I will continue to promote development opportunities for women in areas where they remain underrepresented, such as STEM, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation to enhance their competitiveness in these fields. In 2026, for the first time, the CTBTO will pilot a fellowship programme targeting mid-career women working in National Data Centres. Further, I will continue to encourage States Signatories to nominate more women for capacity building and training (CBT) programs. An increased participation of women in these activities will broaden the talent pipeline of competitive and qualified candidates who can contribute in future to the work of the CTBTO.

I will continue to pursue equal gender representation, particularly in the Professional and higher-level staff categories. In 2026, this will include the launch of an online professional community to bring together women at different stages in their careers, where they can connect to share experiences and build meaningful professional relationships to better navigate their personal and career journeys. Furthermore, I will place increased emphasis on engaging men as allies in support of this goal to strengthen our collective capacity.