In this practical guidance note, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security explores the capacity for National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (WPS NAPs) to be effective tools for national-level implementation of the WPS Agenda that is responsive to climate-related security risks.
WPS NAPs have become the primary tool for national-level efforts to implement the WPS Agenda. To remain relevant and effective, NAPs must be responsive to the ever-changing security landscape and emerging threats to peace and security, like climate change. While the share of NAPs that mention climate change has slowly increased, many include just one cursory reference to climate change in the background section that does not comprehensively address the impacts of climate-related security risks across all four pillars of WPS or include specific actions or commitments related to climate in the NAP’s implementation framework. This report presents actionable policy recommendations for WPS NAPs to more meaningfully address climate change and related security risks throughout their design, drafting, and implementation. The report, authored by Christina Vetter and Dr. Jessica Smith, was made possible with support from the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C.
Key Recommendations
- Create WPS NAPs that are responsive to emerging security threats. To ensure NAPs function as dynamic and effective policy instruments for the WPS Agenda, they must address emerging security challenges, including climate change. Integrating climate considerations into new and updated NAPs presents an opportunity for countries to better position themselves in the modern security landscape.
- Go beyond cursory or singular references to climate by mainstreaming climate considerations across the NAP. To realize the full potential of the NAP, action plans should substantively address the vital role women and girls play in catalyzing climate action and integrate climate change considerations across WPS pillars or lines of effort and implementation frameworks.
- Adopt a whole-of-government approach to drafting the NAP with inclusive civil society consultations. NAP drafters must go beyond consultations with “the usual suspects” and engage agencies across the government, including environmental ministries, to generate government-wide buy-in for climate-responsive WPS implementation. Governments should also directly engage with diverse civil society actors, including those focused on climate change adaptation and environmental protection, to ensure NAPs are aligned with the needs and priorities of those most impacted by climate change.
- Ensure accountability mechanisms through specific commitments in the implementation plan and budget. To go beyond the rhetorical references to climate and enable action, NAPs must detail how climate change will be addressed through specific actions, responsible bodies of government, indicators, and goals. Governments must allocate sufficient resources to ensure effective implementation.