Brussels, Belgium – The Brussels International Center (BIC) is delighted to report its productive involvement in the 2024 NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives (NCGP) Annual Conference held in Brussels. Themed "Military Planning and Partnerships: A New Era of Gender Perspective at NATO," the conference gathered distinguished military officials and experts to deliberate on integrating gender perspectives within security and defense frameworks.
The high-level participation of figures such as Lieutenant Colonel Jane Male, NCGP Executive Committee Chair, and Brigadier General Eric Laforest, ACOS J5, NATO Allied Command Operations, highlighted the event's strategic significance. Their insights provided valuable perspectives on the evolving role of gender in military contexts, emphasizing the importance of this integration in modern defense strategies.
Conference Highlights:
- Deterrence and Defence: BIC's Fernando Aguiar engaged in a pivotal discussion on how gender perspectives can bolster deterrence and defense strategies. Insights from Vice Admiral Shoshana S. Chatfield underscored the need to broaden security strategies to incorporate diverse perspectives.
- Leadership Perspectives: The conference spotlighted the critical role of women in peace and security, with NATO’s Special Representative for WPS, Ms. Irene Fellin, advocating for increased pathways to leadership for women.
- Cooperative Security: Highlighting successful projects between NATO members, Fernando Aguiar noted the potential for a more robust security architecture through enhanced gender integration, supported by Colonel Christos Gkamas.
The conference reaffirmed the strategic importance of adopting gender perspectives, aligning with NATO’s values and enhancing operational capabilities. The insights from this event will significantly contribute to NATO’s strategic directions and BIC’s ongoing initiatives.