Bringing Global Militarism and
Climate Change to COP30
The Peace and Demilitarisation Working Group

(October 28, 2025) — With COP30 in Belém approaching, we would like to share an update on the work of the Peace and Demilitarisation Working Group (P&D WG) of the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), as well as information on activities related to peace and demilitarisation taking place at COP.

The WGC is one of the nine official constituencies of the UNFCCC, representing women’s and feminist organisations. The P&D WG, established by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), brings together groups across constituencies to push for recognition of the intersections of militarism and the climate crisis within UNFCCC spaces.

At COP29, the Presidency launched the Baku Peace Hub, which recognised the connections between peace and climate security but ignored militarism. At COP28 in Dubai and COP29 in Baku there were “peace days” in the programme, which lacked substance but at least gave some visibility.

This year, even those symbolic days are absent. While President Lula has been vocal about military spending, there has been no mention of militarism, military spending, or peace in the Presidency’s letters, and it appears to be basically absent from their agenda.

At the same time, there is growing awareness among civil society at the COPs that militarism is a driver of the climate crisis. This COP will be the first since Glasgow to take place in a country that permits public demonstrations. There will be a People’s Summit, which includes militarism in its manifesto, and the Global Day of Action on 15 November will see large demonstrations in Belém and around the world, an important moment to call for demilitarisation.

Inside the Blue Zone, we will continue to push the agenda on militarism. Our colleague Ellie Kinney has tracked side event applications related to peace, not only on militarism as a driver of the climate crisis but also the wider peace and security nexus. Encouragingly, all were accepted, a major improvement from SB62 in Bonn in June, where none were accepted. This momentum gives us more opportunities to connect and collaborate. Please share if you know of more.

Some Side Events in Belém
connected to peace/ demilitarisation

• 10 Nov, 11:00–11:50 (Moana Pacific Pavilion)
  Militarism, Climate Change and the Pacific: Building Resilience, Peace and Justice(WILPF, CEOBS, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, Alliance for Future Generations Fiji, Peace Boat)
• 13 Nov, 16:30–18:00 (UNFCCC Side Event Room 4)
  Disarming the Climate Crisis: The True Cost of Militarism(WILPF, Peace Boat, IPPNW, Peace Track Initiative)
• 11 Nov, 11:30–13:00 (UNFCCC Side Event Room 6)
  How Ethical Approaches Create Successful Climate Actions – in Science, Just Transition and Finance(Quakers, SGI and others)
• 14 Nov, 15:00–16:30 (UNFCCC Side Event Room 6)
  Monitoring and Addressing Climate Impacts Across the Conflict Cycle(CEOBS, SIPRI and others)

Working Group Actions at COP30

Demilitarisation is one of the key demands of the WGC and is a priority area for this COP. In addition to side events, we will work on the following:

• Advocacy: advancing demilitarisation as a WGC demand and priority area.
• Monitoring and analysis: tracking references to militarism and peace in negotiations, Presidency initiatives, and civil society spaces.
• Actions: engaging with the People’s Summit and the Global Day of Action on 15 November; supporting mobilisation on critical minerals in the Congo with the Just Transition Working Group; and joining solidarity actions on Gaza.
• Communications: producing and sharing briefings on militarism and climate, and on critical minerals.

• Press Conference:Wednesday 12 November 
• Disarming the Climate Crisis: Putting Militarism on the Agenda at COP30
  Time: 1:00 – 1:30 pm
  Location:  Press Conference 2 Area D

If you or your networks will be in Belém, we warmly invite you to connect with us. Please also share any peace and demilitarisation actions, side events, or agendas you are involved in, so that together we can strengthen collaboration and visibility.

In solidarity,
Karen Hallows, Katrin Geyer, Nesmah Mansoor
Co-leads, Peace and Demilitarisation Working Group
Women and Gender Constituency