This year’s United Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), held October 24, was themed Women Building Peace in A Changing Environment. In the margins of the open debate the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediator Networks organized a high-level panel titled Enhancing the role of Women Mediators in Conflict Prevention and Resolution.
The Global Alliance arranged a panel discussion on October 25 at the UN Women headquarters in New York, to discuss the role of women mediators in conflict prevention and resolution, while also exploring the challenges that continue to hinder women’s equal and meaningful involvement in this area, and positing practical recommendations to strengthen their role.
The panel comprised of members from all six regional networks, including Anne Havn, Norway Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, who represented the Nordic Women Mediators (NWM). Other participants of the side-event, included amongst others, Irene Fellin, NATO Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security and Hajer Sharief, Co-founder of "Together We Build It, member of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network.
The Global Alliance believes that women are equal stakeholders in society and that they should have a place at the table when peace is being brokered or public matters discussed. In the landscape of global conflict resolution, the participation of women as mediators has emerged as a critical factor for successful peace processes. While historically, women have been underrepresented in formal mediation roles, their involvement has shown significant potential for fostering durable and inclusive peace, with increasing evidence suggesting that women mediators can offer valuable insights, foster inclusive dialogue, and contribute to more sustainable peace agreements.
The six regional networks that comprise the Global Alliance include: Arab Women Mediators Network (AWMN), the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa), the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network (MWMN), the Nordic Women Mediators (NWM), the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth (WMC), and the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators (SEAWPM).
