Through its Gender Section, MONUSCO participated in the High-Level Strategic Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in the Great Lakes Region, held on 3 and 4 June 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Co-organized by the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, UN Women, the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), ACCORD, and GIZ, the meeting brought together policymakers, civil society organizations, women’s and youth networks, and international partners engaged in peacebuilding efforts.
The primary objective of the meeting was to strengthen the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes across the Great Lakes Region, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
On this occasion, Ms. Nathalie Kone Traoré, a Gender Affairs Specialist with MONUSCO based in Goma, participated via videoconference due to preventive measures related to the Ebola virus disease response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her presentation focused on the political, security, humanitarian, and gender dimensions of the conflict in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes Region. She highlighted the impact of conflict on women and affected communities, as well as the need to further integrate their perspectives into ongoing peace initiatives.
“This meeting gave us the opportunity to bring women’s voices directly to those engaged in regional peace efforts. The role of MONUSCO’s Gender Section was to ensure that women’s voices were heard, to bear witness to what they are experiencing in eastern DRC, and to present, as a Mission, the actions we are undertaking to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Secondly, in the eastern provinces, particularly Ituri and North Kivu where we are present, there are committed women leaders and partners of the Gender Section who carry out mediation activities on a daily basis. For us, these initiatives have a direct impact on peace and security, but they also amplify the urgent concerns of these women, who are influential actors for peace. It is essential that they have the resources they need to continue their work,” said Ms. Nathalie Kone Traoré.
She also underscored the importance of strengthening linkages between women-led peace initiatives at the community level and high-level political processes in order to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable approach to peacebuilding.
A Platform to Ensure Women’s Ideas and Concerns Are Heard
The President of the Concertation of Women’s Associations of the Great Lakes Region (COCAFEM/GL), Ms. Joséphine Malimukono, also participated in the meeting via videoconference, together with four other members of the organization, due to Ebola-related preventive measures. She emphasized the need to create more spaces that enable women to contribute effectively to peace efforts.
“This high-level meeting provided an important opportunity to highlight the work carried out by women in civil society at the regional level, while also sharing their perspectives in the current context of eastern DRC. Such forums help ensure that women’s ideas and concerns are taken into account in negotiation and decision-making processes. The realities experienced by communities affected by conflict must be reflected in the decisions that shape the future of our region. Women are not only victims of conflict; they are also essential actors for peace,” she stated.
Joséphine Malimukono also welcomed MONUSCO’s logistical support, which facilitated COCAFEM/GL’s participation from Goma in both the meeting and its preparatory activities. According to her, the gathering provided a unique opportunity to share the experiences, concerns, and recommendations of women from across the region so that peace processes can better reflect the needs of grassroots communities.
She further called on regional and international stakeholders to continue investing in women’s capacity-building so that they can fully play their role in peace processes. She also advocated for the establishment of a regional women’s center that would serve as a hub for training, research, documentation, and advocacy, with the aim of strengthening coordination among women-led initiatives and conveying their recommendations to decision-makers across the region.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding efforts. They also called for stronger support to local and cross-border initiatives led by women and youth in order to foster social cohesion and lasting stability throughout the Great Lakes Region.
Through its mandate to protect civilians and support peace efforts, MONUSCO continues to support initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s leadership in peace processes and promoting an inclusive approach to conflict resolution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the Great Lakes Region.
Aline Kataliko
