The international conference “Never More Urgent: Investing in Women’s Leadership in Politics and Peacebuilding” was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, organized by the Regional Women’s Lobby in Southeast Europe (RWLSEE) and UN Women, with the support of the Swedish government.

The conference was dedicated to the 21st anniversary of UN Resolution 1325 and the promotion of the WPS-HA generation compact equality, to which RWLSEE is also a signatory.

The international conference provided a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas across a wide range of prominent women leaders from countries in the Western Balkans region and around the world, with experience in decision-making policy and peaceful conflict resolution talks. The conference focused on ways to overcome existing barriers to achieving full and meaningful participation of women in politics, governance and formal peace processes, where women have sufficient knowledge and experience to contribute to peace building, democratic governance and sustainable development in the region and beyond.

The main conclusion and the main call of the conference participants was that “Women demand 50% quota in government and peace negotiating tables”, as a loud and unanimous call emphasizing that this issue must be resolved, because it is urgent like never before.

This year, the conference also contributes to the Generation Equality Forum, the Compact for Women’s Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) which was launched and aims to reshape peace and security and humanitarian action processes to systematically involve women and girls in decisions that impact their lives. This Compact is a guide to ensure that women and girls are globally protected in accordance with Resolution 1325.
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