Annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security
On Monday (6 October), the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on women, peace and security (WPS). The expected briefers are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, and two women civil society representatives.
Slovenia, the coordinator of the Shared Commitments on WPS, is expected to deliver a statement prior to the meeting on behalf of nine of the signatories of the Shared Commitments initiative—Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the UK. (The US, which signed on to the Shared Commitments on WPS in 2023, apparently indicated that it would not participate in the negotiations nor join the stakeout.) It seems that, among other things, the statement will call for fully integrating the WPS agenda in all UN peace operations and ensuring the continuity of work on WPS during missions’ withdrawals and transitions. It will also apparently affirm that reproductive violence constitutes a violation of international law and stress the importance of strengthening protection and support for women human rights defenders.
At Monday’s meeting, Guterres is likely to highlight key messages from his annual report on WPS, which was circulated to Council members on 8 September and covers developments in 2024 (S/2025/556). This year marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000, the first of ten Security Council resolutions on WPS. The annual report takes stock of positive change achieved since the adoption of this resolution while also identifying negative trends undermining gains on gender equality and women’s rights. Guterres may cover some of these trends on Monday, including the growing number of armed conflicts and rising military spending, as well as surging levels of documented incidents of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and threats and harassment targeting women in public roles.
Guterres is expected to highlight the recommendations contained in his annual report, such as his call to UN member states to channel at least one percent of official development assistance (ODA) to women’s organisations in conflict-affected countries and 15 percent to gender equality as a principal objective. Among other recommendations, the report emphasises the importance of quotas and targets for women’s participation as well as of holding accountable those responsible for acts of gender-based violence. It also calls on member states to implement changes that transform women’s economic security, including through employment policies, social protection systems, and access to land.
In her briefing, Bahous is expected to reflect on the future of the WPS agenda. Among other issues, she may identify specific challenges and trends that are expected to shape the future of women in crises and conflict situations in the short term, such as continuing displacement and reduction of funding for humanitarian and development aid. At the same time, she may also outline expectations and hopes, including regarding securing concrete gains in terms of direct influence and participation in decision-making and peace and security processes.
At Monday’s meeting, many participants are likely to frame their remarks in the context of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 and call for accelerated action towards the full implementation of the WPS agenda. Some participants may also reference the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was agreed in 1995 by 189 states. While celebrating progress achieved since the adoption of these instruments, several speakers are likely to highlight the notable gaps between commitments and implementation, as well as regressions on women’s rights and gender equality. Several members may underscore that these anniversaries mark a critical moment to reinvigorate the WPS agenda and move towards measurable results.
Member states are expected to highlight the impact of conflict on women and call for enhanced protection in such situations, including through the strict compliance by all relevant parties with international human rights and international humanitarian law. Speakers are also likely to underscore the need for accountability for all violations and abuses of international law, including all forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Some may stress the importance of adopting a survivor-centred approach in responses to CRSV and enhance access to a broad range of services, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Some participants are expected to refer to specific country situations where women face acute protection and participation challenges. For instance, the Secretary-General’s annual report notes that, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), between 2023 and 2024, “7 out of every 10 women killed in conflicts worldwide died in Gaza”. The report also notes the deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan, where maternal mortality rates are expected to rise dramatically following the decision by the Taliban to ban women from medical training. The situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine are also likely to be raised by several speakers.
Participants are expected to underscore the importance of women’s full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation in all political and peace processes, including in negotiation and mediation roles. In this regard, the Secretary-General’s report notes that in 2024, women made up only seven percent of negotiators on average worldwide, and two thirds of mediation efforts did not include any woman mediator. In this context, some speakers may reference the Common Pledge for Women’s Full, Equal, and Meaningful Participation in Peace Processes launched at last year’s annual open debate on WPS. Several participants are also likely to affirm their support for women’s participation in peacekeeping operations.
It seems that the negative impact on women’s organisations of sharp reductions in donor funding across the development and humanitarian aid sector will be highlighted by many speakers. In a recent UN Women survey of women-led and women’s rights organisations working in humanitarian and crisis settings, 90 percent of the respondents reported having been financially impacted by global foreign assistance reductions, with 47 percent expecting to shut down in the near future if current funding levels persist. In this context, several members may stress the importance of continuing to extend support, including through direct and predictable funding, to women’s civil society organisations. Some may reference the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), which was launched in 2016 to generate funding for local and grassroots women’s groups working in conflict and humanitarian crisis contexts.
Several participants are expected to highlight specific national policies and programmes to support the implementation of the WPS agenda, such as National Action Plans on WPS, or initiatives in the field of combatting technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Some members may also stress women’s economic empowerment, education, and the eradication of poverty as essential for both gender equality and peace.
Monday will be the first meeting on WPS since the US’ new permanent representative to the UN, Mike Waltz, has been appointed. Since US President Donald Trump took office on 20 January, the US position on WPS has shifted significantly, converging with Russia’s longstanding resistance to incorporating WPS language in Council outcomes. For instance, during the negotiations on resolution 2793 of 30 September, which authorised the deployment of a “Gang Suppression Force” in Haiti, the US, as the co-penholder on the text, apparently rejected repeated requests from other members not to delete “gender-based” from previously agreed references to SGBV. (For more information, see our 30 September What’s in Blue story.)
At the time of writing, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) was negotiating a written advice to the Security Council in connection with Monday’s open debate. Among other issues, the PBC might encourage the Council to call on UN member states to invest in initiatives that advance women’s social, economic, and political empowerment as a vital strategy for sustaining and building peace.
