On the 19 July, the EUFOR Chief of Staff, Brigadier General József Szpisják participated in the 2017 Sarajevo Symposium on Post-Conflict Transitions. The symposium audience consisted of over 15 nationalities all with a keen interest in post-conflict reform from across the globe.
The Brigadier General was part of a panel discussing 'Security Sector Reform' he was joined by Dr. Selmo Cikotić, formerly the Minister of Defence for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Accompanying them was Carrie Giardino who is the Political-Military Affairs Officer, in the US Embassy Sarajevo and finally Brigadier General Robert Huston the Commander of NATO HQ Sarajevo.
The Chief of Staff along with his colleagues explored some of the ways to address the complex challenges that are faced when working in Post-conflict environments. The panel focused on contemporary theory and the practice of post-conflict political transitions using current case studies and their personal experiences to reflect on the outcomes from the perspectives of the actual decision-makers.
The Brigadier General, who is on his second tour in EUFOR, discussed how EUFOR operates in the post-conflict environment, collaborating with state and local level authorities to help maintain a safe and secure environment in the country. He also highlighted the fact that defence and security reform in BiH was led by NATO and supported by EUFOR which is a highly constructive partnership.