Philippines Highlights Contributions to Women, Peace and Security Agenda at UNDP WPS Workshop for Lao Women Deminers

Ambassador Te delivers her Opening Remarks at the Workshop on Women, Peace, and Security. (Photo courtesy of the UNDP in the Lao PDR Facebook page)

VIENTIANE 18 July 2025 — Philippine Ambassador to the Lao PDR Elizabeth T. Te underscored the Philippines’ strong commitment to advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda at the Workshop on Women, Peace, and Security co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) and held on 14 July 2025 at the UN House in Vientiane. 

In her Opening Remarks, Ambassador Te highlighted the Philippines’ WPS initiatives at the national, regional, and multilateral levels, noting that the Philippines was the first country in Asia to adopt a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. She further noted the adoption of the Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace, and Security in ASEAN by ASEAN Leaders at the 31st ASEAN Summit during the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship in 2017. She shared that the Philippines hosted the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security, in Pasay City on 28-30 October 2024, which adopted the Pasay Declaration on Women, Peace and Security to reaffirm commitment among the participants to advancing and fully implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. She added that on March 27, the Philippines officially launched its WPS Center of Excellence on 27 March 2025, thus marking another milestone in the country’s efforts to advance the global WPS agenda. 

She noted the support of the Philippines for the Lao PDR’s WPS agenda, adding that “...the Philippines endeavors to help build resilience in the Lao PDR through the WPS agenda. This is one of several pathways toward stronger south-south cooperation between our countries, and towards supporting the UN through joint efforts in accelerating our progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals”. 

In his remarks, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and Officer-in-Charge Dao Xuan Lai, focused on the WPS work of the UNDP. He noted United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 (2000) on WPS as the first UN resolution to recognize the central role of women as change agents in contributing to international peace and security. He recognized the Philippines’ leadership in WPS, and noted that 35% of Lao PDR’s workforce in the unexploded ordnance (UXO) sector consist of women. 

The workshop, participated by Lao women deminers, officials and resource speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Regulatory Authority for UXO and Mine Action (NRA), Lao Women’s Union (LWU), UNDP, and TAF introduced women deminers to the WPS agenda, including the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women Peace and Security (ASEAN RPA on WPS) and issues in gender and conflict, human security, and WPS in mine action. 

Some of the participants will undergo a study visit to the Philippines to learn more about the country’s best practices on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The Governments of the Philippines and New Zealand provided support to the workshop and exchange program. END 

Ambassador Elizabeth Te and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and Officer-in-Charge Dao Xuan Lai with the participants, resource speakers, and organizers of the workshop. (Photo courtesy of the UNDP in the Lao PDR Facebook page)

For more information, visit  https://www.vientianepe.dfa.gov.ph, or www.facebook.com/PHinLaoPDR.