National Action Plans

Photo: UN Women/Pornvit Visitoran

National Action Plans (NAPs) provide a valuable tool for states to implement their commitments to the Women, Peace and Security agenda and for civil society to hold them accountable. NAPs are a practical document that detail the actions a government is taking to meet its obligations under the eight UN Security Council Women, Peace and Security resolutions, and other internationally agreed resolutions to ensure these commitments are translated into concrete policies and programmes.

NAPs provide an opportunity for national stakeholders to identify priorities, determine responsibilities, allocate resources, and initiate strategic actions within a defined time frame to deliver policies and programmes that respond to the needs and priorities of conflict-affected women.

As of May 2016, 63 countries have adopted NAPs including 9 in the Asia-Pacific region, with several currently in development.

The following countries in Asia Pacific have formulated NAPs:

1. Afghanistan (2015-2022)
2. Australia (2012-2018)
3. Indonesia (2014-2019)
4. Japan (2015-)
5. Republic of Korea (2014)
6. Nepal (2011/12 – 2015/16)
7. New Zealand (2015-2019)
8. The Philippines (2011-2016)
9. Timor-Leste (Announced in 2016)

In addition, there is a Pacific Regional Action Plan (2012-2015), which has recently finalized its term.

What is in a NAP? Sample provisions

The priorities and actions identified within the NAPs-WPS framework commonly integrate the four pillars of the WPS agenda. These four pillars encompass women’s participation at all levels of decision-making in the peace and security sphere, incorporation of a gender perspective into conflict prevention initiatives, protection of the rights of women and girls, and ensuring that gender considerations are integrated into relief and recovery efforts. Within these pillars, context specific provisions addressing the following areas:

• Conflict Prevention
• Peace Negotiations and Peace Agreements
• Constitutional and Electoral Reform
• Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of Combatants
• Humanitarian Response: Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
• Peacekeeping Operations
• Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence
• Post-Conflict Rehabilitation, and Truth and Reconciliation
• Security Sector Reform
• Gender Balance: Women in Decision-Making

UN Women’s Role

UN Women applauds the efforts of those countries that have adopted NAPs-WPS and has provided technical and financial support in the formulation and/or implementation of NAPs across the Asia-Pacific region; including a recently organized the Asia-Pacific Regional Symposium on National Action Plans on Women, Peace, and Security.

Afghanistan (2015-2022)

UN Women together with the Government of Finland has provided financial and technical support to support the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA) on UNSC 1325 working alongside the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. UN Women continues to collaborate with government agencies and Afghan civil society to successfully implement NAP on WPS.

• Women's inclusion in peace process critical for successful transition in Afghanistan: John Hendra, 2013
• UN Women; Developing Afghanistan's National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Related Resolutions, 2013

Nepal (2011-2016)

UN Women provided technical support in drafting the NAP, and supported the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction to increase awareness about the UN Security Council resolutions, improve the capacity of government personnel, train women leaders and advocate for women's participation after the armed conflict ended. The National Action Plan was developed through a collaborative process with UN Women, the government, political parties, civil society organizations and international development partners.

• Press Release - Global Study on the Implementation of resolution 1325 conducted in Nepal, 2015
• A Catalyst For Peace, 2014
• Speech by Gitanjali Singh, UN Women Deputy Representative for Nepal at the Launch of UNSCR 1325 & 1820 NAP Implementation Guideline, 2013
• A Time for Peace: Nepal Adopts National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, 2011
• Nepal’s National Action Plan

Timor-Leste

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior and with the pivotal UN Women support, Timor-Leste recently approved a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. With the support of the Japanese Government, UN Women Timor-Leste launched a new four-year project that supports the implementation of the NAP on UNSC Resolution 1325, and will specifically contribute to its monitoring.

• UN Women and the Government of Japan partner to enhance women’s leadership and participation for sustaining development in Timor-Leste, June 2016
• Investing in women for peace and future generations: Timor-Leste Adopts a National Action Plan on Security Council Resolution 1325, April 2016
• Translating global commitments into national actions: Timor-Leste’s first Inter-Ministerial Consultation to develop a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, 2014
• Charting a course for Timor-Leste’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, 2013