Today, at the Total Defence Forum held at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania, 63 businesses, municipalities, non-governmental organisations, associations, and public institutions reaffirmed their shared commitment to systematically prepare for their role in total defence.
Among the signatories was TEGOS, which joined The Organisations’ Charter and committed to continuously strengthening its organisational preparedness for crises while contributing to the implementation of total defence principles.
The Organisations’ Charter serves as a practical preparedness standard for organisations. Its signatories commit to preparing their people, strengthening organisational resilience, and implementing specific additional preparedness measures each year. The goal of the Total Defence Association is that by 2030, 50% of Lithuanian companies and organisations will understand their role in total defence and be prepared to fulfil it.
At the Total Defence Forum, signatures also formalised the Employers’ Initiative, through which employers commit to providing financial support to employees who voluntarily choose to undertake mandatory initial military service.
Organisational commitment complemented by a national-level decision
During the Total Defence Forum, the National Total Defence Coordination Council, chaired by the President of Lithuania, took another important step by adopting a principled decision on the necessity of introducing universal conscription in Lithuania by 2030.
The Council agreed to submit a recommendation to the State Defence Council, proposing that the Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces assess over the coming months whether the introduction of universal conscription could be accelerated by five years and fully implemented by 2030.
A representative public opinion survey commissioned by the Total Defence Association in August showed that nearly 80% of Lithuanian residents support the introduction of universal conscription by 2030.
TEGOS Position
TEGOS’ involvement in the Association’s initiatives is a natural continuation of our previous efforts. We have previously supported the 4 Percent initiative, and today we contribute to the objectives of the Total Defence Association because we firmly believe that a strong state begins with prepared and responsible organisations.
We invite you and your organisation to explore the principles of The Organisations’ Charter and consider joining the initiative.
