The National Unity Party (UBP) MP Ersan Saner and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Armağan Candan have attended the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) sessions, held on 25-29 June 2018, on behalf of the TRNC Assembly.
TRNC MP Saner spoke at the event entitled: “Women’s Contribution to Global Peace in implementing the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Peace in Security.”
While no progress had been made during the 50 year long negotiation process regarding the Cyprus issue under the UN framework, Saner said, the UN Security Council Resolution no. 1325 was nonetheless important for increasing the role of women in the mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of controversies and conflict, which was also valuable for the TRNC.
Deputy Saner stressed that the technical committee which was established within the framework of the confidence-building measures was a big step in boosting the gender balance in the negotiation process. He added that women’s participation in ongoing bi-communal organizations and decision-making mechanisms was also important.
Saner also noted that the majority of public employees in the TRNC are women and that women are increasingly involved in important decision-making mechanisms.
In the TRNC, the roles of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Ombudsman are held by women, and Saner said that women’s participation in politics has been enhanced by increasing the 30 percent quota for candidate selection lists.
The number of female deputies has increased from 8% to 18 %, a figure that is also reflected in the Cabinet, which has two female ministers: the Minister of Health and the Interior Minister.
