NEPAL: Awareness of National Action Plan Inadequate in Far-West, Says Study

Awareness of the National Action Plan initiative – on women, peace and security – has been woefully inadequate in the Far Western region.

A study conducted by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator's Office on the status of implementation of the NAP, based on UN Security Resolutions 1325 and 1820, in the Far Western Region has shown that there was inadequate awareness of the initiative, decrease in local level engagement and absence of the District Coordination Committees.

The report is based on the research conducted by phone and field interviews in all Far Western Region districts between February and March 2012 and was prepared by the Dadeldhura Field Office.

It said that the field study was attempted to provide a general overview of major achievements and constraints of NAP and looked at possible way forward.

Nepal, as a member state of the United Nations, is accountable for implementing UN Security Resolutions 1325 and 1820 therefore it developed the NAP as its main implementing tool after consultation with various stakeholders in different districts.

The Cabinet had appro-ved NAP on February, 2011, to address the security concerns specific to women and girls and also to ensure meaningful participation of women at all stages of peace building in the current transition process.

“The NAP has not been widely disseminated at the local level,” report states, adding, “It is important that the district level government and non-government actors, including political parties, need to have adequate knowledge about the NAP and their roles in supporting and implementing it.” It said that in the Far Western Region, most of the CDOs who act as chairpersons of the DCCs do not have an adequate understanding of the NAP.

They either lack adequate information regarding the NAP implementation or are waiting for official instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs to take action.

It said that the various agencies which were previously actively engaged in the NAP advocacy and preparation process need to reorganise and reinforce the implementation process.

Sadu Ram Sapkota, joint secretary, Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction said that they were launching numerous projects in coordination with various ministries such as Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Local Development, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and other for the effective implementation of NAP.