WILPF welcomes the recent adoption in December 2012 by Germany of a National Action Plan (NAP) implementing the UNSC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
Whilst recognising this, and though various human rights concerns in Germany could be pointed out, WILPF will focus on highlighting the gaps presented in this National Action Plan.
WILPF International would like to suggest the following recommendations to States for the review of Germany:
Preventing conflict is an essential aspect of implementing women, peace and security. Yet Germany, in its NAP implementing the UNSCR 1325, falls short of putting prevention of armed conflict to the forefront. Therefore, WILPF recommends to:
- Increase focus on the prevention of conflict in the NAP, including preventive diplomacy, disarmament and regulation of the arms trade, to fully remedy violations of human rights in conflict.
- Moreover, as Germany is presiding over the Group of Interested States in Practical Disarmament Measures, WILPF recommends that Germany work in collaboration with that group to regulate arms trade within the framework of conflict prevention.
The NAP does not contain a monitoring mechanism to assess the implementation of the resolution on the ground. Involving non-governmental organisations and civil society, with women in particular, in the monitoring of the implementation of the NAP has proven to be essential for ensuring the application of NAPs according to the spirit of the Security Council Resolution 1325.
The NAP states that Germany will hold an annual meeting with civil society organisations to share information regarding the NAP implementation; however, there are neither specifics nor any deadline set to organise this meeting yet. Hence, WILPF recommends that Germany:
- Establish a strong mechanism based on a specific list of indicators to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the Resolution. Civil society organisations should be fully involved in this monitoring process.
A specific and adequate budget is necessary to ensure the successful implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 through its integration into national policies and training programmes. Thus WILPF recommends that Germany:
• Establish a cross-ministerial official budget for all actions necessary to the full implementation of Resolution 1325 to be undertaken.
Despite the establishment of an interministerial working group to coordinate German policy regarding the implementation of Resolution 1325, the German National Plan of Action remains unclear regarding the distribution of responsibilities between the different institutions concerned. Thus, WILPF recommends that Germany:
- Put into place a task force on Women, Peace and Security that would establish and clarify the specific responsibilities of each ministry to implement the NAP.
Contact us:
María Muñoz Maraver at mmunoz(a)wilpf.ch or rights(a)wilpf.ch