Athens Forum: Gender, Peace and Foreign Policy: the EU Perspective
Athens, 12 June 2003

The Athens Forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the European Commission (Employment and Social Affairs) within the framework of the Hellenic Presidency of the European Union, in Athens, May 30, 2003.

The Athens Forum brought together a number of distinguished participants from international and European institutions, from non-governmental women and peace organizations, from many countries (Egypt, Syria, Finland, U.S.A., U.K., Cyprus, Turkey, Italy, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan), from various areas of activism and experience. The participants were over 500 individuals and covered the whole spectrum of political and ideological opinions.

During the Athens Forum process, there was comprehensive discussion and constructive exchange of ideas, which focused on the following issues:

· representation of women in decision making positions, in bodies and institutions formulating external policy,

· women's role in human security, in conflict prevention, in resolution and reconstruction of peace,

· gender mainstreaming in rapprochement, decisions and actions for peace and external policy within the European Union,

· emergence of women as agents of change and conflict transformation within the framework of geopolitical restructuring, rising militarism and international exploitation of natural resources in conflict regions,

· gender mainstreaming in the new Constitutional Treaty of the European Union.

The Athens Forum conclusion, statement and recommendations for consideration by the European Union have already been disseminated to International and European organizations, political parties, women's organizations, the trade union movement, non-governmental social organizations. Furthermore, on June 6-7, 2003 the statement; was presented in the Conference organized by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (sipri) on Women and Security, as well as in Nicosia on June 7 in the Conference organized by Actions in the Mediterranean (A.I.M.); Cypriot Women in Dialogue, on Women Speak on Conflict Transformation and Rapprochement.

The statement and recommendations for consideration by the European Union of the Athens Forum is considered as an important contribution to the development of discourse and action of the international society, peace and women's social movements, on the issue of Women, Peace and Security, following the ground-breaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).

Key points of the statement and recommendations for consideration by the European Union of the Athens Forum are:

· The full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security by building and maintaining women's national machinery, building women's capacity to play key roles in conflict prevention, resolution, reconstruction and peace building, especially in the current context of Iraq, Afghanistan, the Arab region (Israel-Palestine), Cyprus, African States, South and South East Asia.

· Ensuring member states' compliance through similar instruments to the CEDAW.

· Ensuring that through the European Convention and Intergovernmental Conference of 2004, gender equality is enshrined as one of the principles and values of the European Constitution. That the Member States of the European Union commit themselves to gender mainstream in all emergent European foreign policy, and to achieve gender balance in all advisory and decision-making bodies in the critical area of external relations in the next Constitution of the European Union.

· The initiative of the Greek Foreign Minister to raise the issue of gender in EU external relation in the major Council meetings during the current Greek Presidency, Council of General Affairs and External Relations, Euro-Mediterranean and Zagreb Summits- and to pursue the continuation by the Italian Presidency, aiming to accelerate the process of including women's perspectives in EU security and foreign policy decisions and actions.

· Ensure that Member States, within the context of the on-going harmonization of asylum systems in Europe, will take due account of the protection needs of refugee women and girls, and that gender related issues are fully considered.

Finally, special political importance, has been attributed to the proposal of the Athens Forum, for the establishment of a EU Peace Training and Action Center (EUPTAC), facility to be hosted by Greece and which will have the mandate for:

· Education and training of women and girls on issues of peace, international relations, external policy, disarmament, human rights, prevention and resolution of conflict.

· Provision of neutral space retreat to facilitate dialogue, mediation and negotiation.

· The creation of a women's peace corps, available and trained, to work in conflict zones ; actual or potential.

More information is available at: www.eu2003.gr or www.papandreou.gr