EU Statement – UN Security Council: Women, Peace and Security, Peace is decided with women

EU Statement - UN Security Council: Women, Peace and Security, Peace is decided with women

17 June 2026, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union by H.E. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security: Peace is decided with women: Emerging from conflict by enhancing their participation

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Madam President, Distinguished Participants,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Monaco, San Marino align themselves with this statement.

The EU thanks Colombia for organising this crucial debate today. We stand firm in our conviction that peace can only be achieved, sustained, and comprehensive with women's full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership. This is not just a matter of rights and representation. It is, crucially, a strategic imperative for peace and security.

Peace processes in which women are involved are proven to be 30% more likely to last, and women's participation in political and electoral processes and decision-making are indispensable for good governance and for building inclusive and resilient societies.

Yet, despite this clear imperative, urgent challenges remain. First, the shrinking space for UN-led mediation calls for efforts to ensure that all mediation efforts, including those led by regional actors, are gender-responsive and include women in a meaningful way. Second, while women play a key role in peacebuilding at community level, they often remain excluded from formal peace negotiations, which demands closing the gap between Track I and Track II processes. And third, women in politics, mediators and peacebuilders, face targeted threats and persistent safety risks, which require stronger protection, funding, and political support.

Madam President,

In this context, the EU remains strongly committed to ensuring women's full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership at all levels and stages of peace processes, from conflict prevention and mediation to resolution, post-conflict recovery, and peacebuilding. This commitment is translated into action - the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda is a cornerstone of the EU foreign and security policy, operationalised through the EU Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, other EU-level strategic frameworks, and National Action Plans adopted by Member States.

Colleagues,

The EU supports women in mediation through a number of concrete measures. First, the EU leads by example through the appointment of women Special Representatives with strong mediation mandates, such as in the Horn of Africa and the South Caucasus. Second, women experts are systematically included in EU mediation support teams, and the gender perspective is integrated across conflict analyses, mediation process design, and is also a key principle of the EU's new strategic approach on humanitarian diplomacy. Third, the EU strengthens women mediators and peacebuilders networks, including through the annual EU Community of Practice on Peace Mediation and through its support to the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediator Networks, among others.

Regarding measures to support women's participation in peace processes, the EU and several of its Member States joined the UN Secretary-General's Common Pledge for Women's Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation in Peace Processes last year, upholding a minimum of 33% target for women's participation in all EU-supported peace process activities and investing in women's leadership through concrete mechanisms. This includes supporting women leaders, experts and civil society representatives in directly engaging in negotiation and political processes, such as the Women's Advisory Platform linked to the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, the Women's Advisory Council for Middle East Peace, and AU-UN efforts to reinvigorate the Advisory Board on Women, Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region. The EU also supports women peacebuilders, women-led and civil society organisations to advance mediation, conflict prevention, and inclusive governance in conflict-affected communities, including in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Palestine and Syria, among others.

Madam President,

In closing, the EU wishes to acknowledge the peace process in Colombia, which has achieved the highest-ever representation of women in modern history, and which the EU supports through its cooperation frameworks.

Looking forward, the EU will continue to scale up support for structured pathways that ensure women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes as a means to ensure both gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and building lasting peace globally.

I thank you.

1. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.