Club of Madrid

The Club of Madrid is an organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its members, 70 democratic former heads of state and government. The Club of Madrid provides peer-to-peer counsel, strategic support, and technical advice to leaders and institutions working toward democratic transition and consolidation. 

In 2008, Inclusive Security formed a partnership with Club of Madrid to support its work to advance women’s leadership in Africa. Most recently, the Club has led a project on Women’s Leadership for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa. Through this project, the Club works with the G40, a group of 40 women leaders, to increase their knowledge of and capacity to address peace and security issues and to advance women’s participation in and influence on security policy and practice.

In August 2008, Inclusive Security staff traveled with a Club of Madrid delegation led by former President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga to Uganda to advocate for the passage of gender-sensitive legislation and the inclusion of women’s priorities within the Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan for Northern Uganda.

In October 2008, Inclusive Security staff participated in training at the AWLP conference in Brussels, Belgium.

In November 2008, Inclusive Security staff participated in Club of Madrid’s Global Forum on Leadership for Shared Societies.

The Institute’s Chair, Ambassador Swanee Hunt, conducted interviews with 15 Club of Madrid members on the importance of women’s leadership in politics and peace processes. Watch a video featuring some of those interviews.

In 2009, Inclusive Security staff participated in the G40’s first meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where participants developed recommendations for increasing women’s leadership in peace and security in the Horn of Africa and developed thematic working groups to continue cross-country collaboration.