4th Meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Working Group

The 25th anniversary of the landmark Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in 2025 presents a critical opportunity to assess its effectiveness and redefine its relevance in the evolving context of the Arab Region. Despite the progress made on the adoption of the WPS agenda in the region, significant challenges and gaps remain in achieving its full implementation and potential, particularly when it comes to conflict-affected areas within the region.

The fourth meeting of the WPS Working Group was co-hosted in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, by the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) and took place from 10 to 13 September 2025. The dialogue brought together over 20 women peace actors, policy experts, and practitioners from across the region. The convening advanced efforts to align Arab priorities with the global WPS agenda ahead of its 25th anniversary at the United Nations in 2025.

The WPS Working Group is led by the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut and UN Women, with support from regional and international partners including the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa (SDI), the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung MENA (FES), the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), and Inclusive Peace. The Working Group benefits from funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

This dialogue marked another vital step in strengthening regional ownership of the WPS agenda and contributed to representing the diverse perspectives and priorities of the Arab world in the global discourse on women, peace, and security.

One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the finalisation of a regional White Policy Paper. Developed through a series of consultations held throughout 2024 and 2025, the document outlines shared priorities and practical recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the WPS agenda. It is set to be presented during the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2025.

With the adoption of the White Policy Paper, the Working Group now turns to global advocacy ahead of key forums in October 2025 and throughout the WPS agenda’s anniversary year, aiming to influence high-level discussions and policy directions for a more effective, regionally tailored implementation of the WPS agenda.