Today, the Permanent Representative at the International Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Debora Lepre, hosted a meeting with the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament, Izumi Nakamitsu, focused on gender issues.
With the participation of many Permanent Representatives committed to the promotion of gender equality within Vienna-based organizations, the meeting provided an opportunity to address the topic in all its aspects, from disarmament and non-proliferation to sustainable development, covering the role of women in STEM and -more generally- in the dimension of peace and security.
The need for a strong coordinated approach was shared. The common goal is to reaffirm the centrality of gender equality as a non-negotiable fundamental right and a positive agent of change as well as to promote concrete actions favoring women’s empowerment, starting with those sectors where women are particularly underrepresented.
Ambassador Lepre reiterated the importance of this topic also in the context of the current Italian G7 Presidency as well as the Presidency of the Wassenaar Agreement Plenary. She recalled that a G7 ministerial meeting dedicated to equal opportunities is scheduled in Matera in October.
