A major she security and foreign policy forum, The Rīga Conference 2024, featured several high-level discussions on the role of the United Nations (UN) in addressing today’s complex geopolitical challenges. These panels brought together ministers, diplomats, and experts to explore key issues related to multilateralism, gender in conflict, and the evolving influence of the elected members of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
The panel “The Future of Multilateralism – Can the UN Charter Be Defended?” under the guidance of Sven Jürgenson, former Ambassador of Estonia to the UN, sparked in-depth debate on the relevance of the UN Charter in the face of rising global tensions. Panellists – Kelly Craft, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Martin Kimani, former Ambassador of Kenya to the UN, and Kristīne Līce, legal adviser to the President of Latvia – emphasized the need to uphold the principles of a rules-based international order while addressing the challenges posed by current global tensions.
Patricia Nguyen from the NATO IMS GENAD Office steered a discussion on “Gender and Conflict – Women’s Perspectives and Experiences”. Speakers, including Brig Gen Geraldine Janet George, Minister of Defence of Liberia, Ariela Blätter, the President of the Women in International Security, Olena Suslova, Founder of Women’s Information Consultative Centre in Ukraine and Andrejs Pildegovičs, Ambassador at Large on Global and Multilateral Affairs of the MFA of Latvia, highlighted the critical role women have in conflict zones, not only as victims of gender-based violence, but particularly as indispensable players in conflict prevention, post-conflict peace-building and recovery. In addition, Ambassador Pildegovičs stressed Latvia’s strong commitment to the women’s empowerment agenda.
The event also featured a session titled “E10 @ UNSC”, which focused on the evolving role of elected members of the UNSC against the backdrop of today’s complex geopolitical landscape. Andrejs Pildegovičs, who is in charge of Latvia’s UN Security Council campaign, together with Gunda Reire, Director of the Center for International Studies, Sven Jürgenson, former Ambassador of Estonia to the UN, Alejandro Alday Gonzalez, Ambassador of Mexico to the Republic of Latvia, and Dirk Stockhausen, Head of Division of UN Policy of the German MFA shared the UNSC campaigning and membership insights and expertise.
The panel discussions were organised as part of a public diplomacy programme in support of the campaign of Latvia’s candidacy for the UN Security Council. The campaign under the motto of “Together for Peace and Resilience” aims to ensure Latvia’s successful election to the 2025 UN Security Council for the period 2026–2027, where Latvia stands as first-time candidate for an elected seat. A seat in the UN Security Council would be one of Latvia’s most important tools for pursuing and defending its foreign policy interests, and would further expand Latvia’s international cooperation, contributing to world peace and resilience.
