During the NATO summit in Wales on the 4th and 5th of September this year, a new declaration was adopted. One of the 113 paragraphs dealt with the UN Security Council resolution 1325, which is a prioritized field for NATO.
The new declaration states that when NATO is engaged in conflict areas, women should participate actively in the preventive tasks, this during conflict and post conflict periods. The resolution also states that women should be included in the peace- and rebuilding process. Another key element is the prevention of conflict related sexual and gender based violence. A revised Policy and Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has been developed together with NATO:s partners. A special representative for issues regarding women, peace and security has also been established. The gender perspective will be integrated in the activities of all the alliance’s three core tasks; collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security. All this will contribute towards a more modern and effective NATO.
During the summit, an alternative NATO meeting was arranged by activists. A certain workshop was dedicated to issues regarding women and war, where UNSCR 1325 was discussed in particular. It was concluded that the resolution, which came to pass thanks to women’s organizations in the UN, is not and have never been meant to be a mechanism for improving militarism or make wars better for women. Security, as it is being expressed by the defense industry or the military is far from women’s perception of human security.
Ingela Mårtensson
President of Operation
