Ha Noi, Viet Nam – An international workshop on National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) was held today in Ha Noi, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in partnership with UN Women.
Building on the momentum and commitments from the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security which was successfully hosted by Viet Nam in Ha Noi in late 2021, today’s international workshop brought together WPS experts and more than 100 representatives from the Viet Nam National Assembly, Government ministries, United Nations, and other agencies, both offline and online, to discuss how to accelerate the development of a National Action Plan on WPS for Viet Nam, as part of its international commitment to implement the WPS Agenda.
By examining six different NAP models from Canada, Norway, Sudan, Uganda, Indonesia, and Thailand, the Workshop raised further awareness among Vietnamese stakeholders about the strategic importance of having a clear plan of action on WPS. Sharing good international practices on NAP implementation and relevant decision-making processes, the workshop also called for cross-ministerial collaboration by related government agencies to develop a NAP roadmap that articulates the vision and ambition of Viet Nam to advance the WPS Agenda. The development of a well-resourced National Action Plan on WPS was a key provision in the Hanoi Commitment for Action, which is the outcome document of the global conference on WPS held in Viet Nam in December 2020.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Do Hung Viet, Assistant Foreign Minister of Viet Nam, emphasized that national action plans on WPS will help connect, orient and coordinate efforts at the national level with a view to promoting the role of women and girls in peace processes. He affirmed that the study of these plans opens a new direction to continue Vietnam's initiatives at the United Nations Security Council, promotes Viet Nam's active role and affirms its strong commitment in the field of gender equality in general and Women, Peace and Security in particular.
"A National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security can be a powerful and complementary tool to the existing efforts by the Government to strengthen the protection and empowerment of women. The National Action Plan elevates for attention and action the multiple security needs faced by women in Viet Nam, including to cope with emerging threats like COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated pre-existing gender inequalities in many countries. Strong political will and commitment can further the determination of the Government of Viet Nam to enhance the implementation of the WPS Agenda," said Rana Flowers, United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim of Viet Nam, and Representative of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
