Recommendations to Develop Strong National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 and Improve Their Implementation - Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP)

Recommendations to develop strong National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 and improve their implementation:

1. Ensure sustained and institutionalized awareness and knowledge raising on UNSCR 1325, 1820 and the supporting resolutions—Given than Government and UN leadership change, training and capacity building should be a constant component of staff development programs. It should not be optional.
2. Ensure the involvement of a broad range of civil society actors and government agencies from the onset of the national action planning process and in each and every phase, in order to guarantee ownership and participation in implementation. Part of this process is to determine and agree on what each actor is bringing to the table including the private sector, the UN and other multilateral agencies, donors, and other external partners
3. Begin the NAP development process with in-depth conflict analysis, raising the questions: What is the stage of the conflict now? What are the post-conflict realities we face? For countries not affected by conflict, the question to examine is:, What is the country’s role in addressing peace and security issues around the world? Answering these questions will ensure clarity of purpose and answer the fundamental question: What is the added value of a NAP?
4. Develop the NAP by building on existing policies that could serve as foundations for the NAP (e.g., national action plan on women, SGBV policies and framework, country-specific strategy on sexual violence). Do not develop and implement the NAP in isolation. Do not create more silos!
5. Integrate costing and budgeting in the NAP development process. National governments should integrate the budget for the NAPs in their national budgets. This demonstrates political will and guarantees sustainability. While it is understandable that conflict-affected countries are largely dependent on official development assistance and other external funding, it is important that governments allocate funding for NAP implementation in their own national budgets. This will not only demonstrate political commitment. It will also guarantee a certain level of sustainability even if the funds from external sources run out. The unavailability of funds from foreign sources is often used as a convenient excuse by developing country governments to discontinue implementation.
6. Support the establishment of the Global Acceleration Instrument on WPS that is meant to facilitate dedicated financing for NAP implementation.
7. Develop indicators and integrate a monitoring and reporting mechanism in the NAP using these indicators. This mechanism should be simple and practical so that it can be used by developing country governments with limited human, technical and financial resources. (We don’t need a Rolls Royce to drive through the rough roads of Eastern DRC or Jonglei, South Sudan. We need a functional motorcycle!)
8. Analyze the connection or disconnect between NAPs and the work of National Security Council/national defense councils. In a number of countries, the lead agencies for NAP implementation do not have a seat in the National Security Council. It is critical for the lead implementation agencies to have a seat in this highest decision making body on national security to ensure that security policies are informed by the principles of the NAP on UNSCR 1325/WPS. This could lead to broader and more constructive concepts of security.
9. Ensure that the lead implementing agency has the resources, capacity and political clout to mobilize support and participation among the different government agencies and competing national and local priorities.
10. Develop incentives (in the form of awards or citations) for Member States who are performing well in NAP implementation.
11. Mainstream the NAPs on UNSCR 1325 across government agencies through internal action plan (e.g., What does the NAP mean for the National Housing Commission? For the Ministry of Justice? For the Ministry of Defense?) We need to operationalize the whole of government approach. This should also come with the necessary funding in each government agency. 12) Actualize the provisions and purposes of NAP1325 in all relevant circumstances and at all levels of governance, the UN and civil society’s work from local to global; and global to local.