Ambassadors, senior diplomats, and peacebuilders from across Southeast Asia and beyond gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the 2025 Southeast Asian Women Ambassadors’ Forum on Peace, held on 23 and 24 July. The event called for diplomacy that is inclusive, courageous, and deeply responsive to the realities of climate and conflict. Over two days, the forum created space for conversation addressing some of the most pressing peace and security challenges confronting the region and the world. Participants engaged in open and honest conversation exchanges on Myanmar, Syria, Palestine, and the growing intersection between planetary health and conflict.
One session addressed the continued instability in Myanmar, highlighting the deep challenges in building trust amid a long-standing political and humanitarian crisis.While extensive efforts have been made over the past five years, including attempts at dialogue and ceasefire negotiations, peace and stability remain elusive. As one speaker put it, “Trust and confidence are the rarest currency in Myanmar.”
Discussions involved the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) engagement with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, experimenting with various approaches. Despite these challenges, ASEAN has remained consistent in its efforts, utilising diplomatic mechanisms such as the ASEAN Troika and exploring the possibility of appointing a permanent or longer-term special envoy to support sustained engagement.
Drawing from Syria’s long and painful journey through conflict, the discussion emphasised that achieving peace demands both courage and sustained faith. Courage to initiate dialogue across deeply entrenched divides, and faith that peace, however distant, remains within reach. participants shared how social reconciliation at the grassroots often precedes national agreements, and how rebuilding trust demands truth, accountability, and the active participation of women in community life. Learning from diverse contexts, from Syria to neighbouring Asian countries, has helped shape approaches to dialogue and reconciliation.
On Palestine, the Forum heard an unflinching reflection on the failures of international diplomacy. The belief that “peace, if it is to come, must come with justice” resonated strongly, underscoring that hope remains a vital force even amid prolonged conflict.
The urgency of Myanmar’s situation was reinforced by perspectives from those working closely with communities most affected. The crisis was described as a generational struggle—one that risks leaving Rohingya communities and persons with disabilities behind unless inclusion is placed at the heart of political transition. Emerging governance structures under the Spring Revolution were seen as an opportunity to rebuild institutions that avoid the exclusions of the past.
The interlinkages between planetary health and peace also came to the fore. Participants stressed that environmental degradation is inseparable from conflict risk, calling for early warning systems, stronger climate leadership, and regional cooperation. “We are all passengers on this giant Noah’s Ark,” one speaker remarked, urging action before environmental breakdown forces greater instability.
Throughout the Forum, one thread held strong: the power and promise of women’s leadership. One of the speakers emphasised that gender equality is one of the most reliable indicators of peace and not just a moral imperative but a strategic one, and the full representation of society at decision-making tables is essential to preventing conflict and forging durable peace.
The Forum concluded with a resounding call to action: to protect the spaces for diplomacy, amplify diverse voices, and ensure peace efforts are inclusive, responsive, and grounded in justice and care for both humanity and the planet. Peace may be complex, but collective action, grounded in lived experience and shared values, remains our best path forward.
This year’s forum marked the second Southeast Asian Women Ambassadors’ Forum on Peace, co-organised by the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators and ASEAN-IPR, with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
