NATO hosts conference to review success of UNSCR 1325
NATO is looking at the progress and reaffirming its commitment in promoting the role of women in peace and security. “At NATO we aim to continue raising awareness of policies on gender relations, and to introduce UNSCR 1325 into all of our structures, operations and programmes,” said NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, speaking at a conference on 1 December at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
The conference reviewed progress made since the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security on 31 October 2000. The Resolution calls upon states and international organisations to actively protect women and children from violence in armed conflicts, prosecute sexual war crimes, mainstream a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations, improve specialised training, support local women’s peace initiatives and to enhance the role of women in decision-making on peace and security.
More than 65 representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and NATO, as well as from academia and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) discussed issues such as the mainstreaming of UNSCR 1325 into education and training programmes and the relationship between all the key stakeholders. They also considered the effectiveness of protection, prevention and participation in all phases of armed conflicts and reconstruction efforts and the role of women in international security reforms.
Dr. Stefanie Babst, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division opened the conference by calling on “all 1325 workers and activists to join forces to fully coordinate their respective programmes and raise political and public awareness about this important resolution. UNSCR 1325 is not just a women issue; it is about a democratic and human right that we all need to help implement."
Other speakers included James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for NATO’s Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, Carlos Westendorp, Secretary General for the Club of Madrid, Palwasha Kakar, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Dagmar Schumacher, Director Brussels Office for UNWOMEN.
At the Lisbon Summit in November 2010, the NATO Heads of State and Government highlighted NATO’s commitment to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 by endorsing both a comprehensive report developed jointly by Allies and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) partners and an Action Plan on Mainstreaming UNSCR 1325 into NATO-led missions and operations, developed jointly with ISAF and KFOR contributors.
The conference was co-organised by NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division and the Club of Madrid.