"The Regional Plan of Action (RPA) is our capital to strengthen it," the ministry's acting deputy for the protection of women's rights, Indra Gunawan, said at the ASEAN Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Summit here on Friday.
According to him, women's role in resolving social conflicts is essential.
At the conference, which was themed "High-Level Dialogue to Advance the Implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security," Gunawan said that participation from ASEAN countries, leaders, civil organizations, media, the business sector, and stakeholders is needed to prevent conflict.
"This can be achieved through a pentahelix approach, where all relevant actors work in collaboration," he added.
He said it is important to make sure that regional action plans, national action plans, and other ASEAN declarations on migration, human trafficking, disaster mitigation, and cybersecurity are aligned.
"This alignment will ensure a comprehensive and cohesive approach to addressing these interrelated issues," he explained.
Moreover, governments need to support civil society organizations that initiate actions to help post-conflict recovery and handling, as these actions reach the grassroots-level communities, he explained.
The ASEAN WPS conference on July 6–7, 2023, has provided new knowledge and experiences related to the women's peace agenda that can be adopted and implemented in respective countries, Gunawan said.
"In carrying out the women's peace agenda, the government cannot work alone, but needs cross-sectoral participation, including from civil society organizations," he added.
The WPS Summit's key highlights included the reaffirmation of international partners, including UN Women and the governments of Australia, Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, on supporting the implementation of ASEAN RPA WPS, according to a press release issued by the US Mission to ASEAN.
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Translator: Zubi M, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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