The International
Colloquium will be held in Monrovia, Liberia March 7-8 2009 to coincide
with International Women's Day on March 8. The theme of the Colloquium
is Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace
and Security.
The Colloquium will empower women to be more effective leaders by
linking with their peers from around the world. We expect that among
the participants will be female leaders at various levels including
Heads of State and Government and Ministers as well as female business
and NGO leaders.
The Colloquium will consider concrete action for empowerment of
women in development. It will give consideration to measures aimed
at achieving Millennium Development Goal 3 on Gender Equality and
Women's Empowerment.
Discussions of the Colloquium will be inspired by UN Security Council
Resolution 1325, adopted on October 31, 2000, which calls for women's
participation in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution
and peace building as activists pursuing peace and security.
The Colloquium will also consider gender and climate change issues
with the aim of strengthening women's participation in sustainable
development, creating sustainable livelihoods in rural areas, protecting
the environment and natural resources, and addressing climate change.
The following main goals will frame the Colloquium discussions:
1. Empowering women to be more effective leaders by linking with
their international peers to share best practices;
2. Supporting the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution
1325;
3. Contributing to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal
3 (MDG3) on gender equality and women's empowerment;
4. Demonstrating the clear gender dimensions of climate change,
environment protection and sustainable development; and
5. Launching the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women's Empowerment,
Leadership Development, International Peace and Security in Monrovia.
This Centre will support the implementation of action emerging from
the Colloquium through, inter alia, training and research.
The program of the Colloquium will include
both plenary sessions and workshops on these themes. Please find
information on the themes in the annexed note.
Further information on the program and logistics will be provided
in due course by the Colloquium Manager Yvette Chesson-Wureh (email:
liberianwom@netzero.net). We are convinced that the Colloquium will
result in participants recommitting to action that enhances women's
role and participation, and will provide good and replicable examples
of successful experiences which will support them in their important
work.
We look forward to a successful Colloquium 2009.
Sincerely,
Government
of the Republic of Liberia, Executive Mansion
The President
of the Republic of Finland
