Second Iteration of the NATO-Approved GFP Course
Date: (14-11-2025)
From 10 to 13 November 2025, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) hosted the second NATO-approved Gender Focal Point (GFP) course of the year. Gathering 26 participants from 14 nations—including Canada, the UK, USA, Turkey, Norway, Finland, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Latvia, Iraq, Slovakia, and Bulgaria—the course highlighted NATO’s multinational commitment to integrating gender perspectives across strategic and operational levels.
The program combined lectures, syndicate work, and scenario-based exercises focused on the identification, integration, and reporting of gender perspectives in military planning and operations. Participants explored their roles as GFPs in supporting the NATO gender advisory structure, promoting cooperation with internal and external stakeholders, and advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through practical application and peer collaboration.
Facilitated by experts from Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, SHAPE, and HQ KFOR—alongside CMDR COE staff—the course was praised by CMDR COE leadership. “We sincerely thank the facilitators for their professional input and dedication, which were instrumental to the course’s success,” said Colonel Orlin Nikolov, Director of CMDR COE. The Centre extends its best wishes to all new GFPs as they carry forward their vital mission.
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