Sofia, Bulgaria - The Human Security in Operations working group convened a week-long workshop at the Rakovski National Defence College from July 28 to August 1. The event, co-led by the Partnership for Peace Consortium and the Canadian Defence Academy, gathered 35 experts representing NATO, academia, and defense institutions from 14 countries.

Building Tools for the Future of Military Education
The central aim of the workshop was to design educational tools that integrate human security into professional military education. Divided into working groups, participants created 11 tailored learning activities and 18 exercise injects. These tools will help strengthen NATO Allies’ and Partners’ ability to integrate human security into their military curricula and operations.

Strengthening Interoperability Among Allies and Partners
Organizers emphasized that the toolkit, due to be published in 2026, will directly support NATO reference curricula and complement existing training frameworks. Björn Lagerlof, chair of the ad hoc working group, emphasized the importance of active learning and educational tools to support the mainstreaming of human security topics.

Looking Ahead
The Sofia workshop marked the culmination of a three-year series of gatherings dedicated to this initiative, following earlier sessions in Brussels and Poland. With the formal establishment of the Human Security in Operations working group, experts intend to continue building a global community of practice to ensure human security remains a cornerstone of military operations worldwide.