CONFERENCE/MEETING: Resolution 1325 in Action: Lessons Learned and Reflections on 1325 NAPs

Duration: 
Sunday, July 7, 2013 - 20:00
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Disarmament
Initiative Type: 
Conferences & Meetings

What are the challenges and opportunities for developing and implementing UNSCR 1325 National Action Plans (NAPs) on Women, Peace and Security around the world? On July 8th, 2013, the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) hosted a panel discussion addressing this issue. Panelists included Mavic Cabrera-Balleza (GNWP), Naoto Hisajima (Japan), Dharanidhar Khatiwada (Nepalese Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction), Hilde Klemetsdal (Norway), and Anne-Marie Goetz (UN Women).

Civil society and UN Women speakers agreed that widespread lack of local ownership and political will, which is due in part to lack of knowledge and/or capacity, serves as a major barrier to the implementation of the 42 NAPs that exist today. The under-representation or complete exclusion of Civil Society in national steering committees (both during NAP development and implementation), along with insufficient monitoring and accountability mechanisms, makes fruitful advancement extremely difficult. In support of WILPF's work to strengthen women's participation and reduce militarism and arms, UN Women's Anne-Marie Goetz also highlighted the need for women to engage in national management councils regarding issues of small arms control and the limitation of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Representatives from Japan and Nepal highlighted how political will and concrete action can substantially move the Women, Peace and Security agenda forward. In Japan, government-civil society collaborations with GNWP have supported the development of concrete indicators in the NAP currently under development. In Nepal, similar collaborations have resulted in the establishment of special rehabilitation programs for displaced and disabled persons, and initiation of localizing NAP development. Both cases highlight how support for strong and ongoing civil society-government collaboration is critical for effective development and implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.