NATO hosts the 4th Annual Meeting of the Civil Society Advisory Panel on Women, Peace and Security
NATO hosted the fourth Annual Meeting of the Civil Society Advisory Panel on Women, Peace and Security on 12 and 13 November 2019. Discussions focused on the importance of strengthened cooperation between NATO and civil society in order to promote a grassroots understanding of conflict, peace and security. As emphasized by the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, Clare Hutchinson, “the Alliance needs you, it is more important than ever before for us to adopt an inclusive approach to address complex challenges to defence and security”.
Representatives from the Civil Society Advisory Panel came from all over the world, including from Afghanistan, Ukraine and Georgia. As an independent coalition of women’s rights experts, the Panel assists NATO in the effective implementation of the Women, Peace and Security mandate across the Alliance. In the words of the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, “CSAP is a unique platform for NATO, and we should call on civil society advice more”.
The Panel also brought together NATO Allies and partner nations in a meeting of the Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee. Many nations underlined their support for NATO’s Women, Peace and Security Policy, and expressed interest in intensifying NATO’s engagement with civil society.
The Civil Society Advisory Panel was first established in 2016 and was renewed in 2019. It is a unique forum for regular consultation and dialogue between civil society and NATO that works through the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security.