Ireland and Women, Peace and Security on the International Level
Ireland is continuing to lead by example and advocate strongly for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda at all levels, including across multilateral settings.
Ireland at the European Union
Ireland has been active in promoting the WPS Agenda within the European Union, including through engagement with the EU Action Plan for WPS and the EU Gender Action Plan III.
Ireland seeks to mainstream gender and gender equality throughout all of our work at the EU, ensuring the inclusion and strengthening of gender perspectives at all fora.
Women Peace and Security at the United Nations
Ireland has long been a strong advocate for the Women, Peace, and Security agenda at the United Nations. We are committed to advancing the WPS agenda throughout all our work at the UN, including in country-specific, thematic, and peacekeeping initiatives, as well as through ongoing engagement with civil society. Advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda was a top priority for Ireland’s most recent term on the UN Security Council (2021-2022)
Our goal is to demonstrate how women can be powerful agents of change in both conflict and post-conflict settings by ensuring their participation in decision-making processes. Ultimately, we aim to integrate gender perspectives across all our activities at the UN.
Ireland is currently campaigning for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for 2027 – 2029. If elected as a Member of the Council, Ireland will continue to champion gender equality and the rights of women and girls, including their rights during and after conflict.
Women in peacekeeping
Ireland has become a strong advocate for women's participation in UN peacekeeping operations, consistently promoting gender equality as a fundamental aspect of international peace and security.
During its time on the UN Security Council (2021-2022), Ireland acted as a champion for Women, Peace and Security within the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative. Ireland supported the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to ensure that women have full, equal, and meaningful participation in peacekeeping missions.
Speeches and statements
Ireland participates in the annual UN Security Council Open Debates on Women, Peace and Security and on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) each year.
Find Ireland’s 2025 statements at the Open Debate on WPS and the Open Debate on CRSV on the website of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN.
All of Ireland’s speeches and statements at the UN Security Council and other UN councils and bodies in New York as well as Ireland’s statements at recent sessions of the Human Rights Council are available online.