Including the civil society in implementation of 1325 is vital. For its own p...

Including the civil society in implementation of 1325 is vital. For its own part, Finland actively seeks advice and forms partnerships with NGOs in implementing its National Action Plan. For example in our National Anniversary Seminar, held in Helsinki last Friday, our President, Foreign Minister and myself were honoured to hear from Special Representative Margot Wallstrom and also from representatives of the civil society. Many ideas for improved concrete action and new best practices emerged from this exchange, including a proposal to include medical professionals in our crisis management teams in order to better respond to victims of sexual and gender based violence.