OSCE co-organizes second National Action Plan Academy on Women, Peace and Security in Vienna

Developing the technical skills to design a high-impact national action plan to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was the topic of the National Action Plan (NAP) Academy which ended on 20 October 2017 in Vienna. The two-day workshop was organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Gender Section and the Washington-based organization Inclusive Security.

Some 20 government and civil society experts from Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, Romania and Tajikistan came together to share their views and experiences on UNSCR 1325 in the context of their countries.

The participants discussed challenges and best practices for advancing women’s inclusion in security decision-making. The workshop provided them with the opportunity to network with other action plan practitioners in the OSCE region.

Action plans to implement UNSCR 1325 are effective tools for enhancing women's active role in conflict prevention, peace building and security processes in order to achieve sustainable peace.

In her opening remarks, Senior Gender Adviser Amarsanaa Darisuren highlighted the OSCE’s long-term commitment to supporting the participating States in the implementation of UNSCR 1325.

The workshop participants stressed that National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 can make a difference to the everyday security of families and communities only if they are prepared and implemented through inclusive processes. They also noted that government actors, particularly in the security sector, can truly benefit from the insights of civil society and women who have their fingers on the pulse of society. Similarly, civil society actors must also realize that they need to work in partnership with government.

As Miki Jacevic from Inclusive Security stressed, “no action plan is perfect, but many countries have taken positive and exemplary steps towards a high-impact NAP”. Setting up effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms still remain a common challenge for the NAPs. Jacevic noted that events like the NAP Academy provide “excellent opportunities to make sure that good and innovative practices are shared with practitioners in other countries”.

This is the second OSCE-supported National Action Plan Academy, following the workshop that took place in Vienna last year.