State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has called for greater participation of women in peace processes and decision-making, alongside stronger accountability for violations against women.

The Bangladesh state minister made the call at the annual ministerial meeting of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Points Network at UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The Philippines, Italy, and UN Women convened the high-level session on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session.

The meeting marked 25 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, with deliberations focusing on implementation and accountability.

Recalling Bangladesh’s support for the resolution while serving as an elected Security Council member in 2000, Shama reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to women’s meaningful participation in decisions affecting peace and security.

Shama Obaed urged countries to strengthen women-led early warning and mediation efforts, include more women in peace negotiations, and incorporate the WPS agenda into climate and humanitarian action.

The state minister stated that Bangladesh was developing its second WPS National Action Plan.

Shama Obaed also presented the Dhaka Dialogue, a Bangladesh-led initiative addressing digital harassment and AI-enabled abuse against women and invited UN member states to join its forthcoming Group of Friends.

Ministers and senior representatives from several countries attended the meeting.