Our secure future, make the difference. The Scowcroft Center works to develop sustainable nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and its allies and partners. O principle crop, his ethos of Nonpartisan Committee to the costs cost of security, support for use leadership and cooperation with allies and partners, dedication to the mentorship of the next generation of leaders. In keeping with its mission our Chance Initiative shapes and influences debate on the greatest secret he challenges facing the North Atlantic Alliance and its key partners. Our partners for todays event our secure future, we mimic make the difference found to womens peace sorry. Our partners, our make the women straighten women peace, and sit agenda is still a more Peaceful World through ensuring womens full participation in governance. They were to ensure the effective incorporation of perspectives and i peace and security of decisionmaking at the national and International Level which leads to greater security for everyone. Todays event kicks off atl womens of a weeklong programming. As w critical milestones including nearly 25 years o resolution 1325 on wens peace and security as well as nato 75th anniversary the discussion willr a merchant your political challenges should be addressed lens to strengthen collective security and defense alliances. This event is part that its a Good Initiative 2024 mpaign. From information and updates for future events publications follow us todays conversation with will be moderated by Sahana DharmapuriVice President of our secure future and Vice President of before return to our Panel Discussion however i pleased to introduce our keynote remarks provide and security at nato, irene allow me to expressnity to address you today. On the occasion of this discussion organized Atlantic Council alongside our secure future of womens Business SecurityInitiative Security landscape. While i regret i cannot be there in person, i am keen to share with you my thoughts on this crucial subject. Today would 75th anniversary this year and the nearly 21st 21st years of United Nations security cncil resolution of womens this security. This milestone serves as a reminder to our collective commitment to advancing promoting peace and ensuring the security of all individuals regardless of their gender. As we suddenly know, europe is not at peace. We find ourselves in the security environment instability. The unprovoked aggression of russia against ukrainelated the norms and principles that once contributed to security order. Shopping the piece that terrorists is the most direct threat poses a significant challenge the security of our citizens and it is an impediment to International Peace and prosperity. Women increasingly face threa continue to face barriers to full and meaningful participation in peace and secure our resolution 1325 adopted 24 years ago on not yet fully of limited but indeed authoritarian and terrorist actors narratives which are reflecting their tactics to divide and destabilize. Russias targeting of civilian and infrastructure in ukraine highlights sitter consequences of this action. Women and girls remain targets of multiple forms of violence including genderbased violence, sexual violence, exploitation, abuse a trafficking. We also f numerous crosscutting challenges. One of of these is Climate Change. As more and more Research Review women and girls disparate impact of Climate Change which amplifies existing gender inequalities, and poses unique threats to the livelihoods, health and safety. Embracing new and emerging technologies offers opportunities to create more gender equal world but we must also be vigilant against Technology Buys engendered disinformation that risks excessive gender inequalities and violence, underminingst values. Nato once again recognizes that Significant Impact that instability happen to women and gir this shift in Security Landscape underscores the need forive and Strategic Response here we believe the complexity of the geopolitical challenges we fe today demonstrates throughout agenda led. In line with this commitment nato allies update policy set to be endorsed at this years summit in washing d. C. The new policy will set a a clear vi of nato Deputy Eskridge and allowing the alliance to and challenges and to contribute to more gender future. We will deliver n concept which already underlined gender equality as reflection of our values as an alliance and integration of the wps legend s, terror and defense cooperative security. Wps is as ever been. Resilievolving security environment requires the active involvement of full segment includi organizations. They pla preparing for, resisting responding to, and recovery. Exchange with]v c to prevent us as a work in silos and to epproach wps align with the global wps agenda. This is why in january have open consultation with newly nominated Civil Society advisor and integrated the policy update as a major part meeting. Functioning as an independent advisor offers criticaly grassroots of society. This insight plays a a crucial role in helping us identify and preventing blindfold. Nato acknowledges women are a the forefront to support societal resilience, mitigate conflict. In addition andsecurity efforts their full and meaningful participation in Decision Making and implementation of solutions related to all aspects of peace andthecurity are critical to achieving natos mandate and promoting peace a stability in the euro atlantic area. As we confront, shift and Security Landscape it is crucial natos values, reinforcing alliancect citizens, safeguard freom aem and work toward a just, occlusive and lasting peace here i extend my best wishes for a producti insightful Panel Discussion. T to advancing women peace and security in this challenging time. Thank you so much, chris and irene for helping a set the conversation, ahead of women with a very wonrful and thoughtprovoking conversation ahead of us and im really glad to share the sta my colleague. My name Sahana Dharmapuri, Vice President of our secure future women make the difference. Really excited for you who are watching and all of you in the with us. I i want to begin by quickly our panelists and then jumping into the to introduce jenna benyehuda his executive Vice President at Atlantic Council. Previously served as the president and chief executive officer of the truman project and the Truman Center for national pol joined by Vice President fdv external relations at the womens refugee comssion, melanie nezer. She and her team share Womens Commission research and recommendations, policymakers, media and supporters to the wider public and[[ u. S. Were also joined by ms. Moira and technology at the National Democratic institute here in washington and her role at ndi she helps bridge the gap between Technology Policy and democracy and is a regular contributor Digital Ecosystem that supports democracy worldwide. Thank you ladies. Its really a pleasure to share the stage with you and will appreciate your thought leadership in thi heardpcoming summit and some plans of integrating women peace, and security more deeply into natos priorities, but jenna, i would le too may be give us some reflection but also maybe confection lies the 75th anniversary summit thats g d. C. Thanks, thank yououncil. Great to be a benevolent today at at a special thanks to our secure future forour partnership. We are really delighted. Many ways it feels somewhat like full circle moments with a serious anniversary bishopric were coming up on the resolution 1325 which are ushered him this movement of women, peacend with that the National Action plan, miller s world. We have of course the 75th anniversary ofshington will host the summit this summer, a date we are tracking very closely at Atlantic Council because we Important Role in the public form which cil society beating for that this summer. We do that of open war in europe, a war which is in ukraine but is in war that isng contributed to supplied by many countries around the world the United States probably. The backdrop against which were ha one of particular urgency and poignancy because of russias war in ukraineis really i think russias war with the west more probably get we also went with expression of what i think isly critical wps nato finland. We think in particular Margaret Wahlstrom of a feminist Foreign Policy in sweden and even though it was think it was in 2022, we know undoubtedly there is this legacy of feminismment in sweden that will become a part of this conversation as they enter nathere can likewise with finland. Womens equality andd equity. So curious to see how the accession of these two states changed the the complexion of some of the conversation. Its an importantomly as we hopefully begin ruction over the horizon port remember to have his voice at the table for not just the war fighting but the peace to sahana. So in your refle iobecause your work onand democracy promotion and technology your reflections on ms. Fellin comments. Talk about alliances et cetera. Love to hear your perspective. And thank you sahana, for to today. Its always a pleasure to be a with two of my my favorite organizations come Atlantic Council and i think the which stood out to me is a transition over the 75 this evolution of watching one of theanizations in the worldncept of multistakeholder ism which is inherently women peace, full participation of all people in decisionmaking to make us more secure. So the absolute redefinition of security and as wereoiirng o÷re a quarter into this year more election goodwill than weve ever seen threats to democracy both on the periphery of nato but also in the balkans from actors in asia. We are seeing a rise in the need for all of us to these issues especially around emerging technology. Not just anhen its full chilled elections and in their ability to access information, but we are also seeing it in increasing the security threats surveillance. So the very tools that democracies that nat more secure can also pose threat to 50 of the global population in particular. So conversations cant be more critical than coming to thend figuring out how to rectify those differences how we ensure t over time and try to protect ourselves in trying to secure direction of free enterprise, free societies, we dont inherit we dont destroy that from increasing the use ofhnologies to threaten to achieve. Yeah. Melanie, you work on a l these conflicts that we are talking about from the womens refugee perspective. What are your reflections on some of, irene talked about voices. How much of being included in the well, thanks youre going to last is like echoing everybody saying do that in shorthand way to grow great t sahana. Always appreciate your partnership and great to be with Atlantic Council. Pretty n to wrc such a great way to get a kick off my tenure terms of money for small yes important wps has a a recognition that it has in nato and in the i think what we really see some challenges are two areas help with time to talk more about them. One is related to what you said about in the interest of because the face of so many security threats, particularl crisis we kind an excuse to exclude them from leadership. Itize keeping people safe. So thats a real issue and are some Solutions Women are doing Amazing Things run the world particularly forcibly displaced women, refugees, women who are crisis but they need our help and support and we need to excellent recommendations and ideas of haying it is great and there been many strides over theluding women in decisionmaking and followin women but theyre so much what we can do from the kind of mundane. Iterally be at the table if they cant get on the bus b unsafe for them to get on the bus to go to the meeting right . Things like tha security. In less women are safe weret particularly to a displaced. The other one issary but were pretty close to him going to throw it in there come is the anniversary of the 1951 convention on the status refugees which followed world war ii which is really our framework for protectingwho are fleeing persecution. It doesnt address all of our modern it addresses a very specific, we talk about climate refugees. Its noty,ns of refugees is a legal term. Convention people are persecution based on race, religion, nationality, memrshi social group or political opinion. Thats where refugee is. In the 1951 convention, obligated states to protect refugees. Puts some requirements on refugees themselves on how they must supportmselves, but basically its about the states protecting r kind of a race to the bottom. We have this massive crisis. We hav of people millions more who will be displaced by by Climate Change, by the conflict accomplice and climateaking a very deterrence enforcement onlyoa recommendations will be women in addressing some of these challenges and the kind of coming together in a more kind ofed to address these challenges that are not walls and bnow thats not going to work. I think what you have all said really underscoring we know, its almost 25 years for women peace, and security, we know nowt the decisionmaking table. Its been for a lot of good reasons but quite happening but this multilateralism the and strengthening alliances can really be an entry point for that particularly made o a leader in womens peace and security and addressing the this is an interesting point to turn back to you can nato betteegrate peace perspective . They are talking about creating new policies, asking these Civil Society groups to add their pe but can you give us examples . How are these countries actually doing this i think there are a number of important points raised here and having structure included in conversally important one. I think nato liketutions struggles a bit with opacity and not having processes and its own diplomacy be accessible to external parties. So extending a logical and security agenda internet is an important part of the other piece of this is that so much of t now has been 2 gdp threshold commitment for defense spending. One of the thingser wps work is that asked Hillary Clinton l ak0 do, its the smart thing to do. And if you talk about a month in whic level of a refugee crisis in many respects, and a tremendous numberisplace and on the move at a time institutions are unable to meet that is especially the time to ensurese resources are used really wisely. We know by these decision moments not just because that disproportionally impacted my conflic they are a durable peace that needs to be part of that would be think about resourcing when it comes to addressing these crisis. This is one of the Important Roles that our secure organizations play is reminding these organizations of not just the right space and paired is but imperative to equity. That is a big part of whatl be on the table for conversations around nato as we approach you want to see not just a commitment to womens peace andrity but from signaling and resourcing at the at least a discussion about that . I think itsause of resource in question has so dominated we are in the midst of our own ukraine supplemental as european and native partners continue to try to reach threshold commitments and things of that nature. We need to be think about how we continue to provide force security not just in a c faced but in a reconstruction phase. As a look at the data and we know that women at the table into his these moments of conflict and also at the peace table creates more durable and long lasting peace, that is one element of addressing this resourcestrained environment. Absolutely, absolutely. You know, Something Else you have mentioned all of you mentioned, is the role of women as agents of change and of advancing the rulesbased order your moira id like to turn tor work is in the democracy and technology field. I think would be really interesting for our audience to hear more about how women are leading some responses to some of the threats that you phrase yes. I think is been very positive about a lots a a look at the Technology Space we saw governments often the opportunities and the threats to soci look at generative ai were seeing governments resp quickly. To the point where we have 50, 60 global conversations happening about the issue right that is the bias that we know exist in the data sets that are both used to protect us but also used to help create the Information Space we want to see. Where were seeing forward action is in the partnership for action ending Online Harassment and abuse. There are 14 member countrie