The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, participated in the international conference “From Gender Justice to Sustainable Peace: A 25-Year Vision”, held in Sarajevo to mark 25 years since the adoption of the UN Agenda “Women, Peace and Security” and 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration.

The “Women, Peace and Security” Agenda remains extremely relevant today, as it recognizes the key role of women in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacekeeping, humanitarian initiatives, and post-conflict reconstruction. It has established a global framework aimed at ensuring greater participation of women in decision-making processes and protecting women from sexual and gender-based violence, which is especially prevalent in war zones and refugee camps.

The main topics of the conference included an analysis of changes over the 25 years since the adoption of the Agenda, women’s leadership in peace processes, access to justice – strengthening local-global connections, reinforcing the commitment to women’s participation in peace and mediation processes, funding for the WPS Agenda, and implementing partnerships for peace.

The conference concluded that although the Agenda has been formally accepted by a large number of countries, it has not been implemented to a sufficient extent. Its full implementation requires stronger political support, more substantial financial investments, and greater participation of women at all levels of decision-making.

The conference was jointly organized by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with participation from high-level officials from B&H and the region, as well as representatives of international organizations and civil society.