Regional Multi-stakeholder Forum on Leveraging New Technology and Artificial Intelligence to Advance Women, Peace and Security in Asia and the Pacific

Objectives | Participation | Agenda | Resources

Hybrid event 
6—7 May 2026

Registrations to join online sessions now closed

UN Women has underscored the urgent need for women to lead and shape the development, governance and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Increasing women’s representation in AI design, data governance and regulatory frameworks is essential not only to address bias, but to ensure that technological innovation actively advances gender equality and contributes to sustainable peace.

New technology offers significant opportunities to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. For example, it can enable large-scale and inclusive digital participation in peace processes, strengthen early warning mechanisms, support innovative approaches to digital peacebuilding, and improve outreach to those left furthest behind.

UN Women organized this Regional Multi-stakeholder Forum on Leveraging Technology and AI to Advance Women, Peace and Security in Asia and the Pacific in partnership with the Government of Australia, under the Southeast Asia and Pacific Cyber Program (SEA-PAC Cyber).

Forum objectives

• Examine the intersection between AI, digital technologies and the WPS agenda, identifying both risks and transformative opportunities.
• Promote women’s leadership and meaningful participation in AI development, governance and policymaking, particularly in peace and security contexts.
• Identify practical and scalable ways in which technology and AI can advance the four pillars of the WPS agenda — participation, prevention, protection, and relief and recovery/peacebuilding.
• Develop an actionable roadmap for governments, technology companies, civil society and development partners to ensure gender-responsive, rights-based and peace-oriented use of AI.

Participation: hybrid format

The forum brought together around 30 representatives in-person from government, civil society organizations, and the private sector – including technology companies – as well as research institutions, think tanks, UN family, bilateral development partners and other experts.

To enable broad regional participation and inclusion, selected sessions were open to online participants, with priority given to women leaders in technology and peacebuilding, youth groups, Persons with Disabilities organizations, innovators, and other key stakeholders engaged in advancing gender-responsive digital governance and sustainable peace in Asia and the Pacific.

Agenda

The agenda is structured around the four pillars of the WPS agenda. The online registration was available for the following sessions, which explore how new technologies and artificial intelligence could advance WPS across each pillar:

• Pillar 1: Participation

  📅 6 May: 11:30-12:45

  🎤 Speakers:

  • Imogen Jacobs, Director, Southeast Asia Cooperation Section, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
  • Andreas Hirblinger, Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)
  • Silva Armani, Digital dialogue focal point, Innovation Cell, United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
  • Carolyn Poli - Member of the Bougainville House of Representative and Chair, Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality, Human Rights and Peace
  • Arpaporn Skunkittiyut, ASEAN Partner Success Manager, Microsoft
     

  🧭 Moderator: Norul Mohammed Rashid, UN Women Regional Policy Advisor on Governance, Peace and Security Advisor, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

• Pillar 2: Prevention

  📅 6 May: 15:15-17:00

  🎤 Speakers:

  • Jessica Dewangga, Regional Border and Identity Solutions Officer, Immigration and Border Management Unit, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
  • Priyank Mathur, CEO, Mythos Lab
  • Moza Al Naemi, Manager of WaterTech Accelerator Program Manager of Qatar Science and Technology Park, a member of Qatar Foundation
  • Dovan Rai, Executive Director, Body and Data, Nepal
     

  🧭 Moderator: Japhet Eichel, Gender, Climate, Peace and Security Specialist, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and Pacific

• Pillar 3: Protection

  📅 7 May: 9:00-10:30

  🎤 Speakers:

  • Jesper Frant and Sahana Dharmapuri, Our Secure Future (OSF)
  • Andres Pitta, Associate Data Analyst, Gender Unit, Office of the Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Peace Operations 
  • Francel Margareth Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines
     

  🧭 Moderator: Gaelle Demolis, Policy and Programme Specialist on Governance, Peace and Security, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

• Pillar 4: Relief and Recovery/Peacebuilding

  📅 7 May: 10:45-12:00 noon

  🎤 Speakers:

  • Sami Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder, Living Signals
  • Maruf Chebueraheng, Co-Founder, Digital4Peace Foundation, Thailand
  • Wahidul Islam, Deputy Manager, Communications and Documentation, Center for Peace and Justice (CPJ), Bangladesh
  • Bai Rohaniza Sumdad-Uzman, Founder Teach Peace Build Peace Movement Inc.
     

  🧭 Moderator: Kainat Kamal, Academic and Gen-Forum Alumni

The agenda included a leveraging AI for Peace Hackathon is part of the agenda. The hackathon’s goal is for participants to develop AI-enabled interventions that strengthen and advance the WPS agenda. Using what they have learned over the course of the forum, and with guidance from AI experts and hackathon facilitators, participants worked together to develop an ideas and a brief pitch for an AI-powered intervention that addresses one or more WPS objectives.

Over the course of the next several weeks following the forum, participants will receive virtual mentorship to help them transform their ideas into concrete solutions.dd

Audiovisual

Podcast: Jessica Hunter, Australian Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology

Leveraging New Technology in Asia and the Pacific Forum: Pillar 1 (Participation) and Pillar 2 (Prevention)

Leveraging New Technology in Asia and the Pacific Forum: Pillar 3 (Protection) and Pillar 4 (Relief and Recovery)

 

Resources

Access UN Women’s free online course: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Women, Peace and Security

Photo Album