Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. President,
I thank Minister Villavicencio for having chaired this important debate on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. I also thank Executive Director Bahous and the civil society briefers for their valuable insights.
Mr. President,
It is a fact that women and girls remain disproportionately affected by conflict, facing heightened risks of displacement, violence, and economic hardship.
It is also a fact that women are indispensable partners in preventing violence, sustaining peace, and rebuilding societies in the aftermath of conflict. Decades of evidence have demonstrated that women’s participation in peacebuilding and peace negotiations leads to more durable and sustainable peace.
These two data points inform the commitment of the United Arab Emirates to the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The UAE continues to invest in women as leaders, peacebuilders, and agents of change, including through the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak WPS Initiative, implemented in partnership with UN Women.
Mr. President,
Recognizing the indispensable role of women requires ensuring their full, equal, and meaningful participation at every stage of peace negotiations and political processes – not as observers, but as decision-makers, mediators, and negotiators.
Equally important are opportunities for women’s economic participation, including in post-conflict settings, where their contributions are critical to recovery, reconstruction, and long-term stability.
In this regard, I would like to highlight three points:
First, the empowerment of women and girls across the whole of society is an investment in peace.
Empowering women before conflicts emerge is one of the most effective ways of building resilient and peaceful societies, and yields dividends across the entire peace continuum. This has been a critical part of the UAE’s development model, and we are proud to be among the leading countries in our region to adopt a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
Second, we encourage the Security Council to continue meaningfully engaging with women civil society briefers.
They provide valuable perspectives on emerging issues and developments related to situations on the Council’s agenda. This is why the UAE joined the Shared Commitments on WPS during its Council tenure and continues to encourage all Council members to support these Commitments and promote their implementation.
In this regard, we commend the Colombian Presidency for ensuring that women civil society representatives are invited to brief the Council.
Third, the WPS agenda must keep pace with the ways in which technology is increasingly shaping conflict, humanitarian response, and peace operations.
Women must have a seat at the table in discussions on emerging technologies, to help ensure that digital policies are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all those they affect.
Mr. President,
The UAE remains committed to advancing the WPS agenda through practical partnerships and sustained investment in women’s leadership.
The full, equal, and meaningful participation of women is not merely a box to be ticked, but rather a prerequisite for sustainable peace and security. Thank you, Mr. President.