The United States and Romania are the 2023 Co-Chairs of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Points Network.

Welcoming the opportunity to serve as Co-Chairs, Kat Fotovat, Acting Ambassador-at-Large at the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State and LTC Manuela Bercea, Chief of Gender Management Office at the Ministry of National Defence in Romania said, “We proudly take this opportunity as Co-Chairs to exemplify the trailblazing and unwavering commitment to WPS from the Network, the troika, all past Co-Chairs, and the Secretariat. We also recognize and emulate the activism from diverse feminist leaders across the globe and the consolidated efforts, commitment, and progress to drive forward the core tenets of the WPS agenda. This Network is an established avenue to counter the recent global backlash against gender equality, and a tool to strengthen the WPS agenda.

Again, we are truly honored to serve as the 2023 Co-Chairs and build upon the efforts of the WPS Focal Points Network.” During their term, the United States and Romania will focus on the following key themes: (1) The adaptability and evolution of WPS as a framework for designing and implementing policy change through an inclusive approach; (2) The shared solidarity of the national Focal Points; and (3) Adjusting WPS efforts and actions to meet global requirements through a national focus on WPS and continued support for WPS National Action Plan (NAP) implementation.

The Co-Chairs will host the Network and Focal Points at three in-person conferences and events: a Capital-Level meeting in Washington, D.C. (June); a UN General Assembly Ministerial Level Side-Event in New York City (September); and a Focal Points Conference in Bucharest, Romania (November).