On 30 June, Ambassador Marriët Schuurman, the NATO Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security invited Igballe Rogova, Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) Executive Director, to serve on the newly-established NATO Civil Society Advisory Panel on Women, Peace and Security. 
     The Panel seeks to “engage in more systematic and regular dialogue with civil society in the area of Women, Peace and Security,” so that NATO may “draw upon the valuable expertise and insights many civil society organisations and individual experts have developed in this area,” stated Ambassador Schuurman in her letter. “Through the feedback and recommendations from civil society we hope to enhance the implementation of the Policy on Women Peace and Security NATO’s 28 Allies and 27 Partners have adopted in 2014. Thereby, we wish to strengthen NATO’s contribution to the international community’s implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions adopted by the Security Council,” the letter further stated. The establishment of this Panel also was foreseen in NATO Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325. 
Rogova’s selection was based on recommendations received from nations and international organisations. 
    The Civil Society Advisory Panel has two groups, including the Core Group of civil society persons participating in their own capacity and the Group of CSOs that each selects one person to represent the CSO on the Panel. Rogova will serve as a member of the Core Group. The first annual meeting is planned to be held in mid-October 2016. 
    Rogova often has been heralded as a pioneer in her advocacy work on UNSCR 1325. Since the Resolution’s passage in 2000, Rogova has used it in advocating for women’s right to participate in decision-making processes, initially in Kosovo’s post-war reconstruction phase. She was deeply involved in supporting the establishment of the President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga’s interministerial National Council on Survivors of Sexual Violence; in advocacy for justice and reparations for women who suffered sexual violence during the war; and in regional truth and reconciliation commissions on this issue. Rogova also advocated for and later participated in the drafting of Kosovo’s National Action Plan to implement Resolution 1325. 
    Most recently, Rogova served on the UN High-level Advisory Group for the Study on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. 
For the last 15 years Rogova has shared her knowledge and experience on best practices for implementing the Resolution with several militaries and civil society activists in other conflict and post-conflict countries. 
     Adopted on 31 October 2000, UNSCR 1325 emphasizes the important role that women play in preventing and resolving conflict, distributing humanitarian aid, peace-building, peace negotiations, peacekeeping, and post-conflict reconstruction. Considering this, the Resolution notes the importance of women’s equal participation in processes related to peace and security and encourages all actors to ensure women’s participation. The Resolution also urges all actors involved in conflict to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, including rape and sexual violence.