A consultation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Supreme Headquarters for the Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) took place on 19 January 2015 in Brussels and Mons, Belgium. During the daylong series of meetings, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, lead author of the Global Study, met SHAPE and NATO gender focal points and advisors, civilian and military officials, and representatives of NATO member states and partner countries.
During the morning of the consultation, Ms. Coomaraswamy met with several gender advisors and gender focal points working within SHAPE, followed by an extensive bilateral meeting with the SHAPE Chief of Staff, General Werner Freers, to discuss the women, peace and security agenda and the work of SHAPE.
At NATO, Ms. Coomaraswamy met with Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and his staff. This was followed by a round-table discussion with gender advisors and gender focal points from the different sections within NATO headquarters, where Ms. Coomaraswamy was briefed on the organization’s day-to day-activities on women, peace and security.
A consultation with the NATO Deputies Committee Meeting in Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) format, plus Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, took place in the afternoon. Ms. Coomaraswamy presented the outline of the Global Study, and NATO Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Marriet Schuurman, presented NATO’s most recent progress report on women, peace and security. The NATO member states’ representatives shared their views on the progress, challenges and key recommendations on NATO’s engagement and implementation of SCR 1325 and for moving the women, peace and security agenda forward. Participants highlighted issues including the importance of transparency and accountability for implementation, the importance of women in decision-making roles, and the role of women’s civil society in the maintenance of peace and security.