NATO taps Dutch diplomat for women's issues

NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen has tapped Dutch diplomat Marriët Schuurman to be the next Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security. Schuurman's responsibilities will include the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which governs the role of women during and after armed conflicts.Foreign Affairs Minister Frans Timmermans congratulated Schuurman on the appointment, saying “The Netherlands attaches great importance to the implementation of Resolution 1325 for international peace missions, and to strengthen the role of women in armed conflict.” Resolution 1325 calls on the UN and its Member States to reaffirm the importance of the role of women in both the prevention and resolution of conflicts, and stresses the importance of their equal participation in post-conflict restructuring. Marriët Schuurman is the current Dutch ambassador for Macedonia, and has previously worked as a diplomat in Moscow, Russia, Lusaka, Zambia and Khartoum, Sudan.