Foreign Affairs & Security

Volodymyr Zelenský a Roberta Metsolaová, vlajka EU

Slovakia: When it comes to Ukraine's EU accession, politicians reach a surprising consensus, while only two parties are willing to discuss the right of veto

The major points of friction in foreign policy can be observed when it comes to the issue of military support for Ukraine and keeping of the veto right. Other timely topics that are almost completely absent from the parties' manifestos include, for example, the war in the Gaza Strip or relations with China.

By Natália Silenská

Diskuze Cítíš se bezpečně? 23.11. v Bratislavě

Do You Feel Safe? A discussion about feminist approaches to security

Záznam diskuze

An edited transcript of the international debate “Do You Feel Safe?”, organized on 23 November 2022 in Bratislava. This debate, facilitated by Zuzana Maďarová (ASPEKT), Weronika Grzebalska, a Polish sociologist, and Míla O’Sullivan, Czech researcher in international relations, discussed various gender aspects of security. The event was organized by the ASPEKT organization in partnership with the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague office.

Vymenovania veľvyslancov SR prezidentkou SR Zuzanou Čaputovou v júli 2022

More women than men in Slovak diplomacy, however, only eleven female ambassadors

Referring to the low number of female Slovak ambassadors, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Slovakia has a “historical and institutional debt”. She adds that the new board vowed to address the situation. A more transparent selection process or even a gender audit are a way to do that.

By Lucia Yar

Veľvyslankyňa Lorea Arribalzaga Ceballos

Spanish Ambassador: Above-average gender equality is the result of huge social changes

Interview

Two years ago, Spain, like France, Canada and Germany, subscribed to the principles of feminist foreign policy. Lorea Arribalzaga Ceballos, Spain's ambassador to Slovakia, argues that without strengthening equality within its own diplomatic ranks, it would be impossible for Spain to promote gender equality externally.

By Lucia Yar

Čtyři premiéři zemí V4 na závěrečné tiskové konferenci po společném jednání, 24. listopadu 2022.

Stance of the V4 countries towards Russian military aggression against Ukraine

Russia's open military aggression against Ukraine has provoked strong reactions around the world. The V4 countries, whose outwardly apparent unity seemed to be crumbling, also took a stance. How serious is the schism between Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic on the one side and Hungary on the other? Is the breakdown of V4 inevitable or is there still a room for cooperation? Slovak political scientist Grigorij Mesežnikov reflects on the current state the Visegrad Group finds itself in.

By Grigorij Mesežnikov

More than a military tactic: sexual violence in wars and armed conflicts

Commentary

War and armed conflict almost always go hand in hand with sexual violence – rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage. On occasions when it seems pertinent, such as in the context of the current war in Ukraine, politicians and the media talk about the issue and condemn the violence, but their rhetoric is short on substance.

By Jeannette Böhme

Alle articles on "Foreign & Security Policy"

Publications

Feminist Foreign Policy Principles in Czechia

Discussion paper

Feminism faces prejudice in the Czech Republic. However, feminist foreign policy means more than just gender equality: principles like participation or accountability are already partly a reality here. How to move forward was explored through focus groups by researchers from the Institute of International Relations, Ondřej Horký-Hlucháň and Míla O’Sullivan, in collaboration with the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague.

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Deutschland. Tschechien. Im Kontext

Publikation

Vierzehn Texte von Autor*innen aus Tschechien und Deutschland zu sieben Schlüsselthemen unserer Zeit.

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Feminist Development Policy

E-Paper

This brief contains recommendations for practitioners of the international development sector to shift the status quo of development and move towards feminist global collaboration.

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Practicing Feminist Foreign Policy in the Everyday: A Toolkit

Explainer

Feminist foreign policy is emerging as a new paradigm in international relations. The concept raises expectations of a more peaceful and just foreign policy, but its theoretical dimension and practical implementation are often not clearly defined. This toolkit tries to close this gap and clarify key terms of feminist foreign policy, as well as outline the practical application of the feminist approach to international diplomacy, to security, environmental, development, trade and migration policy.

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After the end of the cold war foreign and security policies have been subject to rapid change. Traditional security policies such as deterrence and containment have been replaced by risk prevention, crisis intervention, and preemptive policy measures. Increasingly questions of foreign, security, and developmental policy have become intertwined. Our aim is to contribute to debates on current foreign and security policy issues and policies.