In a world facing complex challenges, the full participation of women in all spheres of public life is essential for building a just, sustainable and lasting peace.
This was stated by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Natalia Kiselova, to the participants in the first session of the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliaments in Geneva on the topic: “The Women, Peace and Security Agenda 25 Years Later: Continuing Challenges and the Way Forward“. Now, more than ever, it is important to ensure that women are at the centre of conflict prevention and de-escalation, as well as in peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction efforts, said Natalia Kiselova.
The Speaker of the Parliament stressed that 25 years after the adoption of Resolution 1325, women remain largely excluded from peace processes. The implementation of the resolution remains fragmented and inconsistent across regions and conflicts, preventing it from reaching its full potential. Natalia Kiselova expressed confidence that cooperation is the basis of any successful strategy and noted that Bulgaria supports the implementation of a coordinated approach and building partnerships to provide the necessary resources, expertise and political support.
The Speaker of the National Assembly stated that Bulgaria confirms its commitment to achieving progress on the resolution and is implementing a National Action Plan on it, as this is our roadmap for empowering women in leadership positions, increasing their participation in peacebuilding and protecting the rights of women and girls from all forms of violence. We believe that the exchange of knowledge and good practices, including in relation to achieving better coherence between national action plans, would contribute to the effective implementation of the resolution worldwide, added Natalia Kiselova.
According to her, it is extremely important to continue encouraging women and girls to develop in areas traditionally more popular among men, such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, entrepreneurship, as well as security and diplomacy. The Speaker of Parliament specified that this is one of Bulgaria's national priorities as an active member of the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2024-2026.
In the current complex geopolitical environment, diplomacy remains one of the most powerful tools for building peace and mediation, said Natalia Kiselova. She noted that Bulgaria is proud to have already had several women as Speaker of the National Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs. At least 50 percent of the country's diplomatic service employees are women, and 40 percent of them hold leadership positions. These numbers are a source of inspiration for all young women who dream of one day becoming leaders, peacemakers and mediators, added Natalia Kiselova.
Bulgaria believes that the right way forward is to continue building strong and lasting partnerships and to join forces for a common goal: a future in which the role of women is unconditionally recognized and where peace is both sustainable and inclusive, concluded Natalia Kiselova.