By Enrique A. Manalo
THE PHILIPPINES is pleased to host an International Conference on Women, Peace and Security this week, gathering representatives from over 80 countries and our national and local officials, and partners from civil society, the private sector, and the academe.
This is a conversation profoundly important to the country and the global community.
Fully harnessing the power of women’s leadership in building peaceful, inclusive, and resilient communities worldwide is not a policy option, but a strategic necessity. The Philippines knows this for a fact. We take pride in Filipino women who have brokered peace processes and rebuilt communities in conflict areas.
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is the first woman in the world to sign a final peace agreement. We deploy women amongst Filipino troops in UN peacekeeping missions.
The Conference will reflect on the gains nations have achieved in pushing frontiers for women as integral actors in peace and security processes and governance.
It can contribute to revitalizing global consensus on this agenda, especially since the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has flagged in his 2024 report, a slackening in momentum if not the reversal of gains, especially amidst the rise of conflict, displacement, and humanitarian emergencies in parts of the world. The vulnerabilities of women are amplified in these settings, and the impact of conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan has gender dimensions we should not ignore.
The Conference will need to take stock of these realities and recommit to putting women at the center of action, approaching them not as victims to assist, but as agents of resilience, source of solutions, stewards of common good, and builders and keepers of peace.
There are remarkable successes and innovations of policies, strategies, and partnerships that have embedded the women in peace and security agenda as a vital part of governance in nations and regions. To date, 110 UN member-states have adopted a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. Thirteen (13) regions and sub-regional organizations have launched plans and strategies. Each of them has precious lessons and visions to share.
For example, the experience of climate-vulnerable countries like the Philippines underlines the critical connection of climate security, disaster resilience, and women empowerment. Africa demonstrates the wisdom of inclusion policies to engage more women in formal decision-making roles. ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific strongly leverage networks of women leaders. UN funds and programs have bridged resource gaps and mainstreamed gender in their work on the ground, including in humanitarian operations, despite shrinking funds.
The scope of this conversation is broad and its relevance is far-reaching. The UN Secretary General’s report cited figures underscoring that much remains to be done in women’s representation in politics and governance, access to economic resources, access to justice, and participation in security institutions and peace, arms control, and disarmament processes. There are pathways to chart and carve ahead of us.
As the proponent of the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and, more recently, as Chair of the 78th Session of the UN Commission of the Status of Women (CSW78) last March, the Philippines has been deeply invested in promoting discourse on women empowerment. We are convinced that constructive dialogue and collaboration on this matter can lead to real, transformative change in communities worldwide.
The International Conference on Women, Peace and Security is taking place exactly a year to the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on 31 October 2000. For more than two decades, this instrument has guided global efforts on women, peace, and security.
The Philippines considers it a duty to support UNSC 1325 as an important and unifying mandate for the international community. It brings nations together and lends a powerful push to our shared purpose of achieving true gender equality and a more inclusive and peaceful world.
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Enrique A. Manalo is the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
