First lady Emine Erdoğan held discussions with her counterparts from Malaysia, Mozambique and Surinam, as well as the executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (U.N.-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif in Istanbul on Thursday on the sidelines of the Oct. 31 World Cities Day summit.
Erdoğan held a meeting with Malaysian Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, where she expressed pleasure about the favorable relations between the two countries, as well as the common religious and cultural heritage between Türkiye and Malaysia. They also discussed the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which has been targeted in relentless Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7 and they talked about what can be done regarding the crisis.
The first lady of Mozambique Isaura Nyusi thanked Emine Erdoğan for her contribution to the common problems of the world. She also said that the Mozambique Presidency has launched a zero waste initiative and that they would like to cooperate in this regard. For her part, Erdoğan informed Nyusi about the Africa Cultural House initiative in the capital Ankara, where African women sell their handicrafts for their financial empowerment and spreading African culture. Nyusi also noted that she is passionate about orphans and sought Emine Erdoğan’s support, as she is experienced in providing social services. The two first ladies also discussed means to enhance cooperation in farming, education and social services. Nyusi signed the declaration of goodwill for the global promotion of the Zero Waste Project.
Surinamese first lady Mellisa Santokhi-Seenacherry also thanked Emine Erdoğan for hosting the summit and her leadership. She noted that she will strive to spread the zero waste initiative in the Caribbean, as her country is currently the term preside of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). She said that she has been leading a project to raise awareness about zero waste and that she wants to decrease the amount of single-use plastic and support women entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan and Sharif discussed the first in-person meeting of the U.N. Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste, as Sharif thanked Erdoğan for hosting the meeting and for her suggestions during the meeting. They also talked about the potential of cooperation between the newly-established Zero Waste Foundation and U.N.-Habitat.