Regional NGO cooperation is essential for advancing Latvia's UN Security Council priorities in the field of women's rights protection

On 24-25 November 2025 the annual meeting of the Nordic Women Mediators Network took place in Copenhagen.

In order to expand regional mediator networks, the Baltic countries were also invited to participate in the meeting this year. Latvia was represented by Anta Rutka-Kriškalne, Head of the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Eva Kiršteine, Project Manager of the Women for Security Association.

The Nordic Women's Mediators Network is part of a global alliance of regional women's mediator networks, which calls on policymakers and decision-makers to implement UN Security Council Resolution No. 1325 and related resolutions, as well as to create an environment in which women can influence global peace and security. To date, networks have been established in the African Union, the Mediterranean region, the Arab States, Southeast Asia and the Commonwealth of Nations.

During the meeting with representatives of women's rights organizations from the Baltic States, the priorities of the organizations, possible cooperation and coordination of actions, as well as the creation of joint Nordic and Baltic mediator networks were discussed. Possibilities for providing support to NGOs and civil society representatives in Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Syria and Sudan were also discussed.

Latvia's participation in the event was implemented as part of the diplomacy program to support the implementation of the priorities of Latvia's membership in the UN Security Council and to promote Latvia's visibility. On 3 June 2025, Latvia was elected to the UN Security Council for the period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Membership in the Security Council will be one of the important instruments for ensuring Latvia's foreign policy interests. The main goal of participation is to protect and strengthen an international environment favorable to Latvia's security, using and at the same time increasing the opportunities provided by multilateral diplomacy.