The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, is in USA to participate in the open debate of the Security Council on the topic: Women, Peace and Security. The debate will be held on the ministerial level and will focus on violence against women due to their involvement in peace and security processes.

This is the first time that Minister Xhaçka participates in an event of the Security Council, as the representative of Albania, since taking the seat on January 1, 2022 as non permanent member of the UN Security Council. The debate will be chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Mrs. Anniken Huitfeldt. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, and civil society representatives are invited to brief the Council on the issue.

Violence against women human rights and civil society activists and acts of retaliation against them by state and non-state actors in conflict zones continues to be a worrying problem. The Secretary General report on Women, Peace and Security expresses concern about the increase in number of these attacks and stresses that as a result women activists are excluded and unable to participate in important political and peace-building processes.