On May 29-30, 2019, UNOAU participated in the “Path to Peaceful Studies – Consultation on Harnessing Women’s Leadership on Arms Control to Prevent Violence and Advance Development” held in Addis Ababa at the African Union Headquarters.

The consultation brought together a group of leading female disarmament and violence prevention leaders from across Africa who interacted with AU, UN, Government and think tank actors to map the ongoing local disarmament and violence prevention methods and set the course for future emerging research priorities.

The focus of the consultation was to explore the intersection of arms control and the Sustainable Development Goals especially related to reducing illicit arms flow (specifically small arms and light weapons) and increasing gender representation in disarmament discussions in order to reduce all forms of violence. Over the two-day workshop, the group developed a range of activities and priorities around these issues including the linkages to prevention under the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the necessity for the greater inclusion of civil society actors at all levels of dialogue. The results of this consultation will be presented at the High-Level Political Forum side event hosted by the Government of Germany in New York in July 2019.

The workshop was hosted by The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation together with the German Federal Foreign Office and the Government of Namibia.

UNOAU was represented by Officers from Political Affairs and Mine Action, as well as the Gender Advisor and Gender Focal Point.