E/2012/27 E/CN.6/2012/16 High-level round table A 32. High-level round table A was chaired by the Chair of the Commission, who made an opening statement. 33. The following delegations participated in the interactive dialogue: Brazil, Norway, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa, Cuba, China, Mozambique, Cameroon, Nigeria, Sudan, Angola, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Congo, Ukraine, Georgia, Switzerland, Zambia, India, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Islamic Republic of Iran, United States and Dominican Republic. 34. The observer for the European Union also made a statement. 35. The Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Sheila Sisulu, responded to questions and made concluding remarks. High-level round table B 36. The Commission held a high-level round table chaired by the Vice-Chair of the Commission, Carlos Enriquez García González (El Salvador). 37. The following delegations participated in the interactive dialogue: Tunisia, Bangladesh, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Nicaragua, Finland, Swaziland, Kenya, Italy, Pakistan, Niger, United Republic of Tanzania, Guatemala, Sudan, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Malaysia, New Zealand, Colombia, Uruguay and El Salvador. 38. The Assistant Secretary-General for Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships and Deputy Executive Director of UN-Women, Ms. Lakshmi Puri, made concluding remarks. 2. Panel discussions Key policy initiatives and capacity-building for gender mainstreaming: the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges: focus on economic empowerment of women 39. At its 4th meeting, on 28 February, the Commission held an expert panel discussion on the priority theme “The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges: focus on economic empowerment of rural women”, moderated by the Vice-Chair, Ana Marie Hernando (Philippines). 40. Presentations were made by Ms. Malika Abdelali-Martini, socio-economist and gender research specialist, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Syrian Arab Republic; Ms. Shanaz Wazir Ali, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Social Sectors; Ms. Anna Kaisa Karttunen, agriculture and rural development specialist, Finland; Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Poverty, Gender and Impact Programme, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya; and Ms. Cheryl Morden, Director, North American Liaison Office, International Fund for Agricultural Development. 41. The Commission then held an interactive dialogue with the panellists, in which the following delegations participated: Italy, Pakistan, Israel, Portugal, Panama, Switzerland, India, Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Islamic Republic of Iran, 32 12-27405