Pasay Declaration on Women Peace and Security

1. We, the ministers and representatives of Member States of the United Nations, having assembled and participated in the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security in Pasay City, Philippines on 28-30 October 2024, with the theme “Forging Collaboration and Convergence for Advancing Women, Peace and Security,” adopt this declaration to reaffirm our commitment to advancing and fully implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda through collaborative efforts and concrete actions in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacebuilding, and post-conflict relief and recovery
2. We reaffirm the significance of the landmark United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, related Resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889, (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), 2242 (2015), 2467 (2019), and 2493 (2019), which recognizes the important role of women in the building and maintenance of peace and security. We express our strong commitment to promoting and achieving gender equality and to integrating a gender perspective in all peace and security processes. While we acknowledge the progress made, we emphasize the urgency of accelerating our efforts, removing barriers, and holding ourselves accountable for delivering tangible results.
3. We reaffirm the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action^[1], and take note of the CEDAW General Recommendation 30 as well as the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly^[2] and the outcomes of its reviews, particularly those concerning women and armed conflict.
4. We urge the Member States and the international community to strengthen the synergies in the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as appropriate, in order to better protect, promote, and fully realize the rights of women and girls in times of peace and conflict.
5. We recall and reaffirm our commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, acknowledging that gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls is critical to achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals and that the mainstreaming of a gender perspective across all the Goals contributes to progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including targets related to peace and justice.
6. We recognize and reaffirm our commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement that recognizes the crucial role of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and financing strategies in addressing the harmful effects of climate change, and environmental damage caused by armed conflict, particularly on women and girls. We commit to ensuring that climate action integrates gender-responsive approaches with women playing leadership roles.
7. We reaffirm our obligations and commitments under international law to promote and protect the human rights of all women and girls during and after conflicts and commit to ensure that human rights and humanitarian law are integrated into our policies and actions, with an emphasis on effective implementation.
8. We underscore the importance of the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and in post-conflict reconstruction. We commit to enhance women's full, equal and meaningful participation at all levels by prioritizing policies that actively remove barriers and create spaces for women's leadership. In this context we also underline the particular importance of youth participation in the framework of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda including the full and meaningful participation of young people in building lasting peace and in addressing peace and security issues.
9. We express our grave concern over the global backlash against women’s rights the dire global security and humanitarian situation, noting the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women and girls, including as targets , forced combatants,  victims of conflict-related sexual violence, refugees and internally displaced persons, and call for urgent measures to address this situation  including on-the-ground interventions that prioritize the protection  of women and girls in conflict zones.
10. We commit to taking effective measures to prevent and respond to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence and human trafficking and will give particular attention to the rights and needs of women and girls in vulnerable situations, including older women and women and girls with disabilities, through targeted interventions and support mechanisms. We advocate for the development of effective mechanisms for prosecuting the perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence.
11. We recognize that women's full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes contributes to achieving lasting and durable peace and we reiterate the importance of the full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership of women at all levels of decision-making for the promotion and maintenance of peace and security.
12. We commit to promote women’s leadership in mediation processes and to actively take steps to set ambitious and measurable targets for women’s direct participation on delegations and negotiating teams and the appointment of women as lead mediators in peace processes. We will publicly track and report these targets to ensure transparency and accountability.
13. We welcome national, regional and international efforts and actions to implement the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, including the adoption and implementation of national and regional action plans, while acknowledging that despite efforts made, women and girls continue to bear the brunt of conflict, including as victims and survivors of sexual violence. We call for a reinvigorated commitment to accelerate the full implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, with an emphasis on immediate, impactful actions that address the root causes of gender inequality in conflict settings.
14. We acknowledge the valuable contribution of women peacekeepers to the work of the United Nations and call for increased participation and leadership of women in United Nations peacekeeping missions at all levels, commit to ensuring that the roles women occupy in peacekeeping are expanded and adequately resourced.
15. We undertake to advocate for the financing and wider awareness and visibility of the Women Peace and Security agenda in development and humanitarian plans and programs at international, regional and national levels to ensure long-term impact on the ground.
16. We emphasize the urgent need to counter negative social norms, gender stereotypes and systemic inequalities that hinder women empowerment and prevent their full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership in all areas of public life, including in peacebuilding and conflict prevention and resolution.
17. We recognize the importance of international cooperation for the advancement of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda and we reiterate our firm commitment to work together and take concerted action to address the challenges to its full implementation focusing on measurable outcomes.
18. We also recognize the interconnectedness of security, climate, and gender equality, noting that instability  and conflict resulting from climate change, loss of biodiversity, environmental degradation and  natural disasters disproportionately affects women and girls. We commit to ensuring women's leadership and full and equal and meaningful involvement in climate interventions and disaster risk reduction, acknowledging their critical roles in addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change and other forms of natural disasters and the need to equally benefit from climate resilient resources and technologies.
19. We acknowledge the efforts of the organizations of the United Nations system, within their respective mandates, to support the Member States in the formulation and preparation of policies, programs and action plans on Women Peace and Security.
20. We recognize the importance of accountability and regular monitoring of the progress and impact of WPS initiatives. We stress the need for establishing and implementing effective and tailored monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning mechanisms that would ensure accountability. We commit to establishing and implementing these mechanisms to ensure transparency and continuous improvement.
21. We acknowledge that the responsibility for implementing the Women, Peace, and Security agenda is shared by all, ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative approach to achieving sustainable peace and security for everyone. We encourage the Member States to consider joining the WPS Focal Points Network and engage with this cross- regional forum for sharing experiences and best practices in advancing the implementation of all Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security.
22. We also acknowledge the important contributions that non-governmental organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders make to promote and achieve gender equality, women's and girl’s empowerment, and the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all aspects of conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding, and to strengthen cooperation with relevant stakeholders to enhance our collective impact.

[1] A/52/231

[2] A.S-23/10/Rev.1