The General Secretariat concluded the regional meeting on "Integrating Reproductive Health into the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in Conflict and Post-Conflict Settings". The meeting, held in Amman, Jordan, on 7-8 May, was convened in partnership with the International Planned Parenthood Federation – Arab World Regional Office, UN Women, and the Institute for Family Health (IFH).
The regional meeting was convened pursuant to Resolution 12 issued by the Arab Council for Population and Development at its Sixth Ordinary Session (November 2024), and aimed to advance dialogue on the intersection of women, peace, security, and reproductive health in contexts of conflict and post-conflict recovery. The gathering sought to generate practical policy recommendations for both governmental and civil society actors to fortify synergies across these domains. Deliberations also explored the establishment of a regional centre dedicated to reproductive health in crisis settings, envisioned as a pivotal mechanism for coordination, capacity-building, and the provision of technical assistance in humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts.
In her address, delivered on behalf of the General Secretariat, Minister Plenipotentiary Shua'a Al-Desouki, Director of the Population Policies Department (Technical Secretariat of the Arab Council for Population and Development), said that "the Cairo Declaration on Population and Development (2013) reaffirmed the centrality of human rights, with reproductive health constituting an inalienable component thereof. However, this right is profoundly imperiled during periods of armed conflict and humanitarian crises. Women, in particular, face acute vulnerability—enduring egregious rights violations, deprivation, and severe health deterioration as a result of the near-total collapse of healthcare systems in war-torn regions. It is therefore imperative that reproductive health services be integrated into emergency response frameworks."
Dr. Fadwa Bakhda, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation – Arab World Regional Office, stressed the urgency of intensifying international and regional collaboration to elevate reproductive health within the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. She called for robust support for civil society efforts to empower women with comprehensive health services, education, awareness-raising, and psychological and social support to ensure their safety and well-being.
Dr. Ibrahim Aqel, Director of the Institute for Family Health in Jordan, remarked that "the WPS agenda, inaugurated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), provides a transformative global framework for promoting women's roles in peace and security. Reproductive and sexual health, in this context, is a cornerstone that enhances women's participation in societal life and decision-making processes, ultimately reinforcing social cohesion and sustainable peace."
