President,

I welcome Foreign Minister Gerapetritis presiding over today's meeting. I thank Secretary-General Guterres, Executive Director Bahous, and Ms. Paryani for their briefings.

In the 26 years since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325, the international community has seen a gradual increase in awareness of gender equality. The status of women continues to improve, and women have become a vital force in promoting peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the world. However, amid rising global turbulence, women still face multifaceted challenges, including violence, discrimination, and poverty. The international community should effectively implement resolution 1325 and work together to protect women's rights and interests and advance the global cause of women. I wish to make four points.

First, we must create a peaceful and stable environment. As indicated in the Secretary-General's report, more than 700 million women and girls were living in conflict-affected regions in 2025. Across the Middle East, Haiti, and parts of Africa, large numbers of women and girls have become innocent victims of armed conflict, gang violence, and terrorist attacks. To alleviate their suffering, the primary imperative is to cease hostilities, promote peace, and stabilize situations. The Council should stay committed to advancing the political settlement of hotspot issues, step up its good offices and mediation efforts, support the parties concerned in resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, and take effective actions to de-escalate tensions. We support the UN in actively coordinating humanitarian operations in conflict zones, and call on all parties to conflicts to ensure humanitarian access, combat impunity, and build a solid safety barrier for women.

Second, we must guarantee women's equal participation. Women are not merely beneficiaries of peace; they should also be defenders and builders of peace. Though some women are able to take part in political affairs or engage in international peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, women remain far from adequately represented overall, and the share of women from developing countries is even lower. The international community should help more women enhance their leadership capacity and promote their full and meaningful participation in peace processes. We should support women, especially those from developing countries, in making full use of their wisdom and capabilities in good offices and mediation, ceasefire monitoring, and political decision-making. 

Third, we must promote women's economic and social empowerment. Development is the key foundation for solving all problems, and the right to development is the most fundamental human right. All countries need to invest greater resources to support women's equal participation in economic and social activities, and effectively implement national strategies and plans aimed at safeguarding women's rights and interests. The international community should promote accelerated reconstruction in conflict-affected areas, help women secure equal access to education, health care, and employment opportunities, and improve their capacity for self-driven development and their resilience against risks. We should harness the strengths of emerging technologies to help women gain equal access to resources and opportunities, while guarding against the risks of online discrimination and abuse, so that women can safely enjoy the digital dividends.

Fourth, we must pool resources from all parties to build synergies. At present, the global cause of women still faces challenges such as significant funding gaps and development imbalances. Developed countries should genuinely honor their assistance commitments and scale up their investment in funding, technology, and capacity building for women's development projects in developing countries. The international community should strengthen North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation, leverage the role of the private sector, and mobilize greater resources to help women effectively tackle challenges such as poverty, discrimination, and the digital divide. We support UN entities such as UN Women and UNDP in enhancing coordination in this regard, and also call on multilateral financial institutions to provide greater support for improving the livelihoods of women in vulnerable regions.

President, 

China has always been a staunch advocate and active contributor to the global cause of women. To promote the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, China has trained more than 200,000 women professionals from over 180 countries and regions and deployed more than 1,000 women peacekeepers. In the next five years, China will donate another 10 million US dollars to UN Women, earmark a quota of 100 million US dollars in the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and implement development projects in cooperation with international organizations. We will also train more outstanding women through the Global Center for Women's Capacity Building. China stands ready to work with all parties to take concrete actions and write a new chapter for the women, peace and security agenda.

Thank you, President.