Shama Obaed urges greater women’s participation in peace, security

Convened by the Philippines, Italy and UN Women on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, the meeting marked the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on WPS

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Thursday represented Bangladesh at the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Points Network at UN Headquarters here.

Convened by the Philippines, Italy and UN Women on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, the meeting marked the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on WPS.

Recalling Bangladesh’s role in supporting the resolution as an elected Security Council member in 2000, Shama Obaed reaffirmed Dhaka’s commitment to women’s meaningful participation in decision-making.

She called for stronger women-led early warning and mediation, greater participation of women in peace processes, integration of WPS into climate and humanitarian action, and stronger accountability for violations against women.

She highlighted Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts to formulate its second WPS National Action Plan.

The state minister also presented the Dhaka Dialogue, a Bangladesh-led initiative addressing digital harassment and AI-enabled abuse against women, and invited member states to join its forthcoming Group of Friends.

The meeting brought together ministers and senior representatives from various countries to strengthen implementation of the UN WPS agenda and advance women’s leadership in peace and security.