Joint Press Statement between the Philippine Department of Foreign of Affairs and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation on the Parliamentary Roundtable Discussion on Strengthening Legislative Support for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

MANILA 29 October 2024 - In recognition of the critical role that Members of Parliament play in realizing the commitments embodied in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution No. 1325, which establishes the international community’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (PH-DFA) and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) co-organized a historic and ground-breaking Parliamentary Roundtable Discussion on Strengthening Legislative Support for the WPS Agenda, which was held today, 29 October 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center.

The lawmakers and policymakers who participated came from all over the world, including incumbent and former Members of Parliament from Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Given the participation of 11 women policy and lawmakers, it is, in itself, an embodiment of UNSCR No. 1325 in action.

The DFA-PH and SPF, as co-organizers, are pleased to have witnessed the robust and candid discussions, beginning with the participants’ acknowledgment that, 24 years after the adoption of UNSCR No. 1325, there remains gaps in the implementation of the WPS agenda across the globe in general, and in varying degrees among nations, regions and even sub-national sectors. Given the growing uncertainty and threats to peace and security that are emerging or persisting in various regions of the world, the organizers consider the recognition of these gaps as one of the most important steps in the stock-taking process that would inform the ways forward for all stakeholders.

The participants also shared their own experiences and insights on the effective ways that policymakers and lawmakers in their country or region have managed to mainstream and institutionalize the WPS agenda on the national level, particularly through the adoption of National Action Plans (NAPs); the provision of fiscal support for the implementation of their WPS commitments, policies, and programs; and the adoption of monitoring and evaluation measures that promote transparency and accountability in the use of resources meant to be utilized to realize concrete goals, such as the education and training of women security and peacekeeping personnel.

Shifting to a future-oriented perspective, the Participants engaged in a dynamic discussion of the opportunities for partnership for collaboration, and the proactive roles that parliamentarians could and should take in advancing the WPS agenda on the sub-national, national and regional levels, including:

Advocating for the WPS agenda by framing it in the context of its impact on the shared interests and goals of their respective constituents, including by making the WPS agenda a cross-cutting concern for all;

Providing fiscal support for WPS-related and adjacent programs, including the protection and empowerment of women and their children; and

Using individual, bilateral, sectoral and regional networks of Parliamentarians to find common areas of cooperation and collaboration.

The co-organizers strongly believe that these exchanges of experience, practical insights and forward-looking commitments serve to enrich every state’s capacity to fulfill their WPS commitments with each parliamentary action it takes. They, therefore, thank all the participants and the Moderator, Mr. Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Executive Director, ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, for making the discussions candid, productive, well-rounded and, most of all, forward-thinking.

The event is part of the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security (ICWPS) currently being held in Manila from 28 to 30 October 2024. The conference was held with the generous sponsorship of Senator Loren Legarda, a staunch supporter of the WPS agenda. END