National Action on Women, Peace and Security: Year In Review

By Rocío Maradiegue, WILPF’s Women, Peace and Security Programme Consultant

79 National Action Plans developed and launched by UN Member States for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 as of December  2018. (Visual: WILPF)

In 2018, Member States continued to demonstrate their renewed commitment to the implementation of the WPS Agenda. WILPF analysis shows that 79 UN Member States(40% of all UN Member States) have UNSCR 1325 National Action Plans (NAPs) and a number of Member States have adopted policies with the WPS component.  Six new NAPs were launched in 2018, including Albania, Poland, Luxembourg, Moldova, Mozambique, and Tunisia. In addition, six countries updated their previous National Action Plans, including Finland, Georgia, Iceland, Switzerland, Slovenia and the  U.K.

Of the 79 NAPs adopted to date, only 34 (43%) include some allocated budget for implementation. Furthermore, only 24 of 79 existing NAPs (30%) include references to disarmament and provide specific actions to disarm society. Although civil society has  always been at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the implementation of the WPS Agenda,  only 54 NAPs (69%) allocate a specific role to civil society in the different stages of the NAP implementation process, with this role often limited to an “advisory” position. 

Despite the progress, this data demonstrates that numerous challenges are yet to be addressed, including by learning from existing good practices. The updated Finnish NAP provides analysis and consideration of the connection between disarmament and gender.  In the Moldovan NAP, civil society is presented as an essential partner in developing a balanced approach to the WPS implementation. The Albanian  NAP makes a strong statement that effective implementation is not possible without allocating a sufficient budget for action.

Acting on these good practices in 2019, while reviewing, developing and re-developing NAPs, is something that Member States should follow in order to realise the transformative potential of the WPS Agenda.

Find WILPF’s database of the National and Regional Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security here>>