On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2016, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero took part in an important event which NATO dedicated to the promotion of Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
The event, attended by the Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Ambassadors from Allied and Partner Countries adhering to NATO Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, took the form of the “barbershop discussion” (interactive informal discussion) on gender perspectives which took place for the first time at the United Nations in 2015, on the initiative of Iceland and Suriname. One year after this first event, “it is highly significant that it is NATO to host its first barbershop on gender issues”, highlighted the Secretary General, thus showing the firm commitment of the Alliance to the promotion of these topics. NATO is in the forefront of the gender agenda mainstreaming at the international level. More specifically, the integration of gender perspectives in NATO operations represented one of the main lessons learned by the Alliance from its own experience in the Balkans and in Afghanistan.
“Gender equality isn’t optional, it’s fundamental” to guarantee the fundamental values of the Atlantic Alliance, that is democracy, individual liberties and rule of law. These values are closely tied to the promotion of women’s rights, which are high on Italy’s national and international political agenda. Italy is one of the main supporters of the gender agenda also at NATO.
