Women, Peace and Security Agenda
Italy has supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000 on “Women, Peace and Security” from the outset and has worked towards the full implementation of this Resolution and those approved on the subject in subsequent years.
The Women, Peace and Security Agenda is traditionally divided into four pillars:
Participation: promoting the full, equal and effective participation of women in all negotiation processes and at all decision-making levels (local, national and international) aimed at the prevention, management and resolution of armed conflicts;
Protection: this involves defending women’s fundamental rights as prescribed by international Conventions, and in particular condemning all forms of gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict or humanitarian emergency. A parallel series of resolutions has been developed on this issue over the years, including the important Resolution 1820 of 2008;
Prevention: this aspect includes the prosecution of individuals who commit violence against women, the strengthening of the protection of women in national legislation and support for women’s organisations at the local level;
Post-conflict reconstruction: this includes the adoption of a gender perspective in humanitarian assistance and in the treatment of refugees and internally displaced persons.
National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security
To implement the Agenda, the Security Council Resolutions identify a wide range of tasks for UN Member States. In particular, Resolution 1889 of 2009 encouraged the adoption of so-called National Action Plans, which concretely implement the content of the Resolutions both domestically and in international relations with other States, for example through projects aimed at strengthening one or more pillars of the Agenda in priority Countries.
The first Italian Action Plan covered the period 2010-2013. This was followed by the Second Plan (2014-2016), the Third (2016-2020), the Fourth (2020-2024) and the current Fifth, which runs from 2025 to 2029.
CIDU is the body in charge of drafting and managing the Plan at national level, while its implementation at international level is entrusted to the Directorate-General for Political Affairs and Security (DGAP) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
Over the years, the Italian Plans have been characterised by the strong and active involvement of universities, research institutes and civil society organisations, which propose and implement intervention projects on the basis of specific annual calls for proposals issued by the DGAP.
The Fourth National Action Plan expired at the end of 2024. Since June 2024, the process of drafting the Fifth Action Plan has been underway, and came into force in 2025, the year marking the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1325/2000 and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
National Action Plans Women, Peace and Security
V NAP WPS 2025-2029 (English version)
IV NAP WPS 2020-2024 (English version)
III NAP WPS 2016-2019 – (English version)
II NAP WPS 2014-2016 – (English version)
I NAP WPS 2010-2013 – (English version)