Government representatives and civil society discuss priorities on women, peace and security for Asia- Pacific
Date:
On 9-10 August 2023, 70 Government and civil society representatives from the Asia-Pacific region working on women, peace and security (WPS) met in Bangkok, Thailand for the Regional Conference “Promoting Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific: Experiences in Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda”. The conference was organized by the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact (WPS-HA Compact), with the generous support of the Governments of Australia and Norway.
The conference provided a space for participants to discuss key objectives, strategies and partnerships for the development and implementation of National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (NAP-WPS), including the WPS Regional Plan of Action of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). To facilitate this process, the event centered on sharing experiences and lessons learned from WPS-HA Compact signatories and WPS champions from Asia and the Pacific. The Compact has contributed to catalyze regional efforts on national action plans, while providing an advocacy platform to engage States to develop and strengthen their own NAPs.
Throughout the two-day conference, participants discussed lessons learned and promising practices for operationalizing and localizing the WPS agenda. Tangible recommendations on appropriate processes to develop effective NAP-WPS were also provided. The conference discussed the central role of women’s civil society organizations in advancing gender-responsive peace processes, while highlighting the importance of taking on inclusive approaches where the voices of young women, women with disabilities and indigenous women are heard and their expertise included. Participants also discussed emerging security issues in the region, including the impact of climate change and the malicious use of technologies on conflict dynamics.
During the last day, the participants developed recommendations for an Asia-Pacific Regional Policy Guidance on the Development and Implementation of NAPs, which will be drafted based on the discussions held at the conference. The policy guidance will be an important resource for Governments who wish to develop NAP-WPS, or otherwise strengthen their WPS work. Conference participants used this opportunity to connect for continued peer support and knowledge exchange across the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
Government & civil society representatives from the Asia-Pacific region, including signatories of the @WPSHAcompact, are in our regional conference to share experiences & identify best approaches to advance the women, peace & security agenda in the region.#WPS4AP#WPSHAcompactpic.twitter.com/dVq1HSybIg
Having a National Action Plan for #WPS (#NAPWPS) without a budget is like having a car without fuel. We need to ensure that our commitments to gender equality and gender-responsive peace are properly financed to attain real change.#WPS4AP, #WPSHAcompact, @WPSHACompactpic.twitter.com/SLoL9TWA7T
Climate change and the malicious use of technologies are rapidly shifting the peace and security landscape. Panelists during the #WPS4AP have discussed innovative solutions to increasingly complex security challenges and how to tackle these through #NAPWPS.#WPSAP, #WPSHAcompactpic.twitter.com/R9qME2oiGg
.@sharonfiji, @GPPAC, Regional Rep, Pacific & Programme Manager, Pacific Women Mediators Network highlights the importance of fostering mutual understanding and collaboration between governments and CSOs to create a comprehensive strategy for meaningful change.#WPS4APpic.twitter.com/nU5zIkPnkW