The European Union and its member states have warned that conflict-related sexual violence is escalating sharply, with UN-recorded cases more than doubling to 9,788 in the latest reporting year, and have called for stronger implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda within the OSCE framework. In a statement delivered at the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on 10 June 2026 and published by the EEAS on 15 June 2026, the EU stressed that integrating women's voices and a gender perspective into all stages of policy design yields more effective results in combat and peacekeeping scenarios. The statement noted that women accounted for only seven per cent of negotiators and 14 per cent of mediators in formal peace processes in 2024, and reiterated the EU's commitment to supporting women's full, equal and meaningful participation under the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027.
The EU statement, delivered at Forum meeting N°1139 in Vienna, focused on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls under the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security. It highlighted that in conflict-affected countries, the rate of intimate partner violence is 14 per cent higher than the global average. The EU specifically condemned Russia's systematic use of sexual and gender-based violence as a tactic of war in Ukraine, citing reports by the Moscow Mechanism and ODIHR, and pledged to work within the OSCE to end impunity for such international crimes. The statement also commended the participation of Ukrainian women in the country's self-defence and called for strengthening mechanisms to prevent and respond to sexual violence.
The EU urged participating states to effectively implement existing OSCE commitments on gender equality, including the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality and ministerial decisions 14/05, 3/11, and 7/09. It welcomed the OSCE-wide Roadmap on Women, Peace and Security launched in 2025 as a voluntary framework for concrete actions, and acknowledged guidance on voluntary WPS reporting under the Code of Conduct. The statement praised the work of ODIHR, field missions, and civil society organisations in advancing gender equality and WPS commitments.
Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino and Ukraine aligned themselves with the EU statement.