On 15 March 2017, the Global Acceleration Instrument on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (GAI) held a high-level event to bring global awareness to the central role of women’s organizations in sustaining peace. Speakers from around the world—including two GAI-funded CSO leaders from Burundi and Colombia—reflected on how the engagement of women and their organizations can help to accelerate and more effectively operationalize peace, security and humanitarian processes. Read more...

On 15 March 2017, the Global Acceleration Instrument on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (GAI) held a high-level event to bring global awareness to the central role of women’s organizations in sustaining peace. Speakers from around the world—including two GAI-funded CSO leaders from Burundi and Colombia—reflected on how the engagement of women and their organizations can help to accelerate and more effectively operationalize peace, security and humanitarian processes.

The GAI event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Jordan, Spain and the United Kingdom to the United Nations, in partnership with UN Women and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders.

The evening was moderated by Senator for Canada Marilou McPhedran and included remarks from Senator Michaelia Cash, Minister for Women, Australia; Kyung-wha Kang, Under Secretary-General, Senior Adviser, Policy, Executive Office of the Secretary General; Yannick Glemarec, Assistant Secretary General of UN Women and Chair of the Funding Board for the Global Acceleration Instrument; Genith del Rosario Quitiaquez Cuaspud, Consejo Nacional de Mujeres Indigenas de Colombia; Dr. Salma Nims, Secretary General, Jordanian National Commission for Women; and Jocelyne Ntunzwenimana, Association des Guides du Burundi.

The Global Acceleration Instrument on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (GAI) is a global pooled and rapid funding mechanism launched in 2016, which aims to re-energize action and stimulate a significant increase in financing for women’s participation, leadership and empowerment in humanitarian response and peace and security settings. It supports quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of local women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities. Sustainability and national ownership are key principles of the GAI.