Board members of the WPS-HA Compact gathered on March 7, 2025, for the first meeting of the year to welcome Namibia as the Compact’s new Board Chair and to discuss priorities for this pivotal year for women’s rights, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The meeting, chaired by Ms. Paivi Kannisto, Chief of the Peace, Security and Resilience Section at UN Women also offered an opportunity for Board members to extend deep gratitude to the outgoing Board Co-Chairs, Norway and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), who both served a two-year term, and were represented by Ms. Signe Guro Gilen, Norway Special Envoy for Women Peace and Security and Ms. Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, CEO of GNWP, respectively.
Representing Namibia at the meeting, Ambassador Morina Muuondjo, Acting Director of the International Women’s Peace Centre at Namibia’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, highlighted that Namibia has always been at the forefront of advocating for the WPS agenda and uplifted the country’s historical leadership in advancing peacebuilding nationally and internationally, as well as its role in the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 1325. She noted, “it is both an honor and a privilege to step into the role of Co-Chair, and we are excited to work alongside such a distinguished and committed group of individuals.”
Following the Board meeting, on March 10, during the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York City, Namibia represented the WPS-HA Compact at the high-level Generation Equality event on Multistakeholder Partnerships where Ms. Helena Kuzee, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Namibia to the UN, delivered closing remarks.
Ms. Kuzee highlighted that “the Compact has proven to be an effective space for collective action and Namibia is dedicated to working alongside all partners to sustain and expand its impact beyond 2026.” She underscored that “as we harness the power of multilateralism and global networks to advance women’s rights, equality, and empowerment – particularly in conflict and crisis contexts – we must reinforce a simple yet profound truth: When women lead, peace follows.” She went on to call on all Member States and regional organizations to “stand with us in making this a reality.”