12.09.2017
Promotion of the bilingual brochure of the National Action Plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325
A bilingual brochure of the National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 – Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2017-2020) has been promoted today in the Central Military Club of the Serbian Armed Forces.Speaking about the importance of efficient implementation of this document, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Aleksandar Živković pointed out that the brochure was created as a product of the working group of the Government and at the initiative of the Ministry of Defence, contributed to the public promotion of the goals set by the Republic of Serbia in the field of gender equality and peacekeeping security in the country and in the world.
- In the process of evaluation of the previous National Action Plan, which was implemented by the multisectoral coordination body, with the expert support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, political resolution, institutional building and achievements in the field of gender equality in the Republic of Serbia were ranked high - Živković said and presented comparative analysis data on the representation of women and men in certain institutions within the security system.
According to these indicators, the representation of women in the security system in 2010 amounted to 27.4 percent, while in June this year the percentage of women employed in the Ministries of Defence and Interior, as well as in the Security and Information Agency, the Directorate for Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions, the Customs Administration and the Sector for Security Policy MIP, it was 31.32 percent.
- Also, according to 2010 data, the representation of women in command leadership positions in institutions in the security system amounted to 14.47 percent, while in June this year it was 17.47, and this percentage will increase in the future, as women are increasingly enrolling in secondary military schools, the Military Academy and other institutions that educate personnel for the security system - State Secretary Živković said, adding that, thanks to everything done so far, girls in Serbia can compete fully equal with men and study in all areas of the military education and advancement.Nina Mitić, Assistant Minister for Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs spoke about building a partnership in the implementation of anti-discrimination measures and gender equality policy.
She stressed that she was sure that the working group fully justified the expectations of the public and that before them, there is a document that would serve as an example for other countries for developing their national plans.
- We hope that the OSCE will continue to support the implementation of the NAP in Serbia also in the future, just like civil society organizations and local self-governments. Also, we expect that the brochure will find a quick way to the end users, thanks to the efficient operation of the operational body for the implementation of that plan, whose establishment is in progress - Mitić said, adding that the implementation of the plan requires more than words, documents and commitments; it needs truly motivated and dedicated people.
Predrag Peruničić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, who was the president of the Working Group of the Government for drafting the National Action Plan, speaking about the beginnings of the Working Group, said that "it was not easy" for him, bearing in mind the great responsibility.- The topic is very important and sensitive, the deadlines are very short, and we were expected to produce a quality text. We were faced with the challenge of cooperation with civil society, which we successfully coped with - Peruničić said, pointing out that he had the great honour and pleasure to work with the members of the Working Group, and that he thinks they did a good job.
He especially thanked the OSCE, the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, the Ministry of Defence, as the holder of primary responsibility for this work, civil society organizations and the Faculty of Security Studies of the Union University.
Ambassador Andrea Orizio, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, introduced those present to the partnership between the OSCE Mission to Serbia with government bodies and civil society organizations in the drafting and implementation of the NAP for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
He recalled that the Resolution confirmed the very important role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts in peace negotiations, building and preserving peace, a humanitarian approach and post-conflict reconstruction.
- The good coincidence is that Serbia assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation last week and on that occasion, Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said that the implementation of this Resolution will be a priority, and Minister Đorđević will travel to Vienna tomorrow to address the OSCE participants, where he will have the opportunity to present the work of Serbia on the implementation of the Resolution - Ambassador Orizio said.
The discussion on the topic "Challenges of NAP implementation and how to successfully manage them", moderated by Zoran Antonijević, a representative of the OSCE mission to Serbia, included Stojanka Lekić, a member of the Government Working Group and the President of the Commission for monitoring the implementation of the NAP in the Assembly of AP Vojvodina, Biljana Stojković, PhD, NAP Coordinator from the Ministry of Defence, Zorica Mršević, PhD, a representative of the Institute for Social Research and the head of the Sub-group for NAP development and Lieutenant Colonel Svetlana Janković, member of the Government Working Group.
The event, organized by the Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, was attended by senior local officials and members of the Government Working Group for the drafting of this document, diplomatic and consular representatives of foreign countries in the Republic of Serbia with whom cooperation has been achieved in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, representatives of international organizations, as well as representatives of state administration bodies, local self-government, academic community and civil society organizations.Considering the large number of envisaged actors for the implementation of NAP in state administration bodies, local self-government units, academia, media and civil society organizations, in order to more efficiently implement this plan, and publicly promote the content of that document, on the initiative of the Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Governmental Working Group for the preparation of the NAP, the OSCE Mission to Serbia issued a bilingual NAP brochure in Serbian and English, whose promotion and distribution to end users improves the implementation of this plan and contributes to the public promotion of NAP goals.
