80th UNGA Ministerial-Level Side Event – Deepening WPS Commitments for Action: Innovating and adapting to deliver on peace and security
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 11am to 1pm EDT
Conference Room 3, United Nations Headquarters, New York
On 24 September 2025, the WPS Focal Points Network held its annual ministerial event in New York, during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The event marked the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and was held under the theme: Deepening WPS Commitments for Action: innovating and adapting to deliver on peace and security.
The event was co-hosted by Japan and Norway, the 2025 Co-Chairs of the Network, in collaboration with UN Women, which serves as the Network Secretariat. It brought together over 500 participants, including Namibia’s first female president, 30 ministerial speakers, and senior officials from more than 35 Member States and regional organizations, including the African Union (AU), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the European Union (EU). Amid global pushback on women’s rights, the event demonstrated strong political commitment to the WPS agenda and to multilateralism across all regions.
H.E. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia
H.E. Takeshi Iwaya, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan
H.E. Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway
Ms. Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ms. Shaza Elmahdi, Chair of Centerlink, Sudan
Honourable Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia
H.E. Celinda Sosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia
H.E. Oana-Silvia Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania
H.E. Micheline Ombae Kalama, Ministre du genre, famille et enfant of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
H.E. Maimouna Dieye, Ministre de la Famille, de l’Action Sociale et des Solidarités of Senegal
H.E. Ms. Sharmeen S. Murshid, the Honorable Advisor (Minister) for Women and Children Affairs, Bangladesh
H.E. Isata Mahoi, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs of Sierra Leone
H.E. Tatjana Macura, Minister without portfolio in charge of gender equality of Serbia
H.E. Gbeme Horace-Kollie, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Liberia
H.E. Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities of South Africa
H.E. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia
H.E. Antonia Orellana, Minister of Women and Gender Equity of Chile
H.E. Ana Paula Da Silva Do Sacramento Neto, Minister for Social Action, Family and Women's Empowerment of Angola
H.E. Mohamed Ali Nafti, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad of Tunisia
Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Zimbabwe
Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security
Ms. Stella Ronner-Grubačić, Deputy Managing Director for Multilateral Relations, Human Rights and Democracy, European External Action Service (EEAS), European Union
H.E. Hannah Liko, Vice-Minister of European and Foreign Affairs of Austria
H.E. Robert Abisoghomonyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Armenia
H.E. Enrique Ochoa, Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Mexico
H.E. Pascalle Grootenhuis, Vice Minister for International Cooperation, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ms. Eva Marie Frida Barløse, Under Secretary for Foreign Policy of Denmark
H.E. Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega, Vice Minister (Undersecretary for Policy), Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines
H.E. Anouparb Vongnorkeo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR
Ambassador Carlos Marcio Cozendey, Vice-Minister and Secretary Multilateral Political Affairs of Brazil
H.E. Chris Elmore, Vice Minister, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom
Ms. Ana Isabel Xavier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal
Dr. Melita Gabrič State Secretary for Multilateral Affairs, Political Affairs and Development Cooperation of Slovenia
Mr. Thomas Guerber, Deputy State Secretary of Switzerland
Mr. Richard Arbeiter, Political Director and Assistant Deputy Minister of Canada
Ambassador Henrietta Balajthy, Under-Secretary of State for Security Policy, Hungary
H.E. Isabelle Rome, Ambassador at Large for Human Rights of France
Ms. Nathalie Zaarour, Secretary General of the National Commission for Lebanese Women, Lebanon
Ms. Ana Maria Alonso, Ambassador for Feminist Foreign Policy of Spain
Mr. Lars Castellucci, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance of Germany
Ms. Arlene B. Tickner, Ambassador at-Large for Gender Issues and Feminist Global Policy of Colombia
Ms. Ami Larsson-Jain, Deputy Head of Department, UN Policy, Conflict and Migration of Sweden
Mr. Augusto Cabrera, Director of Multilateral Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peru
Mr. Makoto Hayashi, Deputy Director-General _ Deputy Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Ms. Signe Guro Gilen, Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security of Norway
