4-6 February 2025 | Tokyo, Japan
We, the members of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network, in attendance at the Seventh Capital-Level Meeting in Tokyo, Japan from 4 to 6 February 2025, and representing Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Netherlands, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Zimbabwe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
Hosted by Japan and Norway as the 2025 Co-Chairs of the Network, and recognizing this meeting as the first gathering in Asia of the Focal Points Network, with the participation of women peacebuilders from across the globe,
Welcome the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), which the Network is commemorating under the theme, “Deepening WPS Commitments for Action: Innovating and adapting to deliver on peace and security,” with a focus on three priority areas: 1) Significance of the Development and Implementation of National and Regional Action Plans; 2) The Role of Women in Peace Mediation and Peacebuilding, and as Human Rights Defenders; and 3) Further Elaboration of the WPS Agenda, Including Advancing Its Application to Disaster Risk Reduction;
Further welcome the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and celebrate the gains made on women, peace and security over the past three decades including a robust normative framework and the adoption of 112 WPS national action plans and 13 regional action plans and strategies, and recognize the role of WPS envoys, ambassadors, special representatives, advisers, and focal points to advance a whole-of-government approach to the implementation of the WPS agenda;
Note with deep concern, the global proliferation of conflicts, including conflict- related sexual violence, environmental disasters, and protracted crises that devastate women and communities, alongside the insufficient degree of implementation of WPS principles in peace processes, mediation, negotiations, and humanitarian response, while condemning the systematic dismantling of women’s rights in some countries;
Reaffirm the obligation of Member States to uphold international human rights law and international humanitarian law to safeguard civilians, including women and girls, and to foster peace and stability in times of crisis;
Welcome the growth of the Network as the largest global WPS cross-regional forum, and encourage members to strengthen cross-thematic collaboration and partnerships to implement the WPS agenda;
Recall previous Network communiqués and highlight the following recommendations from the Seventh Capital-Level Meeting:
The Role of Women in Peace Mediation and Peacebuilding, and as Human Rights Defenders
In response to an evolving geopolitical landscape—marked by a rise in conflicts, fewer UN-led mediation processes, and an increasing focus on transactional deal- making—there is need for more inclusive and transformative mediation efforts. While ceasefires and short-term agreements can be crucial to the cessation of hostilities, they should not de-prioritize the need for inclusive peace processes to ensure long-term, sustainable peace.
We recommend the following:
- Recognizing that women’s leadership is essential for achieving sustainable and inclusive peace, ensure that women’s full, equal, meaningful and safe participation is central in peace and mediation processes, resisting the trend of advancing short-term solutions over developing inclusive, transformative peace processes.
- As conflicts evolve and mediation dynamics shift, the approach to mediation needs to adapt and be guided by the principles of the WPS agenda to redesign formal and informal mediation processes. This should be informed by existing
and enhanced data on the economic, social, and political costs of excluding women from peace negotiations and mediation processes.
- Utilize the expertise and diversity of women mediator networks and women mediators as a key resource in peacebuilding and mediation processes, and to foster intergenerational mentorship opportunities and cross-regional cooperation including with civil society.
- Encourage Network members to reflect WPS priorities in their engagement in relevant multilateral and regional mechanisms and fora.
Further Elaboration of the WPS Agenda, Including Advancing Its Application to Disaster Risk Reduction
Preventing and mitigating protracted conflicts and crises requires a holistic approach that addresses the interconnected drivers that exacerbate these situations. The principles of the WPS agenda provide a framework for an inclusive, solutions-based approach to sustainable peace.
We recommend the following:
- Promote, when appropriate, the incorporation of emerging areas into new or updated WPS national action plans, such as disaster risk reduction, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and cyberspace, and environment and climate change, while emphasizing women’s leadership and participation in these fields. Additionally, WPS action plans should be interconnected with relevant plans, strategies, and frameworks across these sectors.
- Integrate digital inclusion into the WPS agenda by leveraging AI and digital tools to support women’s participation and leadership in peace and security- related processes, developing gender-responsive and accessible training and capacity-building on AI and cybersecurity, and establishing accessible communication systems, including early warning mechanisms for women, particularly those with disabilities.
- Promote community-based solutions, such as women-led early warning systems that are responsive to the needs of women and girls in disaster response and risk reduction, and resilient to changing political contexts.
Significance of the Development and Implementation of National and Regional Action Plans
National and regional action plans serve as crucial tools to help States and regional organizations implement the WPS agenda. The plans also serve as critical entry points to deepen cross-regional cooperation to advance WPS implementation and assist in mainstreaming WPS efforts.
We recommend the following:
- Strengthen national and regional WPS monitoring mechanisms by establishing regular consultations and reinforcing engagements with WPS parliamentary groups and civil society, including youth. Develop the capacity of government actors to align WPS policy objectives across all implementing ministries and streamline WPS monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for cohesive and effective implementation.
- Diversify funding sources and enhance allocation of financial resources for the implementation of national and regional action plans by utilizing gender- responsive budgeting and innovative financial approaches, such as blended finance, social impact bonds, crowdfunding, private sector contributions, and philanthropic funding. Also ensure that women’s civil society organizations have access to flexible and sustained funding to support action plan implementation, particularly at local level.
- Foster synergies between countries and regions to strengthen the implementation of national and regional action plans, including through peer- to-peer reviews. Ensure that NAP localization is locally led by recognizing the leadership of local government and centering the priorities of women and local communities. Affirm the critical role of partnerships with local academia and research institutions, and with women’s civil society organizations, in tracking the long-term, qualitative, and transformative impact of national action plans.
Urge Member States and regional organizations, who have not yet done so, to adopt, fund, and implement WPS action plans and strategies, and to join the WPS Focal Points Network.