On 21 May 2025, Johanna Sumuvuori, CoE Director and Marianne Flach, CoE Senior Advisor on Women, Peace, and Security participated in the high-level event "25 Years of UNSCR 1325: New Challenges, Renewed Commitment, and the Future of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda".

Organised by Belgium, Poland, UN Women and the European Union, the event marked the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. 

The 2023 CSDP Compact commits to strengthening the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and subsequent resolutions. CSDP missions actively implement gender mainstreaming and advance gender equality through the WPS agenda. 

The CoE’s participation in the event enabled the Centre to remain aware of WPS experts’ opinions, regarding how best to centre the WPS agenda in today’s shifting geopolitical context. 

25 Years of UNSCR 1325 

The discussions highlighted some central lessons learned and key takeaways to inform WPS within civilian CSDP going forward. 

Lessons learned from the past 25 years: 

• Soft security matters. There is a growing risk that progress made since the adoption of UNSCR 1325 may be undermined by the increasing focus on hard security. Civilian capabilities must be protected and strengthened both through underlining the importance of civilian CSDP missions and their important contribution to WPS.

• Gendered disinformation is a core threat. Countering information manipulation requires strong partnerships and resilient networks. Both men and women are victims but experience different impacts. Conflicts often prevent women from speaking up. Training on online safety and cyber security is needed; such activities should be included in National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325.

• Funding is critical. Policy commitments must be backed by sustainable and robust funding mechanisms. There is a disconnect between what is spent on hard security versus on WPS.

• Support for women peacebuilders. Increased resources are essential to sustain the work of women peacebuilders and keep women’s rights at the forefront of diplomacy.

• Civil society must be centred. In times of global instability, civil society actors must play a leading role.

  Some key takeaways for the future of the WPS agenda within civilian CSDP:

• Keep gender visible and relevant. It’s important to keep gender topics related to civilian crisis management on the agenda and continue communicating about this. This includes highlighting concrete steps taken, outlining the consequences of excluding women, and emphasising the transformative role that women play. Language also matters – careful consideration of terms and framing can help avoid reinforcing stereotypes. 

• Tackle the threat of gendered disinformation. Disinformation that draws on identity-based stereotypes poses a significant threat to democratic societies and disproportionally affects women and vulnerable communities. Several actions can help address this challenge: 

  • Including a module on gendered disinformation into pre-deployment training for CSDP missions; 

  • Encourage collaboration between civilian CSDP cyber/hybrid/FIMI experts and WPS specialists to strengthen online safety and cyber security training;

  • Conduct gender-sensitive analysis of how conflicts shape disinformation narratives and their different impacts on men and women.

• Strengthen the Integrated Approach through strategic partnerships. A more effective integrated approach is needed – one that not only links civilian and military CSDP missions, EU delegations and other and EU instruments, but also builds strong partnerships within the United Nations, civil society , and other resilient networks.

  About UNSCR 1325

Adopted on 31 October 2000, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 reaffirms the vital role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts. It highlights their contributions to peace negotiations, peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and post-conflict reconstruction. The resolution underscores the importance of women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts aimed at maintaining and promoting peace and security.

You can read the full resolution here.