Objavljeno: 30. 4. 2025. godine

(For English, please see below)

U srijedu, 23. aprila 2025. godine, u okviru inicijative „Žene i sigurnost? Prirodno, skroz!“, koju finansira Evropska unija, održan je razgovor s Nj. E. Julian Reillyom, ambasadorom Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva Velike Britanije i Sjeverne Irske (UK) u BiH. U fokusu razgovora bili su položaj žena u institucijama vlasti i sektoru sigurnosti u UK, ključna postignuća i izazovi u implementaciji UN Rezolucije 1325 „Žene, mir i sigurnost“ te odnosi između BiH i UK, s posebnim osvrtom na podršku sektoru sigurnosti i odbrane u BiH.

Ovaj događaj, održan u prostorijama Centra za interdisciplinarne studije prof. dr. Zdravko Grebo Univerziteta u Sarajevu (CIS), drugi je po redu od ukupno šest razgovora s ambasadorima, studentima i medijima posvećenih UN Rezoluciji 1325 „Žene, mir i sigurnost“ te demokratskom nadzoru nad sektorom sigurnosti.

U riječima dobrodošlice, prisutnima su se obratili predsjednik Centra za sigurnosne studije (CSS), dr. sc. Denis Hadžović, predsjednica Udruženja „Mreža policijskih službenica“, gospođa Kristina Jozić, direktor CIS-a, prof. dr. Rifat Škrijelj, te voditelj master studija Međunarodna i regionalna sigurnost na CIS-u, prof. dr. Armin Kržalić. Osim što je detaljnije predstavljena inicijativa „Žene i sigurnost? Prirodno, skroz!“, ukazano je na nepovoljan položaj žena u sektoru sigurnosti u BiH, na nikad aktuelniju važnost UN Rezolucije 1325 te potrebu vođenja širih dijaloga u cilju unapređivanja njene implementacije.

Ugodan i informativan razgovor s uvaženim ambasadorom, gospodinom Reillyom, vodila je potpredsjednica CSS-a, gospođa Aida Kržalić. Ambasador Reilly je u svom uvodnom obraćanju naglasio značaj uključivanja žena i potrebu da se u mirovnim procesima uvaže perspektive cijelog društva. Iznio je podatak da su mirovni sporazumi, u koje su žene uključene, 64% manje skloni neuspjehu i 35% su veće šanse da dugoročno opstanu. Istakao je da, iako UK bilježi određeni napredak, još uvijek postoje izazovi – žene čine 12% oružanih snaga (najviše u Kraljevskom ratnom vazduhoplovstvu – 16%), dok oko 40% osoblja sigurnosnih i obavještajnih službi čine žene.

Govoreći o važnosti rodne perspektive u mirovnim sporazumima, ambasador je istakao dvostruko povećanje udjela žena u oružanim sukobima između 2022. i 2024. godine te potrebu za čvršćim mehanizmima zaštite, naročito u kontekstu sve češćih kršenja ratnog prava. Kao primjer dobre prakse, naveo je Somaliju, gdje se kroz inovativne pristupe osigurava da humanitarna pomoć zaista dolazi do žena i djece. Ambasador je posebno istakao ulogu Britanske ambasade u Sarajevu, kao predvodnice u integraciji rodne perspektive u sve aspekte svog rada.

Govoreći o BiH, naglasio je podršku razvoju sigurnih vojnih kapaciteta za žene te naveo da je BiH prva zemlja Zapadnog Balkana koja se priključila Mreži načelnika štabova „Žene, mir i sigurnost“, kao i da je u Sarajevu prošle jeseni, po drugi put, održan njihov godišnji sastanak.

Na pitanje o konkretnim mjerama u zemljama u kojima UK djeluje, ambasador je istakao rad na jačanju domaćih kapaciteta za praćenje odgovornosti za rodno zasnovane ratne zločine u Ukrajini, kao i ulogu organizacija, poput Westminster Foundation for Democracy, koje u BiH podržavaju razvoj alata za identifikaciju govora mržnje u političkom diskursu. Naglasio je da žene u politici u BiH i dalje nailaze na barijere, uključujući nisku poziciju na izbornim listama.

U sesiji pitanja i odgovori, tokom koje su studenti bili vidno znatiželjni, otvorena su i važna pitanja, poput sve većeg uključivanja muškaraca i postojećih članova sigurnosnih struktura u promociju Agende „Žene, mir i sigurnost. Kao ključne prepreke za veće učešće žena u sektoru sigurnosti, navedeni su neadekvatni uslovi rada i stereotipi.

Zaključno, ambasador je naglasio važnost jačanja domaćih kapaciteta u vremenu kada međunarodna pomoć opada te potrebu za partnerskim pristupom između međunarodne zajednice, civilnog društva i građana, uz poruku da će nova generacija vjerovatno pokazati veću spremnost za saradnju i zajedničko djelovanje ka sigurnijem društvu za sve.

Podsjećamo, inicijativu „Žene i sigurnost? Prirodno, skroz!“ finansira Evropska unija, a implementiraju CSS, kao glavni nosilac, te naše partnerske organizacije Udruženje Mreža policijskih službenica (Sarajevo, BiH) i Centar za evropske sigurnosne studije (Groningen, Nizozemska).

Ukoliko želite više informacija o našoj inicijativi, ljubazno Vas molimo da nas kontaktirate putem e-maila: info@css.ba ; telefona: +387(0)33262456, a tok njene implementacije možete pratiti putem web stranice: www.css.ba i upotrebom heštegova #CSSBiH #GESOSSBiH na društvenim medijima.

GESOSS BiH – Ambassador Reilly: More Women, More Peace!

On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as part of the initiative “Women and Security? Naturally, Completely!”, funded by the European Union, a discussion was held with H.E. Julian Reilly, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The conversation focused on the position of women in government institutions and the security sector in the UK, key achievements and challenges in the implementation of UN Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace and Security” and the relationship between BiH and the UK, with particular emphasis on support for the security and defense sectors in BiH.

The event, held at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Prof. Dr. Zdravko Grebo, University of Sarajevo (CIS), was the second in a series of six discussions with ambassadors, students, and media dedicated to UN Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace and Security” and democratic oversight of the security sector.

In the welcome remarks, attendees were addressed by Dr. Denis Hadžović, President of the Centre for Security Studies (CSS), Ms. Kristina Jozić, President of the “Police Women’s Network” Association, Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj, Director of CIS, and Prof. Dr. Armin Kržalić, Head of the Master’s Program in International and Regional Security at CIS. In addition to presenting the initiative “Women and Security? Naturally, Completely!” in more detail, they pointed out the disadvantaged position of women in the security sector in BiH, the ever-growing importance of UN Resolution 1325, and the need for broader dialogue to improve its implementation.

The pleasant and informative conversation with the esteemed Ambassador Reilly was moderated by Ms. Aida Kržalić, Vice President of CSS. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Reilly emphasized the importance of including women and recognizing the perspectives of the whole society in peace processes. He shared that peace agreements involving women are 64% less likely to fail and 35% more likely to last long-term. He noted that while the UK has made some progress, challenges remain – women make up 12% of the armed forces (with the highest representation in the Royal Air Force – 16%), while about 40% of security and intelligence service personnel are women.

Speaking about the importance of a gender perspective in peace agreements, the ambassador highlighted the doubling of women’s involvement in armed conflicts between 2022 and 2024 and the need for stronger protection mechanisms, especially in light of increasingly frequent violations of the laws of war. He cited Somalia as an example of good practice, where innovative approaches ensure humanitarian aid reaches women and children. He particularly emphasized the role of the British Embassy in Sarajevo as a leader in integrating a gender perspective across all areas of its work.

Speaking about BiH, he underscored the UK’s support in developing secure military capacities for women and noted that BiH was the first Western Balkan country to join the Chiefs of Defense Network on “Women, Peace and Security”. He also mentioned that their annual meeting was held in Sarajevo last fall for the second time.

When asked about concrete measures in countries where the UK is active, the ambassador highlighted efforts to strengthen local capacities for monitoring accountability for gender-based war crimes in Ukraine, as well as the role of organizations such as the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which supports the development of tools to identify hate speech in political discourse in BiH. He stressed that women in BiH politics still face barriers, including low placement on electoral lists.

During the Q&A session, where students showed great interest, important topics were raised, such as the growing inclusion of men and current members of security structures in promoting the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda. Inadequate working conditions and stereotypes were cited as key barriers to greater participation of women in the security sector.

In conclusion, the ambassador emphasized the importance of strengthening domestic capacities at a time when international assistance is decreasing, and the need for a partnership-based approach between the international community, civil society, and citizens. He expressed hope that the new generation will likely be more open to cooperation and collective action towards a safer society for all.

To remind, our initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented by CSS as the main implementer, in partnership with the “Police Women’s Network” Association (Sarajevo, BiH) and the Centre for European Security Studies (Groningen, Netherlands).

If you would like more information about our initiative, please feel free to contact us via email at info@css.ba, by phone at +387(0)33262456, or follow its implementation via our website www.css.ba and by using the hashtags #CSSBiH #GESOSSBiH on social media.