Statement on behalf of 63 Members of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security

UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security

October 6, 2025

Canada has the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of 63 Member States of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace, and Security, representing all five regional groups of the UN and the European Union.^{Footnote 1}

On this 25th anniversary of resolution 1325, its achievements deserve recognition and demand renewed commitment.  We have seen progress: stronger legal frameworks, growing global consensus on the importance of gender-responsive peacebuilding, and more efforts to increase women’s full, equal and meaningful participation at the peace table.

But it is still not enough.

Women and girls continue to face discrimination and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. Women are excluded from decision-making. We urge that all peace and security mechanisms, from negotiations, mediation, national dialogues and transitional justice, and peacekeeping, reflect gender perspectives and gender parity. Women’s participation and leadership cannot be merely symbolic, but a condition to achieve a lasting and inclusive peace.

The WPS agenda must be inclusive of all women and girls including those in vulnerable situations – and respond to global challenges, such as climate change and risks posed by digital technologies.

We encourage Member States and the UN system to meet UN funding targets and prioritize direct, predictable and flexible support to women’s rights and feminist organizations with gender equality as a main outcome. Member states should adopt, fund, and implement National Action Plans on WPS that are regularly monitored, tracked and transparently reported.

Accountability must be central. To end impunity, perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, must be brought to justice, including through national and international courts and, where appropriate, in accordance with international law

We must also ensure that victims and survivors have access to essential services and rights, including water, sanitation, and hygiene, sexual and reproductive health services, psychosocial support, and legal assistance.

We need to protect those who promote peace. Women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, and humanitarian personnel, in particular, national and locally recruited personnel, face targeted violence.

And we must go further: post-conflict recovery must include women and promote their meaningful economic inclusion by reforming donor practices, removing access to barriers, and advocating for women’s economic and property rights.

The Group of Friends remain steadfast in our commitment to the WPS agenda. We will continue to bring women to the table, address their specific needs and invest in their safe, full, equal and meaningful leadership.

We must build on progress — not rest on it. In a time of increasing divergence, we must lead with courage and responsibility. The international community must demonstrate that our commitments are not rhetorical — they are real, resourced, and results-driven.