THE SECRETARY GENERAL
LA SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRALE
147 CIR 23 E
4 September, 2023
TO SECRETARIES OF MEMBER DELEGATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION
TO ALL MEMBERS
Re: 2023 NATO PA Women for Peace and Security Award
Dear members,
As you know, the Standing Committee decided in 2021 to create a “Women for Peace and Security”
Award to honour a woman who has made a particular contribution to the equal participation of women
and men in the field of peace and security, the protection of women in conflict situations and/or the
mainstreaming of women's needs and perspectives into relief and recovery initiatives in post-conflict
countries.
I am pleased to inform you that the Selection Committee for the prize - composed of NATO PA Bureau
members and the Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General for Women, Peace and
Security - has bestowed the 2023 award to
Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of Belarus’
democratic movement.
Ms
Tsikhanouskaya
was nominated by Njall Trausti Fridbertsson, Head of
the Icelandic delegation on behalf of his delegation.
Ms Tsikhanouskaya is grateful to the Assembly and has confirmed she will be delighted to join the award
ceremony which will take place during the Assembly’s plenary sitting in Copenhagen on 9 October. I
know Assembly members will welcome this opportunity to recognise Ms Tsikhanouskaya’s exceptional
contribution.
The nomination highlights Ms Tsikhanouskaya’s courageous fight against oppression and the violation
of basic human rights by an authoritarian regime and stresses how she has become a role model and
living symbol of the spirit of freedom and equality. The award also recognises her demonstrated
commitment to the equal participation of women and men in the field of peace and security and the
sacrifices she is make every day in her peaceful, non-violent struggle against tyranny.
I would like to express my gratitude as well to the other delegations who have submitted nominations
for the quality of their submissions:
•
•
•
Canada –
Ms Jacqueline O’Neill,
Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security
Germany –
Ms Isabelle Lasserre,
Journalist, Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Foreign Affairs
Department of the French daily newspaper
Le Figaro
Italy –
LtCol Monica Segat,
Commander of ‘L’Aquila’ 9° Alpini Battalion
Further information about the award, its purpose, criteria for submissions and previous awardees can
be found on the NATO PA website here:
https://www.nato-pa.int/content/women-peace-and-security-
award
Yours sincerely,
Ruxandra POPA
INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
· SECRÉTARIAT INTERNATIONAL
Place du Petit Sablon 3
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