Jordan Times
Monday, May 28, 2007
2nd AWO conference to focus on women’s contribution to human security
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Sunday
participated in the third meeting of the Arab Women Organisation’s (AWO) higher
council in Abu Dhabi.
During the meeting, AWO President Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak underlined the
importance of taking serious and realistic measures to activate dialogue among
different civilisations by drawing up programmes to eliminate misinterpretations
and misconceptions.
The council members, who reviewed the situation of Arab women abroad and plans
to activate their role, underlined the need to implement previous
recommendations made by the AWO, including the release of Palestinian women
prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
They also decided that the second AWO conference, to be held in Abu Dhabi in
November 2008, will focus on women and their contribution to human security from
an Arab and international perspective.
Moreover, participants endorsed the general framework of the AWO action plan
from 2008 to 2012 the recommendations of the legal committee and implementation
and follow up-mechanisms.
Several first ladies of Arab countries took part in the meeting including
Sheikha Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Suzanne Mubarak of Egypt,
Leila Zine Al Abidine of Tunisia and Andre Lahoud of Lebanon.
The AWO executive council comprises representatives from Jordan, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Syria, Sudan, Lebanon, Oman and Egypt.
Queen Rania announced the launch of the Arab Women Organisation during the first
meeting of its executive council in 2003 and chaired the AWO during its first
two-year term.
The organisation operates under the umbrella of the Arab League to empower Arab
women, encourage their participation in the development process of their
respective communities and draw up unified strategies to improve the status of
women in the Arab world.
It also addresses women’s issues in regional and international forums in order
to raise awareness on the situation of Arab women.