Euro – Atlantic Council of Macedonia held regional conference on 14^th February 2012 in the hotel Stone Bridge in Skopje named:

“UNSCR 1325 Goals- Degree of Feasibility”

On this event participation took ambassadors in the country, military attaches, representatives from the institutions, representatives from ARM, representatives from the civil society, women organizations, students and the medias.

This conference was opened by the President of the Euro – Atlantic Council of Macedonia, Mr. Lazar Elenovski. The President Elenovski made a brief introduction to the project made by EACM that includes six months lasting research, which resulted with promotion of the publication for the process of implementation of the UNSCR 1325 on national and regional level, as well as in NATO and the UN.

H.E. Kjetil Paulsen, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Macedonia was speaking as a second panelist. He pointed out the question that was raised on this conference and indicated on the needs of its further development. The Ambassador Paulsen emphasized the importance of gender equality and joint cooperation. Moreover he supported the organizing of this conference and encouraged organization of similar events in the near future.

The speech of Dr. Stefanie Babst, NATO Deputy assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, brought inspirational note and she pointed the UNSCR 1325 as a first resolution that regards the influence of the conflicts on women and expressed the importance of women in keeping peace and stability.

Next speaker was Col. Milko Chonev, Military Attaché from the Bulgarian Embassy in the Republic of Macedonia. He was speaking in the name of the Deputy Defence Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova who was not able to participate on the conference due to unstable weather conditions. He referred on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the Republic of Bulgaria. Col. Chonev emphasized the advantages from the implementation of the resolution in his country that for this purpose has brought National Strategy for development of gender equality and National Plan for implementation of the aforementioned resolution. He stressed the creation of a well organized system of education and training in the Republic of Bulgaria, that is going to prepare the peace operation participants on gender subjects.

The conference continued with the second panel “Regional aspect of UN1325”, with the following panelists addressing the audience:

• Mrs. Ratela Asllani, Atlantic Council of Albania

• Mrs. Ankica Tomic, Head of the Department for International Cooperation,  Ministry of Security, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The panel was moderated by Mrs. Daniela Dimitrievska, Macedonian Woman Lobby, member of the Presidency of EACM.

Mrs. Ratela Asllani, was speaking about UNSCR 1325 and its implementation in the Republic of Albania. The presentation was consisted of five parts:

• • The Mechanism of Implementation
  • Gender Composition in the Institutions
  • Perceptions & Tools of Implementation
  • Successful Examples
  • Conclusion

The second panelist Mrs. Ankica Tomic was speaking about the action plan for implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During her presentation she pointed out that Bosnia and Herzegovina was the first country in the region that brought National Action Plan for implantation of this resolution. Her presentation consisted four parts:

• General Information

• Implementation – Results

• Challenges and Obstacles

• Recommendations

Moderator of the third session “UNSCR 1325 in national context” was Mr. Ismet Ramadani, Vice President of the EACM. First presenter was Cap. Elisaveta Zdraveska, representative from ARM, Ministry of Defence, who stated that total inclusion of women in the peace process contributes to the maintaining and promotion of the international peace and security. Following this, Captain Zdraveska said that 120 women took part in the previous missions of the Republic of Macedonia in Afghanistan (ISAF) and in Bosnia & Herzegovina (Altea). Further, she explained the objectives of the mission (securing the Headquarters of ISAF, patrolling, medical support of the members of EUFOR and NATO), together with the preparations and trainings before the missions. As a conclusion, Cap. Zdraveska presented the advantages of the UNSCR1325 in the prevention and conflict resolution, peace building, equal participation and fully involvement in order to keep and promote peace and security, as well as decision making regarding prevention and conflict solution.

Second presenter was Ms. Dominika Stojanoska, Head of office in UN Women and she started with addressing of the historical aspects of UNSCR 1325, as well as the UN resolutions that followed. Therefore, she emphasized that during the conflict in Macedonia in 2001, the percentage of women included in the process of mediation and bringing peace was only 5%. Elsewhere, she gave more information related to the preparation of the National Action Plan for implementation of this resolution.

As an example of woman in peace keeping mission, she pointed Mrs. Julijana Trajkovik, representative from the Ministry of Interior affairs, who is the only woman from Ministry that has been sent to a peace keeping mission abroad under the United Nations. Her presentation Mrs. Trajkovik started with a short review of the legal framework of the Ministry regarding participation of peace keeping contingents in other countries under the UN, as well as the representation of women in the police. As participant on UN mission in Liberia, she conducted a project Educational Support Programme for female candidates in LNP (Liberian National Police), which aimed at reforming and restructuring towards achieving 20% of women representation in the police forces. At the end, she emphasized the huge help and support during the whole mission from the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, that was also a Nobel peace prize winner in 2011.

After the finish of the very fruitful debate Vice President Ramadani has closed the conference.