High Level Nato Side event:

Reinforcing Resilience - The Role of Women, Peace and Security in NATO’s Eastern Border Security

Datum: Monday 23 June

Tijd: 15.30-17.00 hours

Locatie: After RSVP location will be shared

With great pleasure, we invite you to the high-level event ‘Reinforcing Resilience: The Role of Women, Peace and Security in NATO's Eastern Border Security’, including a network reception on Monday, June 23, 2025, in The Hague.

This event brings together government officials, policymakers, military personnel, academics and civil society experts ahead of the NATO summit. We’ll discuss the ongoing relevance of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in the face of current geopolitical challenges, such as NATO's enhanced readiness and responsiveness to security threats on the eastern flank of the NATO treaty area and the Eastern European region.

We are thrilled to welcome:

o Irene Fellin, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative on WPS

o Koen Davidse, Director General Policy, Dutch Ministry of Defence

o Colonel Nevena Miteva, Deputy Foreign Minister, Bulgaria/ Gender Advisor, MoD

o Dany Poitras,Brigadier General, Commander of Formation Europe and as the National Military Representative to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) for NATO, Canada National Military Representative

o Olena Suslova, Founder of the Women’s Information Consultative Centre (WICC) Ukraine

o Fatimazhra Belhirch, Member of the Senate for D66

Programme:

15.30hrs Walk in and coffee/tea
15.45hrs Opening and welcome
15.45-16.00hrs Introductory speech
16.00-17.00hrs Panel discussion
17.00-17.15hrs Conclusive remarks Fatimazhra Belhirch, Member of the Senate for D66
17.15hrs Reception

RSVP before 19th of June COB. For any questions on the event contact: e.kaya@wo-men.nl.

We look forward to your participation in this critical dialogue!

Anne-Floor Dekker - Executive director WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, Dr. Katharine Wright - Newcastle University and Dr. Sorana-Cristina Jude –King's College London

About the Event
Prior to the start of the NATO Summit in the Hague 24-26 June 2025 WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform and Newcastle University both represented in the NATO WPS Civil Society Advisory Panel, in collaboration with King’s College, London and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) host the hight-level roundtable Reinforcing Resilience: The Role of Women, Peace and Security in NATO’s Eastern Border Security. This roundtable will serve as a platform to share insights, experiences, and perspectives from NATO Allies on the role of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in today’s security environment, particularly in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Following the adoption of NATO’s ambitious WPS Policy in 2024 and to mark the 25th anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the event highlights the ongoing relevance of WPS in addressing current geopolitical challenges and underscores its value in strengthening NATO’s readiness and responsiveness to the current security threats. This event therefore offers an important
opportunity for like-minded states to reaffirm their commitment to WPS and ensure it remains a central part of NATO’s strategic conversations.

The NATO summit in the Hague provides an opportunity to highlight the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda within the NATO framework in this critical juncture as the Alliance works towards Action Plan for its implementation. This invitation-only high-level event brings together governmental officials, policymakers, military officials, academia, and civil society experts ahead of the NATO Summit.

Background Women, Peace and Security and NATO

The adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) was a historic achievement, recognizing women’s crucial role and the importance of gender perspectives in peace and security. As we approach the 25th anniversary of this landmark resolution this year, however, the WPS agenda stands at a critical juncture. To date 109 countries have adopted National Action Plans to implement WPS commitments. At NATO the ambitious WPS policy 2024 was adopted and a forthcoming action plan which faces significant challenges due to shifting priorities and ideological pressures to date.

At the same time – now more than ever - NATO and Allies need to integrate gender perspectives in military and non-military instruments of power to enhance the Alliance’s ability to understand current hybrid warfare tactics and to identify security risks and vulnerabilities. The weaponisation of gendered narratives and the use of gendered disinformation have already been established tactics targeting social cohesion at the Eastern borders and now sipping into other parts of the Alliance. Integrating a gender lens is therefore key to NATO’s first core task Deterrence and Defence.

This event is supported by the British Economic and Social Research Council.

High Level WPS Nato Side event: Reinforcing Resilience