National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security in focus at OSCE workshop

Experts from OSCE participating States, and representatives of academia and civil society came together for a workshop in Vienna on 4 April 2014 to discuss the first study on existing National Action Plans on implementing Women, Peace and Security commitments in the OSCE region.

The workshop for 30 experts and specialists was organized by the OSCE Gender Section and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), with the aim of reviewing the report’s preliminary results. Participants also exchanged views on challenges and good practices in the development, implementation and monitoring of National Action Plans on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

“To date, 43 states worldwide have launched National Action Plans for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Out of those, 27 are OSCE participating States,” said Ambassador Miroslava Beham, Senior Advisor on Gender Issues. “However, approaches for the development of National Action Plans vary to a high degree, resulting in different levels of implementation. With this study we want to take stock of the lessons learnt, specifically within the OSCE region, and provide participating States with improved tools for action.”

"Sometimes a National Action Plan can be seen as a burden, on the other hand, it can be seen as being not ambitious enough,” said Tony Anderson, from the Foreign Ministry of Canada. Nonetheless, an Action Plan has an overall positive effect and impact on the daily business of the organization because it makes it act upon how to gender mainstream all the areas related to women in conflict situations."

The study is a joint project by the OSCE Gender Section and PRIO and is the first analysis to focus on the existing UN SCR 1325 National Action Plans in the OSCE region. It offers best practices and provides practical guidance to participating States that are in the process of developing and implementing such plans, or will do so in the future.

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, adopted in 2000, addresses the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women, recognizes the importance of women's equal participation and full involvement in maintaining and promoting peace and security, and the need to enhance protection of women, girls and their rights.