendations are for women to take place at the negotiation table and in working groups in the future.
Hadjikyriacou stated that women have started to take on more important roles in the Cyprus settlement processes over time, but there is still a long way to go in terms of broader participation. The tasks undertaken by women in the Cyprus settlement processes are unparallel across the world in general, Hadjikyriacou said.
