Romania joins international partners to hold Afghanistan accountable for violating women’s rights

While at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part in an event hosted by the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, focused on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

On this occasion, Romania joined Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and other international partners in launching an initiative aimed at holding accountable those responsible for violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Afghanistan, according to a press release.

Minister Odobescu also participated in the second meeting of the Compact for Ukraine, hosted by the US president Joe Biden, with the participation of president Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. On this occasion, the representatives of the participating states adopted a declaration reaffirming the international community’s support for Ukraine, particularly in terms of supporting its economic recovery and reconstruction process.

Also on Wednesday, September 26, the Romanian official attended the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the topic of rising sea levels and the associated existential threats. During her speech, she called for cooperation and solidarity in addressing this phenomenon, which has direct implications on humanitarian, security, and welfare dimensions. Luminiţa Odobescu highlighted Romania’s commitment, including its role as a champion of the Coalition to Address Sea-Level Rise and its existential threats.

The minister's program also included a series of bilateral meetings. During discussions with the minister of foreign affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Odobescu reaffirmed Romania's support for stronger EU engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council states.

She also had a bilateral meeting with Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa. The two officials discussed the traditional Romanian-Palestinian relations, with the Romanian official assuring that support for the strengthening of Palestinian institutions would continue in the future, including as part of international efforts in support of the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, minister Odobescu emphasized the humanitarian aid provided to Palestinian civilians in the context of the Gaza Strip crisis.

Furthermore, minister Odobescu met with Qatar's minister of state for international cooperation, Lolwah Al-Khater. The two dignitaries assessed the state of bilateral relations, highlighting the need to enhance economic and sectoral dialogue within established cooperation frameworks.

Luminiţa Odobescu also had a brief discussion with the Foreign minister of Kuwait, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya.