Der französische Botschafter in der Schweiz, Frédéric Journès, nimmt an einem runden Tisch zur feministischen Diplomatie teil [fr]

Feminist Foreign Policy Implications for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
June 22, 2021, 9.30am - 12pm | online (Zoom)

With the participation of:

• Cecilia Jaber, Ambassador of Mexico in Switzerland
• Frédéric Journès, Ambassador of France in Switzerland
• Izabel Barros, Chargé de Programme Feministische Friedensarbeit, cdf – the feminist peace organization
• Kristen Ambler, Head of Political and Public Affairs, Embassy of Canada in Switzerland
• Maria Butler, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom WILPF
• Sofia Karlberg, Chargé d’Affairs, Embassy of Sweden in Switzerland
• Sophie von Wartburg, Co-Head of Program Gender, foraus
• Talia Wohl, Senior Advisor Women, Peace and Security, FDFA

We are observing an increase in countries that are adopting a feminist foreign policy (FFP). Sweden, France and Mexico have launched their FFP programs in 2014, 2019 and 2020, while Canada is bound to announce its FFP strategy this year. This roundtable KOFF brings together official representatives from these countries, Swiss admin-istration and from civil society organizations to address questions such as: What is a feminist foreign policy? What do these policies entail and how do they relate to the Women, Peace and Security agenda? What resistances are encountered when implementing an FFP? What role does feminist civil society play in formulating and implement-ing an FFP and can an FFP be put in practice solely abroad? Considering the Women, Peace and Security Agenda a cornerstone for conflict prevention and transformation, the Swiss Platform for Peacebuilding KOFF is working at the intersection of (Swiss) domestic and foreign peace policy. Networking and joint learning between civil society and political decision makers within the platform - including through KOFF roundtables - form the basis for KOFF’s peace policy work as well as for the development of practi-cal strategies and approaches to gender equality. The platform regularly organizes exchange formats for actors from the fields of peace and security policy, development cooperation, and human rights. Everyone who is interested in feminist foreign policy is cordially invited to this roundtable - we are looking forward to a fruitful exchange! The number of places is limited, please register by June 8 with Natalina Haller (natalina.hal-ler@swisspeace.ch).

Sincerely yours,

Leandra BiasGender Advisor & Senior Researcher, KOFF/swisspeace

Moderation
This roundtable will be moderated by Leandra Bias, swisspeace/KOFF. The event will be held in English.

Experts
H.E. Ms, Cecilia Jaber is the Ambassador of Mexico to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechten-stein. She is a career diplomat since 1981 and was promoted to ambassador in 2006. H.E. Ms. Cecilia Jaber has a bachelor’s degree in international relations as well as a master’s degree in European Studies. She is a former am-bassador of Mexico in Ireland, Jamaica, and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Other overseas assignments in-cluded Canada, France, and Italy.

H.E. Mr Frédéric Journès is a French diplomat, specializing in strategic and security affairs. He has been Ambas-sador of France to Switzerland and Liechtenstein since September 2019. He is a graduate of the Lyon School of Management, holds a degree in history and is an associate professor of geography. He is a former First Counsellor at the French Embassy in Athens and Kabul, and former Director of International, Strategic and Technological Af-fairs of the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security.

Izabel Barros (São Paulo/Piauí, BR), is responsible for the Feminist Peace Policy Program at the cfd. Graduated in History and Sociology, member of the collectivesTaoca and Berner Rassismus Stammtisch. Izabel seeks to question power relations, promotes gender justice and transdisciplinary cultural and global collaborations with an anti-colonial approach. Between 2013 and 2020 she was responsible for different projects in Brazil and scientific contributor at the Cooperaxion foundation. She is involved in the defense of self-determination and the demarcation of the ancestral territories of indigenous communities and quilombolas in the state of Maranhão.

Kristen Ambler (BA Hons [Political Science and English Language & Literature], Queen’s University, 2005) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in 2009. Since 2017, she has served as the Counsellor and Vice Consul at the Embassy of Canada to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechten-stein where she is responsible for political, public and cultural affairs.

Maria Butler is the Director of Global Programmes at the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the oldest women’s peace organisation in the world. Maria is the author of numerous publications includ-ing a chapter on “Women, Peace and Security and the Arms Trade Treaty” published in The Oxford Handbook of Women, Peace, and Security in 2019. Maria also currently serves on the Oversight Group of Ireland’s National Ac-tion Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2019-2024). Maria works in WILPFs Geneva office. Before moving to Geneva, she ran the PeaceWomen Programme based in New York for six years.

Sofia Karlberg has a MSc in Business Administration and Economics and a degree in Journalism. Currently she is the Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy Bern. Also, she is the former Head of Communications and of the Press Office of the Swedish MFA. Communications Director Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency. Press Officer at the Prime Minister’s Office. Diplomatic training programme at the Swedish MFA. Tech entrepre-neur. Journalist at Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri.

Sophie von Wartburg is the Co-Lead of the Gender Program at the think tank foraus - Forum Aussenpolitik. To-gether with the Open Think Tank Network, she co-authored a crowdsourced publication on Feminist Foreign Policy. For the last 2.5 years, Sophie has been working in international cooperation. She studied international relations and law in Zurich, Berlin and Copenhagen.

Talia Wohl serves as Senior Adviser WPS at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs since August 2020. From 2016 to 2020 she was part of the OSCE Mediation Support Team and co-authored a toolkit on inclusion of women in peace processes. Prior to the OSCE, Ms Wohl managed the FDFA Western Balkans Program. From 2006 to 2012 in Kosovo, she worked, among others, for the International Civilian Office.