The final meeting within the consultative process on the Draft National Action Plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 - Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2016-2020) was held at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, on 10th of June, 2016.
Nearly 200 participants attended the event - representatives of the diplomatic and military diplomatic core, MPs, representatives of public administration and local government, civil society, academia and the media. The meeting was opened by Zoran Đorđević, defense minister and chairman of the Political Council of the Government for the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2010-2015.
- During the past five years of the implementation of NAP, visibility of women's representation in the security system was achieved, as well as their place and role in maintaining peace and security in the Republic of Serbia. All forms of education in the army and police were opened to the participation of women and total representation of women in the security system was increased. Also, participation of women from the security system in the activities of international cooperation and multinational operations, that is still increasing, was ensured, together with the implementation of numerous programs for education of employees in the field of gender equality, with an evaluation of the implementation of NAP during a 5-year period, said Minister Đorđević.
Predrag Peruničić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the President of the Government Working Group for the development of NAP, expressed his hope that the discussion will be meaningful and constructive, and that the new plan which is very ambitious and better structured than the previous one, will soon be adopted by the Government, and that its implementation in the next five years will significantly improve the safety of women in our society.
- From January to mid-June this year, Working Group had organized three sessions and four workshops, and for only five months of work, a draft National action plan was created, which is before you now and is comprised of five thematic sections: institutions, prevention, participation, protection and rehabilitation, said Peruničić.
During the opening statements, participants were addressed by Marija Obradovic, President of the National Assembly Commission for monitoring the implementation of NAP, Michael Uyehara, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, Dr. Jasna Avramovic, Deputy President of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities of Serbia and the Mayor of Smederevo and Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the protection of equality.
Members of the Working Group for the development of NAP presented the draft document and introduced participants to the discussion. Most of the comments and suggestions of the participants, received during the discussion, were formulated as conclusions after the completion of work, with a notice that the Working Group will use them to further improve and finalize the National Action Plan.
