New Zealand’s Women, Peace & Security (WPS) second National Action Plan (NAP) 2025–2035
The new National Action Plan runs 2025-2035, and builds on New Zealand’s first WPS NAP (2015-2019).
It is centred around the four standard ‘pillars’ of Women, Peace & Security: prevention; participation; protection; and relief & recovery (or peacebuilding/relief/recovery).
The plan was developed with input from various government agencies and from civil society and women’s organisations.
Objectives / Priorities
Some of the main priority areas and goals in the 2025-2035 NAP include:
Prevention
Addressing root causes of conflict, including those which disproportionately affect women and girls.
Integrating WPS perspectives in early-warning, diplomatic / foreign policy / security sector planning.
Ensuring training, doctrine, and policies in NZ government/security institutions reflect WPS commitments.
Participation
ncreasing the number and seniority of women from New Zealand in international peace operations, peacebuilding, mediation, and political / security decision-making.
Removing barriers to women’s deployment overseas (for NZDF, NZ Police, etc.), including through recruitment, promotion, and selection panel practices.
Protection
Strengthening the protection of the rights of women and girls in conflict / fragile environments. This includes protection from gender-based violence, combatting sexual violence, and ensuring rights under international humanitarian law / human rights law.
Ensuring NZ’s contributions (through aid, diplomacy, peace operations) are sensitive to the safety, security, health, and justice needs of women and girls.
Relief, Recovery & Peacebuilding
Ensuring that post-conflict, post-crisis recovery/relief incorporates gender equality: e.g., access to services, justice, socio-economic recovery, restorative/transitional justice, reconciliation.
Working with partner / conflict-affected states, especially in the Pacific region.
Civil Society / Consultations
Civil society actors were involved in developing the 2025-2035 plan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) reports the NAP was developed “with input from a range of government agencies, women, and civil society representatives.”
Also, the 2021 implementation report of the first NAP included “reflections from civil society on NAP implementation”, and those input have been considered in developing the new plan.
In earlier critiques of the first NAP, civil society (e.g., Amnesty International, Women’s NGOs) emphasized that some actions lacked specificity, measurable targets, and dedicated funding. The new plan appears to try to address those gaps.
Implications / Relevance for NZ & UN Peacekeepers
For New Zealand’s forces (NZ Defence Force) and NZ Police when they are deployed in UN peacekeeping or similar missions, some of the implications are:
Deployment and Gender Balance: The NAP includes objectives to raise the number of women deployed, especially in senior roles, as well as ensuring that deployment / selection processes are gender-sensitive.
Training & Doctrine: There will need to be more consistent training on WPS / gender-based violence, protection of civilians, and integrating gender analysis into planning & reporting. NZDF and NZ Police are charged with reviewing policy, training, and selection procedures.
Investigative Accountability: The plan emphasizes investigating violations of women’s rights in missions, reporting allegations, and ensuring accountability when credible allegations arise (including by NZ personnel) in UN-mandated and international assistance missions.
Support to Local Women & Civil Society: NZ is likely to support women’s organizations and civil society in partner countries/conflict zones, in particular through its aid program and peacebuilding funding. This strengthens local capacities that UN peacekeeping operations and post-conflict reconstruction rely on.
UN Peacekeeping statistics:
As of March 31, 2025, New Zealand has contributed 10 personnel for peacekeeping missions (of which only 2 were women).
New Zealand's ranking as a contributor of personnel to UN peacekeeping missions: 92
Women’s role in peacekeeping:
Between 2003 and 2014, 192 New Zealand police women served on 256 international deployments; many deployed more than once, largely in the Pacific region and in Afghanistan. (NAP p13)
In 2012, of the military personnel deployed on international assignments 18% were women, with several in senior roles including a Lieutenant Colonel to the Chief United Nations Observer role in Lebanon, a Wing Commander to Senior National Officer in Dubai and a Colonel to Afghanistan. (NAP p14)
References:
At this stage it was not possible to locate a public version of New Zealand’s 2025-2035 WPS in any format.
New Zealand National Action Plan 2015-2019: Untitled (wpsnaps.org)
United Nations Peacekeeping. (May 2023): Troop and police contributors | United Nations Peacekeeping
Contribution of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type (May 2023): 05-Missions Detailed By Country
UN statistics
https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/05_missions_detailed_by_country_84_march_2025.pdf
