Human rights, the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda and gender equality are key elements to ensure human security. They are increasingly taken into account in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. In the ‘CFSP Report – Our priorities in 2017’, the EU and its Member States committed to continue ‘promoting the integration of a gender perspective in the analysis, planning and conduct and the strategic reviews of CSDP operations and missions’. Yet, CSDP has been a particularly difficult area for the EU to implement human rights and gender mainstreaming.

In order to take stock and to provide recommendations on how to overcome these difficulties, the European External Service’s (EEAS) Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD) conducted a baseline study on integrating human rights and gender into the EU’s CSDP between 2015 and 2016. It is the first time such a comprehensive exercise has been undertaken and made available to the public.

In this brown bag lunch discussion, Taina Jarvinen, Policy Officer on Human Rights and Gender within CMPD, will present the main conclusions of the baseline study and provide her insights on the early implementation of its recommendations.

Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch and EPLO will provide tea and coffee.

Please note that places are limited and registration is mandatory. Please contact Lorenzo Conti by Friday 22 September if you would like to participate.