On 24 November, the Nordic Women Mediators Network and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host a conference to mark the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security:
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Opening address by Ms. Lotte Machon, State Secretary, Foreign Policy, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Keynote address by Ms. Margot Wallström, former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chair of the Panel of the Environment of Peace Initiative and Co-founder of the NWM Network
Keynote speeches by
Ms. Helga Schmid, President of the European Institute of Peace and former Secretary General of the OSCE
Ms. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Director of the Centre for Civil Liberties and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2022
Getting to the How – High-level Panel with Representatives from Conflict Affected Countries
Ms. Atefa Tayeb, former Deputy Minister, Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs of Afghanistan
Ms. Nivine Sandouka, Peace activist, Regional Director, The Alliance for Middle East Peace
Ms. Buthaina Asma Elnaeim, Executive Director, The Advocacy Group for Peace in Sudan
Ms. Mariam Jalabi, Co-Founder Syrian Women’s Political Movement
Coffee break
New Approaches - Better Results: Expert Panel from Nordic Women Mediators Network
Ms. Torunn Tryggestad, Director of Prio Centre on Gender, Peace and Security, Norwegian member of the NWM Network
Ms. Chris Coulter, Executive Director, Berghof Foundation, Swedish member of the NWM Network
Ms. Helen Olafsdottir, Security and Development Expert, Icelandic member of the NWM Network
Ms. Johanna Poutanen, Head of Women in Peacemaking, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Finnish member of the NWM Network
Ms. Isabel Bramsen, Director of Peace and Conflict Studies, Lund University, Danish member of the NWM Network
Background:
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council’s landmark Resolution 1325, which recognized women as key stakeholders and agents of peacebuilding.
The evidence is clear: women’s participation in peace processes leads to better and more sustainable peace. Yet global political shifts have fractured the tectonic plates of power. The rise in armed conflicts and militarization threatens to undermine the foundations of multilateralism and democracy. We have witnessed a sharp increase in autocratic behavior that challenges women’s fundamental rights and the principles of gender equality. New actors in conflict situations engage in divisive power grabs disguised as “peace negotiations,” further challenging the vision and ambition of more gender-inclusive peace processes with women as active decision-makers at all levels.
The Nordic Women Mediator Network (NWM) was established 10 years ago to strengthen and promote women’s meaningful participation in peace processes that safeguard women’s participation, protection, and rights. Despite setbacks, progress has been made over the past decade through strong networks, partnerships, and knowledge exchange. To celebrate these anniversaries, the Danish chapter of the Nordic Women Mediator Network is hosting a high-level conference alongside the Nordic Women Mediator’s Annual Meeting in Copenhagen.