On the 17th of March 2025, ECOWAS Commission Vice President Damtien Tchintchibidja, participated in a High-Level meeting of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Group of Friends to the United Nations in New York.
The meeting held on the margins of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
In her Goodwill statement, the ECOWAS Vice President highlighted that Beijing+30 is being commemorated in the same year that marks the milestone of ECOWAS’ 50th Anniversary and this presents an opportunity for the Commission to reaffirm its commitment to gender equality and women’s leadership as fundamental components of sustainable development and security.
The Vice President’s engagement culminated in the ECOWAS Permanent Observer Mission to the UN becoming part of the AWLN Group of Friends in New York which includes the AU, EU and OIF Missions to the UN, amongst others.
According to the report distributed by the APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States, the opening ceremony of the High -Level event had in attendance H.E. Madam Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, H.E. Madam Bineta Diop, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, H.E. Ms Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, H.E. Ms Christina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General, Office of the Special Advisor for Africa (OSAA), H.E. Ms. Antje Leendertse, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations and H.E. Amb. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations.
It added that in the course of her Mission to New York, Vice President Tchintchibidja also held bilateral meetings with H.E. Madam Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and with the UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Madam Ahunna Eziakonwa, to discuss areas of collaboration between the United Nations and the ECOWAS Commission. The Vice President was accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai, ECOWAS Permanent Observer to the United Nations and a technical team.
GIK/APA