Illustration credit:
WILPF

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) to advocate for the critical role of demilitarisation in addressing the climate crisis.

This year’s COP presents a crucial opportunity to draw attention to the relationship between militarism, the climate crisis and gender issues, with a particular focus on the MENA region.

The conference takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), occurring alongside continued conflict and instability throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Over the next two weeks, WILPF’s delegation of five feminist peace activists, including three from the MENA region, will host panel discussions, engage in meetings, create social media content, and participate in a series of events to advance key advocacy goals at the nexus of militarism, the climate crisis and gender issues.

For the first time, this year’s COP will include a thematic day on 3 December focused on the topics of health, relief, recovery and peace. This provides an unprecedented entrypoint for WILPF to put the topics of feminist peace and demilitarisation on the agenda.

“With this year’s COP featuring ‘peace’ as an official theme in its agenda, WILPF will continue to centre the urgent need for demilitarisation for climate justice in our advocacy,” says Katrin Geyer, WILPF’s Environment Advisor.

“With conflicts and wars raging around the world, there is growing recognition within the climate movement that there can be no climate justice without peace. WILPF will amplify the experience and expertise from feminist activists from the MENA region who will join this year’s WILPF COP delegation.”

There is no climate justice without demilitarisation.

Follow Feminist Peace Activists at COP28

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a worldwide non-governmental organisation (NGO) with national Sections covering every continent, an International Secretariat based in Geneva, and an office in New York City. Since our establishment in 1915, we have brought together women from around the world who are united in working for peace. Learn more about the linkages between demilitarisation and the climate crisis at wilpf.org/feminism-peace-environment/. Make sure to follow WILPF and join the conversation on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.