The World Humanitarian Summit – A historic opportunity for the WPS Agenda

2015 is a crucial year for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda: a global study on its implementation is currently underway and the Security Council will hold a high-level review of resolution 1325 in October. Consistent implementation is one of the biggest challenges to the WPS agenda and there continues to be a lack of awareness of the need to include a gender perspective at all levels of humanitarian work. The World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016 is meant to serve as a catalyst for a comprehensive reform of the humanitarian sector towards more effectiveness. It has been stated numerous times that women play a key role in this regard. The Summit will therefore be a historic opportunity for advocates of the WPS agenda to guarantee that women are well-positioned, front and center, to influence humanitarian efforts. This side event creates a forum for Member States, UN and civil society stakeholders to discuss strategies to ensure that women will not be left out of discussions around the World Humanitarian Summit next year and the process to follow.