The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will participate, on March 8, 2021, in the International Virtual Symposium that the Permanent Delegation of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva will hold, under the theme: “Challenges and Measures Taken Concerning Women and Girls in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic.” The symposium will be held in cooperation with UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the University for Peace (UPEACE), and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Dr. David Fernández Puyana, UPEACE representative to the United Nations in Geneva, will moderate the colloquium, which will be held through a videoconference at 11:00 a.m. (CET). The event will feature interventions by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations in Geneva, Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance, Ms. Somia Djacta, Head of ICESCO’s Office and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, OIF and OECD, and Dr. Afnan Al- Shuaibi, President of the Board of Directors of the International Arab Women’s Forum.

The colloquium aims to analyze the measures taken in the area of human rights, which must also be applied after the COVID-19 pandemic, highlight the importance of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and examine the measures taken to strengthen the role of women in society in the face of the pandemic.

The event also seeks to shed light on the initiative of ICESCO’s 2021 Year of Women, under the theme “Women and the Future,” in support of the 5^th Sustainable Development Goal on Gender Equality Sustainable Development Goal (SDG5) by 2030. The symposium also aims to identify possible actions in the field of education in conflict and post-conflict situations that contribute to the promotion of Goal 16 that focuses on building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies for sustainable development, as well as SDG5.