United Kingdom

Plan launched first in 2006, second in 2010, third in 2014, fourth in 2018

Objectives/Aims
•  Decision-making: An increase in women’s meaningful and representative participation in decision making processes, including conflict prevention and peacebuilding at community and national levels
• Peacekeeping: A gender perspective is consistently applied in the setting and implementation of international standards and mandates for peace operations
• Gender-based violence: An increase in the number and scale of interventions that integrate effective measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, particularly violence against women and girls (VAWG) which is the most prevalent form of GBV
• Humanitarian response: Women’s and girls’ needs are more effectively met by humanitarian actors and interventions through needs-based responses that promote meaningful participation and leadership
•  Security and justice: Security and justice actors are increasingly accountable to women and girls, and responsive to their rights and needs
•  Preventing and countering violent extremism: Ensure the participation and leadership of women in developing strategies to prevent and counter violent extremism
•  UK capabilities: HMG continues to strengthen its capability, processes and leadership to deliver against WPS commitments.

Commentary
The UK launched its fourth NAP in January 2018 for a duration of five years (2018-2022). It is a comprehensive document that represents Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda based on its four pillars: prevention, participation, protection and, relief and recovery. The NAP’s aforementioned seven strategic objectives aim to contribute to the four pillars of Security Council’s WPS agenda. 9 countries including Afghanistan, South Sudan and Syria are identified as focus countries that are all fragile and conflict-affected states. In this vein, while the current NAP predominantly focuses on overseas countries, the UK needs to ensure that its own internal issues are addressed.

Civil Society
Civil society organisations are influential audiences and partners of the UK NAP and contribute their own comments and recommendations as well as coordinating the process. Both civil society and academic sector organisations actively participated in the development, implementation, evaluation and monitoring activities of the UK NAP including the Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) - network of UK-based NGOs - and the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security, and following in-country civil society consultations in Afghanistan, Burma, Somalia and Syria to ensure the voices of women in fragile and conflict-affected states were included.

Women in Peacekeeping
The NAP’s strategic outcome 2 is particularly concentrated on peacekeeping and gender perspective in peace operations. As stated in the NAP, “peacekeeping missions that include women are more effective and better able to engage with the local population, particularly women and girls” (2018, p.10). Integrating gender perspectives into peacekeeping operations can ensure that women and girls are more effectively supported and better encouraged to work in military, police and civilian organisations delivering peace operations.

UN Peacekeeping Statistics

Troops: 52 out of 541

Staff Officers: 6 out of 25

Experts on Mission: 0 out of 4

‍‍‍Sources
United Kingdom National Action Plan (2006)
United Kingdom National Action Plan (2010)
United Kingdom National Action Plan (2014)
United Kingdom National Action Plan (2018)
PeaceWomen (n.d)

References
GAPS.UK (2018) UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security Six Months In. Available at: http://gaps-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/GAPS-NAP-Six-Month-Check-In-2018.pdf  [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].
HM Government (2018). UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security 2018 - 2022. pp.1-32.
HM Government (2014). United Kingdom National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security. pp.1-36.
HM Government (2012). UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2012 revision). pp.1-75.
PeaceWomen (n.d.). National Action Plan: United Kingdom. [online] Peacewomen.org. Available at: https://www.peacewomen.org/nap-uk [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].
UN Peacekeeping (2019). Summary of Contributions to UN Peacekeeping by Country, Mission and Post. [online] Peacekeeping.un.org. Available at: https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/3_country_and_mission_11.pdf  [Accessed 19 Feb. 2019].

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