Speech: Resolution 1325: an ambition of transformation that remains unattained, but is attainable
Remarks by UN Under-Secretary General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the Ambassadorial-Level Commemorative Meeting of the UN Peacebuilding Commission on Women, Peace and Security, UN Headquarters, 27 October 2025
[As delivered]
Excellencies, civil society partners, feminists, youth leaders, friends.
First allow me to thank Germany for their continued leadership on women, peace and security and for convening us this morning. And my thanks to the Honourable Emma Kantema, Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Namibia, for joining us this morning. Namibia was the pioneer of Security Council resolution 1325 and we continue to be inspired by your efforts, Madam Minister. My thanks also to our partners, the African Union, and AWLN, whom UN Women is very proud to support for advancing women’s inclusion and being supportive of women participating in peace and security and mediation across Africa. Thank you very much, you are an example for us all. Thank you also to all civil society partners who are here and also to all youth leaders who are here.
Inclusive peace has never mattered more than today.
This week we mark the 25th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325, and 20 years since the creation of the Peacebuilding Architecture. We mark also 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action where the world pledged to place women at the heart of our efforts for peace.
UN Women’s collaboration with the Peacebuilding Support Office exemplifies the spirit of UN coordination and, more importantly, collaborative impact.
Together we have instituted the 15 per cent minimum funding target for gender equality in peacebuilding funds – established 15 years ago and now increasingly seen as a broader goal, including for official development assistance to conflict-affected countries.
Together we have made the Peacebuilding Fund a model of effective gender mainstreaming, from analysis to finance and more. This has set the standard for others such as multi-partner trust funds.
It is no coincidence that the Peacebuilding Commission launched the first gender strategy and action plan of a UN intergovernmental body, both of which it was UN Women’s privilege to support. And it is gratifying that between 2020 and 2024, more than half of its meetings included the voices and perspectives of women and youth from civil society.
A backdrop of soaring military expenditures must not obscure the incalculable payoffs of investing in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, especially women-led recovery and peace consolidation.
Many countries have benefited from the attention of the peacebuilding architecture, placing gender equality at the centre of peacebuilding, escaping cycles of violence, building stronger, more resilient societies.
We know that peace is more likely enduring when women lead; when gender analysis informs how we understand conflict and how we rebuild trust; when women’s economic security is treated as a peace dividend, not as an afterthought; when women and young people are not just consulted, but empowered to shape peace agreements, to shape reforms, and to shape recovery.
That is why we must support women peacebuilders, from community mediators to human rights defenders. We owe them protection, recognition, and resources for their vital work. Yet, unfortunately, we do the opposite, most of the time. These brave, inspiring women face shrinking civic space, increased risk, and a collapse in funding. They are often first to step in when institutions falter. Why then should they be last to receive the support they need?
Today we will have the precious opportunity to hear directly from women peacebuilders across regions. We need not only to listen but to act, to learn from their insights, to invest in their leadership, to let their calls to action guide us.
Resolution 1325’s ambition goes well beyond inclusion. It is about transformation. That transformation remains unattained but it is attainable. The opportunity for peace remains unrealized but can become a reality.
So, let us continue to commit our unwavering support and resources. Let us line up behind the remarkable women who lead on the frontlines of crisis and conflict. That, ultimately, is the path to transformation, to peace, to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, and to the vision of the UN Charter.
I thank you.
