Plenary Session: International Cooperation in Times of Change:
How Women's Leadership Changes the World for the Better
Distinguished participants and guests of the Forum,
Dear friends,
As the whole world celebrates the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, please accept sincere congratulations from our Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
We really like the Forum’s name #WeAreTogether, which is very much in line with the spirit of CICA, that is, creating a common indivisible space of security in Asia through dialogue and cooperation.
It may sound surprising, but women's voluntary participation and influence in such decision-making processes for sustainable peace has become increasingly evident in the last decade.
UN studies show that volunteering helps one become a more in-demand member of society.
Therefore, modern women are the embodiment of a new soft power with a sense of special intuition, justice, kindness and wisdom that is unique to them.
Indeed, today we may cite many striking examples of women represented in all aspects of peacebuilding, humanitarian action, recovery and reconstruction.
For its part, CICA, being a multilateral regional dialogue platform, creates equal conditions for participation of men and women in the development and promotion of the human dimension on the Asian continent.
Dialogue among civilizations, cultural and educational exchange, respect for human rights and freedoms are just a few items from the long list of priorities of CICA in this dimension.
Moreover, our Youth Council, as an advisory body, has managed to unite ambitious and progressive-minded young men and women under its umbrella in order to promote comprehensive cooperation among the CICA Member States to strengthen interaction, peace and friendship in Asia.
We also consider it important to note the fact that thanks to the efforts of Uzbekistan, the coordinator of the CICA human dimension, the CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures has been significantly expanded by issues of gender equality, the rights and interests of youth, women, girls, etc.
Time has proven that gender issues multiplied by the principles of trust and interaction are the necessary basis for achieving peace, prosperity and sustainable development.
I would like to conclude my speech by quoting the outstanding Margaret Thatcher: “Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country”, and I would add - “and the world.”
