Commitments Database: A 1325 Call to Action Statement NATO

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me first begin this intervention by thanking, on behalf of the NATO SG, the organisers for inviting the Alliance to this important meeting.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 is a powerful appeal to protect those who are most vulnerable in conflicts and their aftermath, and to enhance the participation of women in building peace and security. NATO has heard this appeal.

The Alliance currently has 150.000 women and men engaged in operations, from Afghanistan, to the Balkans: Kosovo, Bosnia; but also off the Horn of Africa. In these gender sensitive environments, we have made clear that the involvement of women in operations is crucial if we want to establish relationships and trust with civil society. It is important to ensure that women are present; women are active; women take decisions at all strategic, operational and tactical levels.

To this end, our military authorities have developed guidelines for the integration of gender issues into all NATO planning and operations, we have deployed gender advisers in our operations, and our strategic commands. Based on Resolution 1325, we have agreed and we follow a strict Code of Behavior for all NATO military personnel; we have increased significantly the proportion of women in NATO's political staff; and we have studied carefully the significance of gender issues to the success of our operation in Afghanistan.

These are significant achievements, but there is still a gap between the ambitions of UNSCR 1325 and reality. Our common goal must be to close that gap - and to close it swiftly.

This means that we continue taking practical steps in order to contribute concretely in this important international effort. To this end:

• We are adjusting our education and training, in order to changing mindsets, changing behaviours.
• We are looking at our processes, mainstreaming the principles of UNSCR 1325 in NATO's everyday business - its policies, programmes so that the benefits of the Resolutions are integrated in the organisation's daily work.
• We are engaged with other international organisations, such as UN, EU and OSCE, to identify where NATO can add value, within its own framework and its own competencies, by identifying synergies, areas for the exchanges of best practices and cooperation. And steps have been taken to engage with civil society.
• We have also adopted a public diplomacy strategy, in order to engage to raise awareness of the issues - of the role of women in society, culture, the military and public life.

One decade on from the Security Council's groundbreaking Resolution 1325, we are confident we can take the next steps. We will remain committed to taking practical and pragmatic actions with our Allies and our partners. We will remain active and engaged and we look forward to continuing our efforts beyond this anniversary.