âThe foundations have been laid for a transition from peace to sustainable developmentâ, she said, but building on these âwill require unity and cooperation across the region and common ground internationallyâ.
This is particularly the case surround the issue of tens of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons, many vulnerable to trafficking, along with finding regional solutions to protection challenges, including sexual violence, in areas where conflict is still ongoing.
After visiting Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia from 21 to 26 October, she observed, âit was clear from our travels that this region is cut from the same fabricâ.
âEach country is its own shade, but they are interwovenâ, the deputy UN chief asserted. âWhat happens in one country will impact the others, and so a regional approach and genuine collaboration is paramountâ.
She was encouraged by signs of the revitalization of the regional body of Member States, known as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), saying the platform âwill be essential to providing the necessary pathways we can all supportâ.
She underscored the importance of doing a joint mission with the AU, saying âwe can achieve so much moreâ when working together.
âWhat is needed now is to maintain and deepen that dialogue and partnership, and to use this to encourage regional solutions and unityâ, Ms. Mohammed flagged.
WOMEN PEACEKEEPERS
In paying tribute to UN peacekeepers, Ms. Mohammed noted that in each country visited, the âcritical importanceâ of women serving in security forces, the police, military, and peacekeeping âwas starkly clearâ.
âThese women, against all odds, strengthen our protection efforts, increase the credibility of our efforts, engage in local level mediation, and make communities feel more at easeâ, she spelled out.
And yet less than four per cent of UN peacekeepers are women: âMuch more can and should be doneâ, including addressing their practical challenges, such as providing the opportunities they need to be deployed, stressed the deputy UN chief.
WOMEN ON FRONTLINE OF TRANSFORMATION
Having accompanied the Deputy Secretary-General, the AUâs Ambassador to the UN, Fatima K. Mohammed, informed the Council that women are on the frontline addressing climate insecurity, radicalization and violent extremism.
âWe witnessed first-hand that peace, security and development had little chance to stand without the full and effective participation of women and youthâ, she argued.
And yet, despite women and girls continuing to suffer from exclusion, communal conflicts, internal displacements and unregulated migrations, the delegation observed their resilience, commitment and determination to effect real change.
âIn all the countries we visited, the delegation witnessed the creativity and innovation of women in the political and socio-economic spheres of their societiesâ, Ms. Mohammed said. âThe laudable and courageous initiatives of these women need to be bolstered by all of usâ.
Noting a ânew era of peace in the Horn of Africaâ she advocated for enhanced regional cooperation and solidarity and called on the UN and AU âto be at the vanguard of this solidarity and respond to the aspirations of the peopleâŠfor a peaceful, stable and integrated regionâ.