SEESAC Team presents activities to the NATO SEEGROUP

On 8 July 2011, the SEESAC Team was invited to present its regional activities to the NATO South East Europe Security Cooperation Steering Group (SEEGROUP) in Brussels. The regular SEEGROUP meeting was chaired by Bosnia and Herzegovina and was attended by some twenty delegates from Allied and Partner countries as well as by NATO Staff.

The SEESAC Team presented its current arms control activities in SEE focusing in particular on the implementation of the EU Council Decision 2010/179/CFSP in support of SEESAC arms control activities in the Western Balkans. In addition, SEESAC presented the successes achieved through the project on increasing arms export controls in the Western Balkans, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. Finally, SEEGROUP members were briefed on SEESAC successes in mainstreaming gender in security sector reform and in particular on the activities of the Women Police Officers Network in SEE. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session during which delegates enquired in more detail about SEESAC.

Since its inception in 2000, SEEGROUP continues to be an important forum that contributes to the regional cooperation. The Group enables participating countries to work together in a very transparent way, exchange experience related to the security and defence sectors, launch joint project and initiatives in a way to contribute to the common goal of strengthening stability and security in the region. The work of SEEGROUP is of particular significance, provided that SEE countries take ownership and hold leading roles in various projects and responsibilities for cooperation in security related fields.