Concept Note

2026 AWP

Innovations in WPS for Sustainable Peace

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea will host the 8th Action with Women and Peace (AWP) Conference under the theme, “Innovations in WPS for Sustainable Peace” in November 2026. Building on the 7th Conference which examined the achievements and future directions of the Women, Peace and Security agenda (WPS) for the past 25 years since the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the 8th AWP Conference seeks to identify novel ways to further advance the WPS agenda. Participants are invited to share lived experiences and strategies of women and youth, and highlight opportunities and risks associated with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, the Conference will discuss WPS innovations aimed at advancing peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region, enhancing women’s protection and empowerment, and securing their participation in decision-making and in relief and recovery efforts.

The need for WPS innovation is critical. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program recently recorded the largest number of global armed conflicts since 1945. The number of women who live in war-affected areas has reached a record high and women’s human rights and women’s organizations are under threat. In an era characterized by rising geopolitical fractionalization, democratic regression, and rapid technological development, finding innovative solutions for building sustainable peace is essential. Actions for WPS and youth engagement must play an integral role in reversing these alarming trends and in defining new directions and setting up the right rules for a more technologically driven world.

The Republic of Korea is committed to promoting WPS through its “Action with Women and Peace” initiative. This initiative is built on two pillars: i) convening an annual conference that amplifies women's voices in the field of international peace and security; and ii) providing humanitarian and development assistance for women and girls in conflict-affected countries. Republic of Korea is promoting active youth engagements in implementing this initiative.

  • BACKGROUND: Principled WPS innovation for the future

The 8th AWP Conference is guided by the overarching question: How do we strengthen WPS Agenda with innovative approaches and ways to address the backlash against women’s rights and the rising geopolitical tensions globally and across the Asia-Pacific region?

The discussions on innovation rest on the premise that WPS principles remain foundational: protecting and empowering women and girls throughout the conflict cycle from prevention to peacebuilding and peacemaking, and ensuring their full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in all decision-making on peace and security, while providing all necessary relief and recovery. At the same time, these WPS principles must now be applied when addressing the new challenges presented by rapid political, economic and social upheavals in the current technologically driven world.

The world is re-arming and geopolitical shifts place many countries in precarious situations. In the face of shifting state priorities, new strategies are needed to keep WPS principles from being sidelined or downgraded. The format of peace negotiations is changing, as seen in the involvement of a new and complex array of actors. Novel approaches are needed to ensure that women’s inclusion and security are not relegated to the margins of peace processes. Humanitarian aid agencies are faced with difficult tasks of prioritization under conditions of critical underfunding. The civil society organizations which have been providing critical support for women and girls in conflict situations are shutting down their activities due to insecurity and funding cut. We need new tools to generate funds and develop effective approaches to ensure that women’s organizations and survivors are not put at risk. Women’s agency needs to be at the core of these innovations. Survivors play a key role in building sustainable peace, and highlighting their strength is essential to innovating WPS.

The 8th AWP conference discussions on innovation take note of the rapid technological changes. Emerging technologies, including AI, are likely to have a fundamental impact on how peaceful societies function and on how wars are fought. Importantly, technology and AI are increasingly shaping women’s need for protection and offering new routes for participation in decision-making and improved mobilization. Whether through Gen-Z led protest movements or through more formal peacebuilding channels, it is also evident that a global need exists for original approaches to intergenerational inclusion. These approaches must address youth’s concerns for the future and ensure that young people are engaging in innovating WPS. Hence, WPS needs to be updated to address how we mitigate new technologically shaped risks while capitalizing on technological progress to support women’s and youth’s peace engagement.

  • OBJECTIVE

Strengthen WPS innovation to address the backlash against women’s rights and the rising geopolitical tensions globally and across the Asia-Pacific region

Identify the role of survivors in building peace and inclusive security in the Asia-Pacific and in ensuring that innovative WPS tools become legitimate and rights-based

Explore ways to harness AI for WPS innovation to effectively promote peace and respond to its potential risks in a manner that adheres to the WPS principles on women’s participation and protection

Engage youth for in innovating WPS, including through the use of AI, to address their main concerns for the future and to achieve sustainable peace