On Wednesday 4 March 2026 at 09:00-10:30 CET / Brussels time, EPLO hosted an informal exchange on the state of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in today’s uprooted geopolitical landscape with Cristal Downing, Director for Gender and Conflict at the International Crisis Group.
Amid widening gaps among countries and between multilateral bodies and the communities they serve, Crisis Group is tracking trends believed to shape the implementation of the WPS agenda in the next few years. This includes the way the geopolitical rivalries are inhibiting conflict resolution initiatives that tie short-term humanitarian solutions such as ceasefires to longer term solutions to conflict. Without such long-term thinking, elements of the WPS agenda often fall by the wayside. This is compounded by changes in the kinds of stakeholders involved in conflict resolution (both inside and outside the multilateral system), which also affect how peace is brokered and how much space is given to civil society and WPS issues.
This informal roundtable discussion aimed to delve more deeply into these issues and others that are likely to affect implementation of the WPS agenda in the coming years. It was held under Chatham House rule in order to facilitate an open and frank exchange. Crisis Group’s Director for Gender and Conflict Cristal Downing will be happy to share her ongoing research and reflections, and would be interested to hear from other NGO and think tank experts about their perspectives and approaches to this topic.
