Germany adopted its third National Action Plan (NAP) for the period 2021-2024. This NAP builds on the work of the previous two plans, implemented for the periods 2017-2020 and 2013-2016. It was developed by the Interministerial Working Group for Women, Peace and Security. Its six priority areas are crisis prevention; participation; protection and support; humanitarian assistance, crisis management, and reconstruction; strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; and increasing institutional integration and capacities. Compared to the previous two NAPs, it contains an expanded monitoring and evaluation framework (page 42 onwards) which provides details on the implementation of activities. Although some indicators in the NAP indicate the allocation of financial resources, other budgetary details are not provided in the NAP.
The previous NAP was adopted in 2017 for the period 2017-2020. The second NAP identified five focal points towards the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, including gender-sensitive conflict prevention; women’s increased participation in conflict prevention and peacebuilding; increased attention to the needs of women and girls in humanitarian action; protection from sexual and gender-based violence; and promoting the WPS agenda at the national, regional, and international level. While each focal point had corresponding goals, the NAP did not identify specific indicators, a monitoring and evaluation framework, or an allocated budget. The first German NAP, implemented for 2013-2016, compiled its objectives under six thematic goals: prevention; preparation of operations, basic, advanced, and continued training; participation; protection; reintegration and reconstruction; and criminal prosecution. The NAP interpreted the implementation of the WPS agenda mostly internationally.
In the first NAP, disarmament was approached through the framework of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration efforts (DDR). However, the second NAP expanded this focus by identifying incorporating a gender perspective into arms control projects as one of its objectives. The third NAP addresses disarmament within the context of conflict/crisis prevention and protection.
Germany reported on the implementation of its NAP, as well as WPS commitments, in its national reporting for Beijing+25 and in preparation for CSW64 (2020).
Germany does not have a recent history of internal armed conflict, but contributes to overseas military operations and peacekeeping missions. In 2019, Germany was among the top 10 military spenders as well as being among top 5 arms exporters in the world.
Germany is also a contributor to humanitarian aid, including being a contributing donor to the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, a global partnership that works to empower women in conflict zones and humanitarian crises. Germany is also a partner of the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to mitigate and provide accountability for gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies.
At the multilateral level, Germany was most recently a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2019-2020.