From 26 to 27 October 2026, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dace Melbārde will participate in high-level meetings of the UN Security Council (SC) in New York, focusing on “Children and Armed Conflict” and “Women, Peace and Security”. Both meetings are being organised by Greece, which holds the presidency of the UNSC, and will be chaired by the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On 26 October, Dace Melbārde will participate in an open briefing of the UN Security Council on “Children and Armed Conflict”. The briefing will review progress made during the 30 years since the establishment of the mandate and discuss future plans to improve the protection of children in armed conflicts.
Latvia will highlight ongoing challenges and potential threats to the safety of children, including the recruitment of children through digital platforms, and the effective use of the mandate’s mechanisms to protect children in conflicts.
- The meeting will be streamed live on the UN Web TV site.
- The meeting will begin on 26 October at 17.00 Latvian time.
On 26 October, Dace Melbārde will also meet with Vanessa Frazier, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Latvia will call for action to ensure the immediate return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia and to ensure that a mechanism for holding Russia accountable for the crimes it has committed is applied.
On 27 October, Dace Melbārde will participate in a press conference organised by signatories of the UN Security Council’s Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security.
- The press conference will be streamed live on the UN Web TV site.
- The event will begin on 27 October at 23.45 Latvian time.
Dace Melbārde will also deliver a speech at the annual high-level open debate on “Women, Peace and Security”. Latvia will advocate for ensuring women’s participation in peacebuilding processes and for the protection of women’s rights in conflict zones.
- The event will be streamed live on the UN Web TV site.
- The event will begin on 27 October at 22.00 Latvian time.
On 27 October, the Parliamentary Secretary will also participate in an event organised by the Greek Presidency in cooperation with UN Women and UNESCO, on women journalists entitled “Every Voice for Peace Counts”. The event will focus on promoting women’s leadership, protecting women human rights defenders, female journalists and media professionals, and ensuring women’s full participation in peacebuilding and reconstruction processes.
During her working visit, Dace Melbārde is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings, including with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, as well as with the permanent representatives to the UN of several UN Security Council members and other UN member states. The meetings are expected to focus on current issues on the UN Security Council’s agenda.