Brown Challenges UN on Women in Conflict

By Lincoln G. Peters

NEW YORK, United States, June 19, 2026 — Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Lewis G. Brown II, has urged the international community to strengthen its commitment to women, peace and security, warning that ongoing United Nations reforms must not undermine hard-won gains in gender equality.

Speaking Wednesday at the 10,175th meeting of the UN Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, Brown said the UN80 reform process should not be used to dismantle gender equality commitments under the guise of austerity measures.

“The UN80 process must not dismantle gender equality commitments under the cover of austerity,” Brown told the Council. “Reforms that silence women are retreats to a dark past in the history of mankind.”

Citing findings from the UN Secretary-General’s 2026 report, Brown noted that conflict-related sexual violence increased significantly from 2024 levels, with women and girls accounting for the vast majority of victims.

He called on the Security Council and UN member states to fully implement existing resolutions on women, peace and security, including Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888, 1960, 2106, and 2467.

“These resolutions are obligations, not aspirational literature,” he said.

Brown also urged member states to increase support for women’s organizations operating in conflict zones, recommending that at least one percent of bilateral aid be directed toward such groups, in line with the Secretary-General’s recommendations.

According to Brown, an estimated 676 million women and girls lived within 50 kilometers of deadly conflict in 2024, the highest number recorded since the 1990s. He noted that despite rising insecurity, women continue to be excluded from peace negotiations, representing only seven percent of negotiators worldwide.

He further highlighted disparities in global spending priorities, noting that while military expenditures exceeded $2.7 trillion globally, women’s organizations in conflict-affected settings received only 0.4 percent of international aid.

“This imbalance is stark,” Brown said. “Resources continue to flow to war while investments in peacebuilding remain limited.”

Drawing on Liberia’s experience, Brown said women played a decisive role in ending the country’s civil war and helping to secure lasting peace. He cited the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee and other Liberian women who mobilized across conflict lines to demand an end to the violence.

“The question before us is no longer whether women belong at the center of peacebuilding,” Brown said. “The question is whether this Council has the courage to make their leadership unavoidable and their participation non-negotiable.”

He concluded by urging the Council to match its commitments with action, arguing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the meaningful participation of women.

“A peace built without women is only a pause in violence,” Brown said. “A peace built with women is a foundation for sustainable justice, reconciliation, and lasting security.”