Italy supports a more robust role for women in Syria "also in political processes," deputy foreign minister Edmundo Cirielli said on Friday after talks with a key women's advisory body and the UN deputy special envoy to Syria, Najat Rochdi.
"We intend to devote particular attention to listening to civil society and we want to promote a stronger role for Syrian women, also in political processes," Cirielli said, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Italy wanted to host for the first time a working session of the Women's Advisory Board (WAB ) "to underline the increased and articulated commitment of our country in Syria on a political and humanitarian level”, Cirielli stated.
Cirielli said UN special envoy Geir Pedersen has "Italy's full support" in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which lays out a roadmap for a solution to Syria's political crisis.
"Today the WAB was welcomed by his excellency deputy minister Cirielli, who reiterated Italy’s support Syrian people’s right to democracy and prosperity, which is attainable through a political process in line with SCR 2254. A process where women are at its centre," Rochdi tweeted.
During a visit this week, WAB members have held talks with the foreign affairs committees of Italy's upper and lower houses of parliament, with foreign ministry officials, with ambassadors "of countries playing a leading role in Syria" and with NGOs active in the country, the statement said.
The WAB also met members of the Network of Women Mediators in the Mediterranean, which "actively contributed" to organising the visit, said the statement.
Founded in 2016 to advise the UN Special Envoy for Syria, the WAB contains 14 women from various areas of Syria and with different affiliations. Its aims to carve out a more significant role for Syrian women in political processes, in line with UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000) and 2254 (2015).
