‍ITALY

Italy has produced four National Action Plans (2010, 2014, 2016), including the current Plan which covers the period 2020-2024. 

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Objectives of Italy’s 2020-2024 NAP:

Objective No.1 - Strengthen – on a continuous and lasting basis - the role of women in peace processes and in all decision-making processes, also increasing synergies with civil society, in order to effectively implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325(2000) and the WPS Agenda; 

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Objective No.2 - Continue to promote a gender perspective in peace operations and enhance the presence of women, in particular in the Armed Forces and Polices Forces, strengthening their role in decision-making processes relating to peace-keeping missions and in peace conferences; 

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Objective No.3 – Contribute to promote gender equality, empowerment and protection of women and children, especially girls and boys, as well as respect for human rights of women and children, especially girls, in conflict and post-conflict areas, increasing synergies with civil society, in order to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325(2000) and the WPS Agenda;

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Objective No.4 – Strengthen strategic communication and result-oriented advocacy, by bolstering the Italian participation in relevant fora, conferences and mechanisms (eg UN system, Red Cross, OSCE, NATO, EU, OECD, Council of Europe), to further support the implementation of the WPS Agenda while continuing to ensure the enhancement of information and training at all levels, on the various cross-cutting issues of UNSCR1325(2000), in particular for the personnel participating in peace operations, including by increasing synergies with civil society and universities, in order to effectively implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325(2000) and the WPS Agenda.

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Commentary:

Italy has always been a strong contributor to UN peacekeeping efforts. This fourth iteration of the country’s NAP focuses on refining the tools already established by previous plans and deepening civil society and institutional involvement.

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Italy’s NAP emphasises the country’s long-running activity in the realm of humanitarian aid both individually and as a member state of the European Union. It also highlight Italy’s support of efforts to recognise Violence against Women as a human rights issue and to work to reduce sexual violence in armed conflict. Key measures recommended in the plan include integrating initiatives to tackle and respond to gender-based violence within humanitarian aid packages and providing rehabilitation for women and girls who have suffered sexual violence in war. 

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Interestingly, the NAP also calls on the private sector to contribute to efforts to help women and children displaced by war, including those with disabilities, elderly women, and orphaned girls. The plan is also clear about its commitment to children affected by armed conflict and draws attention to the choice of wording “children and in particular girls” to express this focus in the context of UNSCR1325. 

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As well as continued commitments to promote women’s leadership in peace and reconstruction processes (including through support for the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network), the NAP pledges to provide specific support to local women’s associations at the grass-roots. One element of this is the development of a strategic communications campaign involving CSOs, universities and the national media to disseminate information and promote awareness of the WPS Agenda and Human Rights.

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Civil society involvement in development of the NAP:  

Due to the timing of this fourth NAP during the Covid19 pandemic, many of the initial consultations and meetings had to be held virtually. Civil society stakeholders were nonetheless made central to the evaluation and redrafting process alongside representatives from academia, trade unions and other institutions. A working group reviews the progress of the NAP on a yearly basis and the NAP calls for the development of “a regular structured dialogue with CSOs” (p.18).

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UN Peacekeeping  statistics:

As of Sept 2023, Italy contributed 920 peacekeeping personnel, of whom 39 were female: 

Italy’s ranking as a contributor of personnel to UN peacekeeping missions (as of Sept 2023): 21 

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Women in Peacekeeping:

The Italian NAP explicitly states the need to organise more relevant training courses for Gender Advisors in military settings. These include UN, NATO and EU shared training facilities and knowledge-sharing strategies, as well as courses provided by CoESPU* for peacekeepers from third countries. This NAP also goes beyond calling for the need to increase participation by noting the importance of analysing and breaking down the barriers to women’s full access and progression in military peace operations. In a domestic setting, specific measures such as provision of childcare and challenging stereotypes are listed within the NAP as key measures for achieving the objective of women’s increased participation.

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References and sources: 

National Action Plan (2020) Available at: https://www.wpsnaps.org/app/uploads/2022/12/Italy-NAP-4-2020-2024.pdf

Contribution of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type (Sept 2023): 05-Missions Detailed By Country

Uniformed Personnel Contributing Countries by Ranking (Sept 2023) 02-Contributions by Country (Ranking)

United Nations Peacekeeping. (Sept 2023). Troop and police contributors‌. Available at: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/troop-and-police-contributors 

*CoESPU (Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units) is an Italian Carabinieri think tank working in partnership with the US Global Peace Operations Initiative, to help build global capacity for United Nations and Regional Peace Support Operations by training peacekeeping forces:  Homepage | CoESPU - Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units