Shekou Momodu Touray, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone addresses the United Nation
Welcome address by H.E. Mr. Shekou Momodu Touray, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nation during a Parallel Event entitled “Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 – the Sierra Leone Experience†held on 4th March, 2010, UN Headquarters, New York
Madam Moderator,The Hon. Dr. Soccoh Kabia, Minister of SWGCA of SL,
Excellencies,
Honourable Members of the Sierra Leone Parliament
Distinguished Panelists,
Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone and our Co-Organisers, I have the distinct pleasure and singular honour to welcome you all to this landmark event.
This event has been co-organized by the Missions of Sierra Leone and Canada, Cordaid and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders with the purpose of showcasing the Sierra Leone National Action Plan on the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 – two groundbreaking resolutions designed to specifically address the impact of war on women, Gender-based violence particularly when used as a tactic of war, the role and contributions of women to conflict resolution and transformation, as well as to peacebuilding and peace consolidation.
The Sierra Leone National Action Plan (SilNAP) was adopted on 4th September, 2009 at a National Consultative Conference held in Freetown from 2nd – 4th September, 2009, and will soon be launched nation-wide by H.E. The President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma in the coming weeks after our deliberations here.
I am indeed overwhelmed and gratified by the level of participation both from our side and the side of our partners, which goes to signify the unwavering political will and support, as well as the unreserved commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone and its partners to the process.
The Sierra Leone delegation is led by our Hon. Minister for Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and includes Parliamentarians, a Local Councilor, and distinguished representatives drawn from Academia and Civil Society. It is purposefully bipartisan and inclusive.
I also recognise with due deference the presence of the Representatives of Canada, Cordaid, UNFPA, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilder, Femme Afrique Solidarite, the UNIFEM Representative, standing in for the UN Country Gender Team in Sierra Leone, WIPSEN – Africa, and many others present here today, for all their supportive roles in diverse ways in the process of organising this event. Canada, you may wish to know, is the current Chair of the Sierra Leone Country Specific Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), which is assisting us considerably in our post-conflict recovery and development efforts.
I will be remiss if I failed to also recognize the distinguished Panelists for this occasion, most of whom were the actual pioneers or drivers for the development of the SiLNAP.
For a post-conflict country grappling to recover from the ashes of war in which much of our women folks and children were brutally battered, abused and misused, the relevance of the two resolutions to us need not be overemphasized. In August and October last year, we participated in two Security Council Open Debates on “Women, Peace and Security†during which we gave a detailed account of our experience on women’s participation in conflict resolution, peacemaking and peacebuilding, as well as on sexual exploitation and abuse. It is not my intention to re-echo all those details but only to re-emphasize that we have been committed to implementing these two important Security Council Resolutions. We again have demonstrated our commitment by developing a National Action Plan, which we are showcasing today, with the purpose of attracting the required support and assistance from our development partners and the wider international community in its implementation.
Once again, a very hearty welcome to this Panel discussion and I wish us all, a very fruitful interactive session.
I thank you.
Leeroy Wilfred Kabs-Kanu, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the UNStay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.
