Advancing Women’s Leadership in Peace and Security: Luxembourg Supports the Prishtina Principles 2026–2035 Conference

During October 1–3 2026, Pristina hosted the international conference “Partnership for Change: Women Transforming Systems-Advancing the Prishtina Principles 2026–2035”, providing a platform to assess progress in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and identify priorities for its next phase. Convened by the Jahjaga Foundation and its Institute for Women, Peace and Security, under the patronage of former President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga, and supported by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the “Support to Civil Society in Kosovo” project implemented by LuxDev, the conference sought to reflect on progress, address what still needs to change and advance the vision of the Prishtina Principles for 2026–2035.

The conference built on an initiative launched fourteen years earlier by then-President Jahjaga. The 2012 International Women’s Summit produced the Prishtina Principles, a practical framework for advancing women’s participation in politics, the economy, security, justice and post-conflict recovery. The Principles subsequently received formal parliamentary endorsement through a Resolutionin in December 2012, including a call for concrete measures towards 50 per cent women’s participation in the civil service by 2050.

Fourteen years later, the focus had evolved. In her opening-day remarks, President Atifete Jahjaga recalled the process initiated in 2012 and defined the next stage of the Principles as a transition “from numbers to substance, from representation to impact, and from participation to empowerment to transform systems.”
 

The conference brought together around 500 participants from Kosovo, the Western Balkans, Europe, United States and the wider international community, connecting political leadership, diplomacy, international and security organisations, civil society, survivors of war sexual violence, survivor advocates, women mediators, academia and younger generations. 

Prominent international voices alongside Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Mobility and Public Works and Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity Yuriko Backes included former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security Irene Fellin, UN Special Representative Peter Due, alongside other regional and international representatives.

Former U.S. Secretary Clinton, in her video message, recalled earlier engagement and underlined the enduring case for women’s meaningful participation: “When women have a seat at the table, communities are stronger, peace is more lasting and societies are more inclusive.”
 

Kosovo’s participation at the highest institutional level included Acting President Albulena Haxhiu, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Justina Shiroka-Pula, then President of the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts and elected President of Kosovo only days later. The participation of Kosovo’s highest institutional representatives underscored the attention given at senior political level to the WPS agenda and the importance of sustained institutional engagement in its implementation.

A consistent message across the conference remained that numerical representation, while necessary, is insufficient. The conference programme reflected how the practical scope of WPS has expanded since the original Prishtina Principles were formulated. Discussions addressed women shaping peace and security; mediation and regional cooperation; reparative justice, conflict-related sexual violence and accountability; economic empowerment; climate and energy security; technology, innovation and resilient societies; and youth participation and leadership. These themes highlighted the interconnected dimensions of an inclusive and responsive approach to peace and security.

The conference also emphasised the generation that will carry this agenda towards 2035. The “Youth Voices: Shaping Peace, Leadership and the Future” discussion placed intergenerational participation within the broader WPS agenda, recognising that sustainable progress depends on developing the next generation of leaders, peacebuilders and decision-makers.

The panel on Reparative Justice, Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Accountability, within the broader conference programme, carried particular significance for Kosovo. For survivors of wartime sexual violence, the consequences of conflict extend far beyond the cessation of hostilities. Bringing together experiences and perspectives from Kosovo, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia into one discussion, allowed survivor-centred justice to be considered as part of a wider peacebuilding agenda. It also reflected an important evolution within WPS: survivors should not be viewed solely as beneficiaries of protection, but as rights-holders whose experiences and perspectives should inform justice, recovery and institutional responses.

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Albin Kurti underlined Kosovo’s particular responsibility towards survivors of wartime sexual violence, noting that their number is estimated at around 20,000: “These women are not only part of our history; they are part of our conscience as a society and of our responsibility for justice.” According to figures presented during the conference, 1,884 women and 133 men have been granted recognised survivor status to date. Placing this issue in a broader regional context, Jelena Banjac of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia stressed that financial reparations alone are insufficient without public acknowledgement and accountability and highlighted the need to “break the cycle of violence so that the legacy of war is not passed on to future generations.”
 

A book launch: The Transformative Role of Women in Peacebuilding

The Jahjaga Institute for Women, Peace and Security also developed the book The Transformative Role of Women in Peacebuilding, launched during the conference through a dedicated panel. Prof. Dr. Iliriana Islami, the book’s author, and Prof. Dr. Arben Hajrullahu, Rector of the University of Prishtina, discussed the publication and the importance of documenting women’s contributions to Kosovo’s history and peacebuilding, while addressing persistent structural inequalities. The book will be made accessible to students of the University of Prishtina and distributed more broadly to other universities and libraries, helping to extend its educational and research value beyond the conference itself.

Recognising impactful leadership through the Jahjaga Foundation Lifetime Achievement Awards

The conference also recognised women whose careers have made a lasting contribution to Women, Peace and Security, human rights and women’s leadership. The Jahjaga Foundation presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to distinguished women including Minister Yuriko Backes and the now President of Kosovo Justina Shiroka-Pula.
 

Minister Backes was recognised for her longstanding contribution to advancing the WPS agenda and, in particular, for her leadership in bringing together defence, security and gender equality. The recognition also reflected the longstanding partnership between Luxembourg and Kosovo and their shared commitment to inclusive security, women’s leadership and sustainable development. In her video address, Minister Yuriko Backes, underlined the continuing need to translate UN Security Council Resolution 1325 into meaningful participation and decision-making, by noting that “Women are still too often excluded from decision-making and peace processes.”

At the opening of the conference in Pristina, Eric Dietz, Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, reinforced this commitment from Kosovo, underlining that “Luxembourg firmly believes that lasting peace, security, justice and sustainable development can only be achieved through the full, equal and meaningful participation of women”. For Luxembourg, supporting this dialogue reflects a wider commitment to gender equality, strong civil society and the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and security.

Key findings and priorities for 2026–2035

The conference identified a clear shift in the WPS agenda from norm-setting to implementation. While the policy basis for women’s participation is well established, progress increasingly depends on whether commitments translate into leadership, decision-making authority, resources, institutional accountability and measurable results. Discussions also reinforced that effective WPS implementation requires a broader partnership model involving public institutions, civil society, survivors, women mediators, international partners, academia and younger generations.

A second key finding was the need to broaden the understanding of security. Alongside participation, prevention, protection and recovery, WPS increasingly intersects with economic security, climate and energy resilience, technology, cybersecurity, mediation and transitional justice. Within this wider agenda, survivor-centred justice remains a distinct priority.

For the 2026–2035 period, the discussions pointed to several practical priorities: moving from numerical representation towards measurable influence and leadership; linking commitments to clear institutional responsibilities, adequate resources, indicators and monitoring; strengthening survivor-centred justice and accountability; reinforcing the contribution of civil society and women mediators; integrating emerging economic, climate, energy and digital-security challenges; and investing in intergenerational leadership and meaningful youth participation.

The principal contribution of Prishtina 2026 was therefore to consolidate a clearer implementation-oriented direction.  Supported by a high-level institutional engagement, civil-society expertise, regional dialogue, academia, and international partnership, the framework for 2026–2035 is increasingly centred on moving from participation to influence, from commitments to implementation, and from representation to measurable institutional and societal results.  

For Luxembourg, continued support to this process reflects its broader commitment to gender equality, effective civil society, international cooperation and the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and security.