Philippines Champions Implementation of Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in CSW69 Side Event
NEW YORK 02 April 2025 – The Philippines led an important side event during the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) to advance the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, U.S.A.
Titled, “Turning Pledges into Progress: Operationalizing the Pasay Declaration on Women, Peace, and Security,” the event convened government leaders, policymakers, advocates, and civil society organizations to discuss strategies to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), as well as the Pasay Declaration, which was adopted at the first international conference on WPS hosted by the Philippines in Pasay City in October 2024.
The Philippines remains a staunch advocate of the WPS agenda, marked by its unwavering commitment to implement its National Action Plan on WPS and institutionalize gender-responsive peacebuilding across all levels of governance.
Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla in her opening remarks highlighted the need for effective implementation of UNSCR 1325 and for Member States to facilitate concrete action in areas such as increasing women representation in peace mechanisms, building capacity of women in negotiations and mediations, and providing funding support to local women’s organizations working in situations of armed conflict, among others.
Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Executive Director Susana Marcaida underscored the Philippines’ commitment to implementing the Pasay Declaration, citing the country’s continued efforts in advancing the WPS agenda with its fourth iteration of its National Action Plan on WPS (2023-2033).
“The Pasay Declaration is not just a document, it is a manifesto for what will be. It is a call to those who hold power. Women have always been deserving to have a seat at the table, because we have built the table together not just with men, but with the voiceless, the marginalized, the underprivileged, and we will set it with justice, security and peace,” Marcaida said.
Slovenia, represented by Ambassador-At-Large For Women, Peace and Security H.E. Darja Bavdaž-Kuret, emphasized the need to advocate for WPS, as well as concomitant issues, such as women’s leadership and participation in decision-making, and climate action. “Slovenia prioritizes the nexus of climate, peace and security and WPS in its membership in the UN Security Council," she said.
H.E. Egriselda López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, underscored the importance of providing gender-responsive budgets to support adequate, predictable, and sustained financing. “Peace agreements must include clear provisions on gender but also on financing,” she said.
“The Pasay Declaration underscores the urgency of accelerating efforts to achieve gender equality in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery,” H.E. Helena Ndapewa Kuzee, Deputy Permanent Representative of Namibia, said.
In a related development, the Philippine Government launched the Women, Peace, and Security Center of Excellence on 27 March 2025, the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB), the final peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It was signed by Filipino Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, who is the first female chief negotiator in the world to sign a major peace accord with a non-state armed group.
Led by the Philippine Government, the side event was held in collaboration with the Governments of Namibia, Slovenia and El Salvador with the support of Indonesia, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and the Women’s Federation for World Peace International. Dr. Jasmin Nario-Galace, Senior Program Director of GNWP, served as moderator of the event.
The Commission on the Status of Women is the main global intergovernmental body dedicated to promoting gender equality, and women’s rights, and their empowerment. The CSW is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council .
The recording of the side event is available on UN Web TV: https://tinyurl.com/PasayDec END
