This week, Minna Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Madrid, where she participated in a high-level conference on feminist foreign policy. She also took
part in global consultations at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held meetings with the United Nations Special Representative on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), Pramila Patten, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan, and Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah.
Undersecretary Lind stressed that, at a time when the number of global crises and conflicts is increasing, greater attention must be paid to the wellbeing of women and girls and to ensuring accountability for crimes committed against them.
“Crimes against women and girls constitute a significant element of virtually all armed conflicts,” she emphasised. “For this reason, women’s rights and security must be central to efforts aimed at resolving global crises, preventing conflicts and supporting post-war reconstruction. Justice cannot be achieved if the needs and rights of half the population are overlooked.”
According to the Undersecretary, this is precisely why sustained cooperation in advancing women’s rights and feminist foreign policy is so important. “Women’s rights and security occupy an important place in Estonia’s human rights policy and are among our priorities during our membership of the UN Human Rights Council,” Lind added. “International forums such as the Madrid conference provide an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with partners, reaffirm our shared commitments and strengthen the protection of international law.”
At the level of minister or deputy minister, Andorra, Albania, Angola, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Kuwait, Montenegro, France, Rwanda, Thailand, Ukraine and the United Kingdom participated in the conference, along with the heads of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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