The Greek Embassy in London hosted an event on 15 October 2026 highlighting international cooperation and women’s participation in peace and security, as Greece holds the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for October.
Titled “Women, Peace and Security: More than 25 Years of Progress”, the event took place at the Greek Ambassador’s Residence and reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to strengthening women’s role in efforts to promote peace and international security.
The event examined Greek and British approaches to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, assessing progress 26 years after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 in 2000. Participants also discussed persistent challenges to women’s meaningful participation in conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction.
The initiative reflects the importance Greece places on advancing the agenda as an elected member of the Security Council for the 2025–2026 term.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is also scheduled to chair the Security Council’s open debate on Women, Peace and Security in New York on 27 October.
Greek ambassador stresses gender equality
Greece’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ioannis Tsaousis, opened the event, stressing Greece’s commitment to gender equality and the protection of human rights.
He said Greece, as a party to all major international human rights conventions, attaches particular importance to achieving substantive gender equality and combating all forms of discrimination and violence based on gender or sexual orientation, both nationally and internationally.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, a former UK foreign office minister and former Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, followed with an address.
Baroness Arminka Helic and Baroness Christine Blower, members of the House of Lords who actively work on protecting women in armed conflicts, then took part in a discussion.
The programme also featured contributions from Dr Anna Lefteratou of the University of Cambridge, who examined women and peace in ancient Greece, and Sharon Aledo, Legal and Maritime Attaché of the Philippines to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Aledo highlighted the protection of women at sea, particularly during crises and conflicts.
Experts discuss women’s role in building lasting peace
Laura Sjoberg, Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford, moderated the main discussion.
The panel included Professor Joanna Lewis, director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security at the London School of Economics (LSE); Monica Ferro, director of the London office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Dr Sorana-Cristina Jude, lecturer in Defence Studies at King’s College London; and Quhramaana Kakar, a peace-process mediator, founder of Women for Peace and Participation, and LSE researcher.
Speakers highlighted the need to ensure women participate equally and meaningfully in decision-making and peace negotiations. They also stressed the importance of preventing and addressing sexual violence during conflicts and strengthening women’s role as agents of change in building sustainable and inclusive peace.
Maira Myrogianni, Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy at Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the event.
(Source: AMNA)
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