NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announces appointment of new Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security

Ms Hutchinson brings a breadth of experience to the job. This includes more than ten years of experience as a Gender Adviser for the United Nations, including in Kosovo and Lebanon.

Empowering women is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do: it makes countries safer and more stable. NATO is determined to make a difference, including through our training and operations – for example, by deploying gender advisers to local communities in Afghanistan. We also aim to raise the profile of women at all levels within the Alliance.

We still need to do more, but for NATO, peace and security are not just a man’s world.

I thank Canada for its strong commitment to women, peace and security, and I look forward to welcoming Ms Hutchinson to NATO Headquarters soon.