Statement by the Delegation of Ukraine on the Annual Report of the UN Secretary-General on Women, Peace and Security
(6 October 2025)
The Delegation of Ukraine has decided not to take part in today’s debate chaired by the Russian Federation. We believe it is unacceptable for a state, which continues its war of aggression, systematically commits atrocities and resorts to sexual violence as a weapon of war, to lead a discussion on the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Numerous international reports, including by the UN-mandated institutions, have documented the state-orchestrated use of sexual violence against women by Russian occupation forces, including rape and torture intended to humiliate and degrade. Allowing representatives of those who commit such crimes to preside over this debate is an affront to the victims and to the very principles that Women, Peace and Security agenda was meant to uphold.
At the same time, Ukraine reaffirms the enduring urgency and importance of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, which remains as vital as ever twenty-five years after the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325.
For Ukraine, it is not an abstract commitment but a daily reality. Since Russia’s aggression began in 2014, and intensified with the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian women and men, girls and boys have endured relentless attacks, displacement, and gross violations of international law, including widespread conflict-related sexual violence. These atrocities are not only crimes under international humanitarian law – they strike at the very core of the UN Charter and the international order.
Despite these grave challenges, Ukraine has never abandoned its commitment to gender equality and the WPS agenda. We are finalizing a new National Action Plan on Resolution 1325 until 2030, focused on:
• ensuring equal participation of women and men in peace, security, and recovery;
• promoting gender-sensitive responses to security threats;
• fostering inclusive and sustainable reconstruction; and
• advancing survivor-centered action against sexual violence and other grave crimes.
Ukrainian women are not only victims of this war – they are agents of resilience and change. Today, women sustain our economy, lead humanitarian response and recovery efforts, and defend the country within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As of now, 70,000 women serve in the Armed Forces, including 48,000 military personnel, with 5,500 directly deployed in combat zones. Their contribution is a testament to the spirit of Resolution 1325 and to the indispensable role of women in ensuring peace and security.
We are also advancing the State Strategy on Equal Rights and Opportunities until 2030, operationalizing the Istanbul Convention, and ensuring that our recovery policies – through initiatives such as our Platform on Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusive Recovery – remain inclusive and closely coordinated with civil society and international partners.
However, these efforts must go hand in hand with justice. Accountability for war crimes, including sexual violence, is essential. The Secretary-General’s recent report on conflict-related sexual violence presents clear evidence of more than 200 cases committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians. Importantly, Russia has been placed “on notice” for potential listing in the next report due to its systematic denial of UN monitoring access.
Ukrainian prosecutors have already documented 372 cases – of conflict-related sexual violence – 136 men, 236 women, and 20 children – yet the true scale is far greater, concealed by fear, stigma, and the inaccessibility of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, where independent monitoring and accountability are routinely denied by the Russian Federation. These documented crimes include rape, genital mutilation, forced nudity, threats, and the forced witnessing of abuse inflicted upon loved ones.
Given the systematic nature of these atrocities, Ukraine calls for armed formations controlled by Russia to be listed as persistent perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence – an essential measure to prevent further crimes and to protect Ukrainians in temporarily occupied territories and detention.
We urge this Council to strengthen mechanisms for documenting and prosecuting such crimes, to enhance support for women’s organizations and survivor networks, and to ensure that gender perspectives are fully integrated across all UN peace, humanitarian, and development activities.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the WPS agenda reminds us that gender equality is not a side issue – it lies at the heart of peace, security, and recovery. Ukraine will never waver in its struggle for peace, dignity, and justice, and we are deeply grateful to all partners for their continued solidarity in this endeavor.