On 11 September 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host a one-day seminar, “Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Latvia’s Defence and Internal Affairs Sectors”. The aim of the seminar is to provide training to personnel in Latvia’s defence and interior sector on gender mainstreaming and the reduction of gender-based violence in professional environment.
The seminar targets personnel from the Ministries of the Interior and of Defence, the National Armed Forces, the State Fire and Rescue Service, and the State Police. The participants will be introduced to international documents in the field of gender equality and the Latvian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, as well as acquiring practical skills for the application of those documents in professional settings. The seminar will be opened by Dace Melbārde, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the practical capacity-building session will be moderated by researchers from the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance and experts from the Women for Security association.
The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, adopted in 2000, is a political framework that pays particular attention to the prevention of gender-based violence and underscores the representation and involvement of women in military conflict resolution and peacekeeping processes. The resolution notes that women and men have different experiences during conflicts, with different needs at the end of conflicts, different perspectives on their causes and outcomes, and different contributions to the peace-building process.
The National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security for 2020-2025 developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia sets out three main tasks: raising public awareness of gender equality issues and the elimination of gender-based violence, especially among the younger generation; training for the defence and internal affairs sector, including the establishment of a gender adviser’s position; and transfer of Latvia’s experience and knowledge.
One of the elements of Latvia’s foreign policy is support for compliance with the principles of international law and the rule of law in international relations. Gender equality and promotion of women’s representation and empowerment is Latvia’s priority in the field of human rights while operating in international organisations, implementing its development cooperation policy, as well as standing as a candidate for the post of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2026–2027.
The event will take place as part of the public diplomacy programme in support of the lobby campaign of Latvia’s candidacy for the United Nations Security Council. The campaign under the motto of “Together for peace and resilience” aims at ensuring successful election of Latvia to the United Nations Security Council for the 2026–2027 term in the 2025 election, at which Latvia is running for an elected member’s seat for the first time. Membership of the UNSC will be a key instrument in pursuit and protection of Latvia’s foreign policy interests, as well as making it possible for Latvia to expand the scale of its international cooperation and thereby contributing to world peace and resilience.
Background information
Resolution 1325 aims at:
- promoting gender equality and increase women’s participation throughout all aspects of conflict prevention, peace process, as well as peace-building and peacekeeping;
- improve the protection of women in conflict-affected regions, put an end to gender-based violence an impunity for such crimes in situations of armed conflict;
- ensure that international assistance and involvement in conflict-affected territories take into account the specific need and improve the protection of women’s rights.