31.03.2014.

Gender in multinational operations

A five-day "Gender in multinational operations" course began today at the Peacekeeping Operations Centre. It is a course that is organized for the third year in a row, first of its kind in the country, which brings together all three components of any modern multinational operation – civilian, military and police.

The course was opened by Mr Zoran Djordjevic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence who is the head of the Political Council of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the implementation of the NAP for implementation of UNSCR 1325. He pointed out that the Ministry of Defence pays significant attention to gender equality and that the Republic of Serbia is the regional leader when it comes to the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the security sector. Djordjevic added that the Peacekeeping Operations Centre planned for this course to grow into an international one in the forthcoming period.

Jovanka Saranovic, Advisor to Minister of Defence for Gender Equality, pointed out at the opening that the sensitization of the members of the defence system, especially the management staff, is one of the tasks of a gender adviser and that it means raising awareness of the economic and social benefits that may be obtained from introducing the gender perspective in the defence system and that the course itself is one of those benefits.

Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, Head of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, on behalf of the host, wished the participants a warm welcome and good work, pointing out that based on the experience from the missions, the Centre observed the need for training contingents on gender issues in multinational operations, in addition to military training. Hence this course.

The aim of the "Gender in multinational operations" course is to expand the capacity of students as potential participants in multinational operations through the development of gender-sensitive approach to the implementation of all tasks, programmes and policies that are implemented in such operations. Another area of interest in the course will be to introduce a gender perspective in the security sector reform in the Republic of Serbia. These topics, apart from the representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, will be addressed by experts from the security sector and organisations of the civil society in the Republic of Serbia.

Participants in the course, apart from the members of the Serbian Armed Forces, are also the representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and students of the final years and master studies of the Faculty of Security Studies.