National Action Plan: Ireland commits to prioritizing the implementation of its NAP by taking a whole of government approach and improve the coordination of domestic dimension of the NAP. This includes sharing lessons with other Member States on monitoring and evaluation and development process.
We have launched our third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which set new standards for inclusive approaches through our consultations with migrant and refugee women living in Ireland from conflict affected countries. We listened to their voices and domestic commitments for these women in our National Action Plan now include language classes, supporting their creative outlets, gender sensitive interpretation and ensuring consistent psycho-social services. There are now 8 Irish government departments and agencies implementing WPS.
Ireland has set up an Oversight Group for the third National Action Plan which is made up of 50% government and 50% civil society.
Ireland shared lessons on NAPs and Monitoring & Evaluation expertise with the Netherlands, Liberia, Lithuania, Malta, and Bulgaria. Ireland supported the work of Dr Debbie Donnelly to provide technical expertise for the development of Indicators for the EU Action Plan on WPS.
The process for developing the third National Action Plan is outlined on a dedicated webpage, which contains links to the submissions from various civil society actors, academics, and other WPS practitioners. WILPF contributed to the process and made a submission to the Third NAP. A summary of the views expressed in 49 submissions has been compiled and are presented in this document and individual submissions can be read on the website. The submission of WILPF’s disarmament programme, Reaching Critical Will, provides recommendations for Ireland’s NAP on issues related to disarmament and demilitarisation. Maria Butler, WILPF Director of Global Programmes, serves on the Oversight Group for Ireland’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The role of the Oversight Group is to monitor and assess the implementation of the third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The Oversight Group will oversee the regular and systematic review of progress on achieving stated outcomes, actions, targets, and impact across all pillars as set out in the third NAP.
Ireland’s work across the participation pillar of the WPS Agenda will include a focus on empowering young people, in particular young women and girls. This will incorporate the need for greater investments in the capacity, agency and leadership of young people and in intergenerational dialogue.
In 2019, EUR197,000 was provided to our peacebuilding partner, Interpeace, to support follow up activities to The Missing Peace report and to support youth engagement in peacebuilding in Burkina Faso. The Missing Peace programme is rooted in the symbiotic relationship between the YPS and WPS agendas. This entails the prioritization of the lived experiences of young women, as well as attention to the issues of masculinity in relation to peace, and conflict as part of the YPS implementation agenda. It also entails an assertion of the importance of youth and generational issues within the WPS agenda and relies on reciprocal learning between these two spheres of policy, practice and scholarship. This will be enhanced through a strategic engagement with UN Women to ensure the reciprocal relationship between these two interrelated policy spheres. The Burkina Faso project contributes to the WPS agenda by making visible and enhancing young women’s influence and meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes and fostering the inclusion of a gender perspective in questions regarding peace and security. It recognizes the diverse ways women and girls, men and boys, are affected by conflict, and their unique contribution to peace. The programme stimulates conversation on UNSCR 1325 and Burkina Faso’s National Action Plan for the Implementation of Resolutions 1325 and 1820, particularly regarding how young women can use UNSCR 1325/NAP as tools for advocating a greater role for themselves in peace and security processes.
Ireland also provided EUR25,000 to an OSCE project on Youth, Peace and Security. This funding contributes to Phase 2 of a project designed to meaningfully integrate youth perspectives into OSCE security debates. Strengthening the OSCEs ability to promote peace, stability and comprehensive security. The programme contributes to the WPS agenda by making visible andenhancing young women’s influence and meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes and fostering the inclusion of a gender perspective in questions regarding peace and security. It recognizes the diverse ways women and girls, men and boys, are affected by conflict, and their unique contribution to peace. Ireland’s work across the participation pillar of the WPS Agenda will include a focus on empowering young people in particular young women and girls. This will incorporate the need for greater investments in the capacity, agency and leadership of young people and of intergenerational dialogue.
In 2019, Plan Ireland received €3,304,608 to focus on improving access to education for children, particularly for girls, those affected by conflict and those with disabilities. Funding is allocated to projects in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Northern Cameroon, Jordan, Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR). Plan is also involved in promoting the participation of girls in political advocacy, including girls’ engagement with legislators and political leaders during International Day of the Girl.
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 with the aim of mobilising political support and financing for education in emergencies, facilitating joint humanitarian and development planning and responses, and improving accountability. By the end of 2018 ECW has supported education services for 1 million children and young people affected by conflict and other crises in 19 countries and facilitated joint multi-annual education response plans for protracted crises situations in three countries. Ireland has pledged EUR6 million for 2019-2021.
Ireland is a significant funder to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) with EUR25 million pledged for 2018-2020. At a global level we view the GPE as complementing our country level work and broadening our reach, especially now with the strong GPE focus on fragile states, girls education and learning outcomes.
In 2019, Plan Ireland received EUR3,304,608 to focus on improving access to education for children, particularly for girls, those affected by conflict and those with disabilities. Funding is allocated to projects in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Northern Cameroon, Jordan, Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR). Plan is also involved in promoting the participation of girls in political advocacy, including girls’ engagement with legislators and political leaders during International Day of the Girl.
Plan Ireland receives both long-term development and humanitarian funding from Irish Aid, and these programmes include the empowerment of girls in several conflict-prone countries. In 2019, Plan received €3,304,608 in Irish Aid funding – this included EUR 1,332, 421 under the Programme Grant, EUR1,478,722 under the Humanitarian Programme Plan, and EUR493,465 under the Emergency Response Fund Scheme. The programmes are focused on improving access to education for children, particularly for girls, those affected by conflict and those with disabilities. Funding is allocated to projects in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Northern Cameroon, Jordan, Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR). Plan is also involved in promoting the participation of girls in political advocacy,including girls’ engagement with legislators and political leaders during International Day of the Girl.
Under PGII, Christain Aid International work on From Violence to Peace as one of the core themes. In 2018, work on From Violence to Peace addressed protection for HRDs (Colombia, Zimbabwe, Angola), early warning systems for conflict and violence, and improved mechanisms for conflict resolution at micro, meso and macro level (Sierra Leone, Angola, Zimbabwe, Central America). CAI will continue to prioritise their Violence to Peace lead role which supports the Global Strategy of the broader Christian Aid organisation.
Additional Reading: A Better World – Ireland’s Policy for International Development indicates that Ireland will intensify their work on Women, Peace and Security and on gender-based violence.
Funding for Women, Peace Security related activities is mainstreamed throughout the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, both through development programming but also through the activities of the conflict resolution unit supporting the WPS agenda globally and within the EU. (pg. 81 – Ireland Report for Beijing+25)
Peacekeeping: Will develop, support and deliver a training course designed to enhance the capacity of Military Police (MP) from Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to investigate and document Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA).
In November 2019, Ireland delivered training to an international contingent, consisting of military, police and NGO actors that would provide them with the necessary skills to investigate/ document/ monitor SGBV and SEA in overseas mission environments.
Attendees included military personnel and representatives from Ireland, UK, Germany, and NATO.
Financial Commitments: Ireland will increase funding directly related to Women, Peace and Security, including at least a 25% increase to GBV response and prevention in conflict affected and fragile states.
In 2019, Ireland increased our support to the protection and empowerment of women and girls in conflict affected and fragile states by entering a new Strategic Partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), who have a longstanding history working to protection women and girls, disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises.
Through this partnership, we increased our funding to IRC by 36% (EUR1.1 to EUR1.5million) and extended from a 2- to 3-year multi-annual partnership allowing for longer-term planning and programing contributing towards transformative change.
A Better World – Ireland’s Policy for International Development provides an outline of Ireland’s development work on the issue of GBV.
Gender-based Violence: Support analysis and the development of practical guidelines to aid States Parties with the implementation of GBV obligations in the Arms Trade Treaty.
Ireland has continued to support research and practical measures designed to share good practices among States and promote the effective implementation of ATT’s GBV provisions. We have continued to articulate the importance and value of States Parties to the ATT adopting as set of practical guidelines to aid in the implementation of the relevant GBV Treaty obligations.
In August 2019, Ireland organised a workshop for States and civil society during the preparatory process for the Fifth Conference of States Parties (CSP5) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to strengthen knowledge and capacity on the ATT’s GBV provision and obligations. Ireland led on outreach on a joint statement at the CSP5, which secured the support of 46 States Parties for a CSP5 Decision that notes that ‘elements for a voluntary training guide… including best practices for risk assessment, should be developed with voluntary funding’.
Ireland also organised two side events to distil good practices to this effect at the CSP5 and at UNGA74 First Committee, and wewere active in developing ‘ideas for action’ as a co-chair of the International Gender Champions Disarmament Impact Group in Geneva.
In January 2020, Ireland held a workshop for ATT stakeholders in Dublin, at which next steps in the development of such practical guidelines were discussed, among other issues. This work builds on Ireland’s past efforts in this area, including the submission of a working paper on GBV risk assessments, and support for the development of informal GBV guidelines, during the CSP3 and CSP4 preparatory processes respectively.
Additional reading: General information about Disarmament Ireland is available on their website, including updates on speeches and other statements.