SERBIA: Round Table-Women, Peace and Security

In the Serbian parliament today a round table which is considered the Draft of the National Action Plan of the Republic of Serbia (RS NAP) to implement Security Council Resolution 1325 United Nations - Women, Peace and Security was held today.

The National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gordana Comic, in her opening remarks, said that this was an important document in the field of gender equality, dedicated to making full attention. She stated that the Ministry of Defence on this occasion had demonstrated that it was the bearer of ideas on gender equality. The National Assembly will continue to advocate these ideas and is committed in supporting the activities as Deputy Speaker Comic said adding that only the equal opportunities are a precondition of stability of a society.

Serbia is the first country in the region which is on the verge of adopting the resolution, and among 13 UN states which have done so as the Chief of the Strategic Planning of the Ministry of Defence Major General Bozidar Forca reminded the present. The position that the ministry is doing practical work in the field of gender equality, General Forca illustrated with statistics indicating an increase in the number of women in the defense establishment in recent years.

The Head of Department for Democratization with the OSCE Mission to Serbia Diane Fallon, addressing the participants of the round table, put forward the view that the mission of the said Resolution is considered a key tool for developing the role of women in the security system in Serbia. Furthermore, she noted that in addition to an increasing number of women in these institutions also concluded that, it was necessary to increase their numbers indecision making positions.

It was a pleasure to do work which we know would be a civilization step in our society, as the President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, Sonja Licht pointed out and in this way, she said, we are adopting new standards that will contribute to our society using all its resources.

The Draft of the National Action Plan of the Republic of Serbia (RS NAP) to implement Security Council Resolution 1325 United Nations - Women, Peace and Security has been recently posted on the MoD website, which until now has been open to public debate, and has also been submitted for consideration to state administration bodies.

Following today's meeting, the NAP RS work group, will analyze the submitted comments and suggestions and prepare a report on the public debate.

Bearing in mind the recommendations of UN Secretary-General that any UN member country should develop an action plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325, the government's decision prescribed the forming of a NAP RS which was established on 24 June 2010. The decision states that all professional, administrative and technical support to the work group should be provided by the Ministry of Defense, as the bearer of the Draft of the NAP.

Resolution 1325, unanimously adopted on 31 October 2000 , is one of the most important UN resolutions in the field of peace and security policy. It calls for an increased participation of women in decision-making processes, conflict prevention, post-conflict situations, peace negotiations and peacekeeping operations, and also points to the special needs of women and children in armed conflicts and the need for their protection as well as for preventing and punishing all forms of sexual violence and any other form of violence against women.