NEPAL: Peace Thru Women's Participation

With a view to achieving sustainable peace and establishing a just society by ensuring participation of women at all stages of peace building, the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (MoPR) on Thursday launched the National Action Plan (NAP) on UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and 1820.

UNSCRs 1325 and 1820 are among the most effective under-utilised tools, which state that leaders and citizens have to hold states and individuals accountable for ensuring women's full participation in preventing and resolving conflict in a member country.

The five-year action plan aims to engage women in the peace building process by mobilising available resources, enhancing women's representation at the decision making level, protecting their rights, addressing their special needs and providing transitional justice through relief and reparation.

Stating that the action plan will contribute to achieving sustainable peace and help empower women, Sadhu Ram Sapkota, Joint Secretary at the ministry, said it presents a contextual framework and analysis of the peace and security situation in Nepal as well as insight into the impact of conflict on Nepali women.

NAP also aims at ensuring women's proportional participation in all peace-building processes during and after conflict. “Women and children are among the most vulnerable groups and the plan will be a most important instrument to address the issues of women in conflict, in peace processes and conflict resolution,” Sapkota added. The plan also aims at formulating recovery programmes, establishment of emergency fund and need assessment. The action plan provides opportunities to initiate strategic action, identify priorities and resources and determine responsibilities at the national level, according to Sapkota.

Robert Piper, United Nations Resident Coordinator, termed NAP a tool for recognizing the role of women in the peace and security agenda. He also highlighted the need for a specific plan with relief, rehabilitation and transitional justice.

Nepal has become the first country in South Asia and second in Asia to develop a 1325 NAP which was endorsed by the Cabinet on Feb.1. The High Level Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs had endorsed the plan in the first week of last October while 14 government agencies endorsed it in January.