1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will launch the seventh “Action with Women and Peace” Youth Contest on August 18. The contest commemorates the 25th anniversary of the UN Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, and focuses on its future and the role of youth.

<The 7th “Action with Women and Peace” Youth Contest>

◦ Period : August 18, 2025 – September 22, 2025, 6:00 p.m.

◦ Eligibility : Youth around the world (19 – 34 years old)

◦ Themes : Choose one or both of the following themes

    ◦ (#1) The potential of AI and digital technologies in the area of WPS

    ◦ (#2) The future of women’s leadership in the field of peace and security, and the role of the youth

◦ Categories : Illustration, Instagram comics, Slogan

◦ The 7th AWP Youth Contest awards a total prize of 6,000,000 Korean won and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award to the winners.

  - The grand prize winner will be provided with round-trip airfare to Korea (economy class) and accommodation (2 nights) to attend the award ceremony.

2. In 1990s, recognizing that women are both the biggest victims of conflict, and the actors who can prevent conflicts and build peace amid growing and deepening regional conflicts, the UN started holding discussions on the protection and empowerment of women in conflict and carried out related activities in a systematic manner. In 2000, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325, which calls for measures to protect women from sexual violence in armed conflict, and more participation of women in peacekeeping activities. Nine subsequent resolutions were further adopted by the Security Council after that.

3. To contribute more effectively to discussions on the WPS agenda in the international community, the ROK government launched the “Action with Women and Peace” initiative in June 2018. Since 2019, the ROK government has held an annual international conference on Action with Women and Peace. Information about past conferences is available online at the official website (awp.or.kr).

4. Additionally, in 2024, the “Action with Women and Peace” Fund was launched to expand substantial contributions to the protection of women in conflict. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2024-25, the ROK has pledged, as one of its key tasks, to take the lead in discussions on the WPS agenda. The ROK is also actively participating in the Security Council WPS Shared Commitments Group, which is a group of UN Security Council member states that have pledged to prioritize the WPS agenda.

5. The year 2025 marks not only the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the WPS agenda, but also the 10th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda. To celebrate this symbolic year, the Youth Contest has chosen two themes that highlight the future of the WPS agenda and the role of youth: (1) the potential of AI and digital technologies in the context of WPS, and (2) the future of women's leadership in the field of peace and security. Competition categories include illustrations, Instagram comics, and slogans which capture the diverse perspectives on WPS issues from young people around the world.

6. The contest will award a total of 6 million Korean won in prize money, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award to the winners. The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held during the 7th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in mid-November, and the overseas participant who wins the grand prize will receive round-trip airfare to Korea and accommodations to attend the ceremony.