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Bangladesh has called for stronger women’s leadership and meaningful participation in efforts to promote sustainable peace and security, urging greater international action to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam made the call at the annual ministerial meeting of the WPS Focal Points Network at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
The meeting, co-hosted by the Philippines, Italy and UN Women, marked the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which established the WPS framework.
Participants discussed stronger implementation of the resolution and greater accountability for commitments under the agenda.
Shama recalled Bangladesh’s role as an elected member of the UN Security Council in 2000 in supporting the adoption of Resolution 1325. She reaffirmed Dhaka’s commitment to ensuring women’s effective participation in national and international decision-making.
She called for greater participation of women in peacebuilding, peace processes and recovery efforts, while urging stronger links between the WPS agenda, climate action and humanitarian response.
She also stressed the need for accountability for violence and crimes against women.
The state minister highlighted Bangladesh’s progress in preparing its second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, saying work to finalise the five-year plan was advancing. Bangladesh began drafting the new plan earlier this month.
She also outlined Bangladesh’s initiatives to address digital harassment of women and AI-enabled violence, highlighting the Dhaka Dialogue and inviting member states to join the related Group of Friends.
The meeting focused on strengthening international cooperation to promote women’s leadership and meaningful participation in peace and security decision-making.
