UN Secretary-General Urges One-Third Women's Participation in Peace Processes
Antonio Guterres called for urgent action to close the gender gap in peace negotiations and end violence against women during a UN Security Council debate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent action to advance the women, peace, and security agenda during a Security Council open debate on October 27, 2026. Guterres reported that women represented only 5 percent of negotiators across 57 peace processes last year and proposed a minimum target of one-third women's participation in UN peace processes to close what he called an "unacceptable" implementation gap of Resolution 1325.
Guterres identified three priority areas: ensuring women are present at every peacemaking table, scaling up funding for women's organizations in conflict zones, and enforcing zero tolerance for violence against women and girls. He urged member states to restore official development assistance and lift restrictions on women humanitarian workers, asserting that stability is more achievable when women have equal opportunities to shape their communities.
Sima Sami Bahous of UN-Women added that 80 percent of active peace negotiations occurred without a single woman present, stating that this exclusion is not accidental. The Council also addressed conflict-related sexual violence, with Ukraine citing a UN report of 892 cases perpetrated by the Russian Federation, while Russia criticized Ukraine's internal censorship. Members highlighted the targeting of women as a threat to international peace and security, specifically in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Myanmar.
