DILI, 27 february 2023 (TATOLI) – Southeast Asian Women Peace Negotiators and Mediators (SEANWPNM) have expressed their support for Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
The five SEANWPNM members from Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Thailand told reporters after meeting with President Horta at the Presidential Palace, in Dili, today.
“We are here to share the work that we have done with Timor-Leste. We also want to collaborate with Timor-Leste in supporting the country’s membership in ASEAN. Therefore, we want to share our experiences with this country, especially the mediation tasks on how to resolve conflicts within the country,” SEANWPNM member Miriam Coronel-Ferrer told reporters.
She revealed that SEANWPNM members strongly support Timor-Leste’s application for ASEAN membership: “We support Timor-Leste’s initiative to join ASEAN.”
Colonel-Ferrer explained that SEANWPNM’s role is to advance the women, peace, and security agenda in the region.
President Horta appreciated the work done by SEANWPNM, especially in supporting Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
The Network was initiated by Indonesia in 2019 as a network of women negotiators and mediators in Southeast Asia.
SEANWPNM is a platform of women with experience in mediating, negotiating, and facilitating peace processes, who seek to actively contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability, not just in their region but beyond.
One of the Network’s objectives is to facilitate the involvement of its members in peace processes and initiate undertakings aimed at preventing or resolving the escalation of violent conflicts.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
