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Japan Developing National Action Plan on UN Security
Council Resolution 1325
Around 80 representatives
from Japanese government agencies, such as the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, civil society organizations and academe took part in a seminar
on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security
held at Josai
International University in Tokyo on April 20, 2013.
Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida announced at the G8
meeting in London on April 11, 2013 that the government has started
its national action planning process on UNSCR 1325. In addition, Japan's
Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Kazuyoshi Umemoto, also
announced at the Security Council Open Debate on April 17, 2013 that,
"Japan has started developing a National Action Plan (NAP) based on
Security Council Resolution 1325. We are vigorously working on the plan,
which includes our commitments to further strengthen our efforts for the
protection of women's rights in humanitarian settings. We hope to
complete the plan, in close consultation with UN organizations such as UN
Women as well as civil society, as soon as possible."
The April 20th seminar in Tokyo aimed to enhance the level of awareness and
knowledge of UNSCR 1325, 1820 among Japanese civil society and other
stakeholders in order for them to meaningfully participate in the ongoing
UNSCR 1325 national action planning process in the country. "It is
critical that we have a thorough understanding of UNSCR 1325, 1820 and
the supporting resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. The space these
resolutions opened may be a contradictory one for many women's groups and
civil society organizations in Japan. We can learn many lessons from the National Action
Plans of other countries, making Japan's lateness in participating into an advantage. It
is, therefore, very important that we actively participate in developing
and implementing Japan's national action plan on UNSCR 1325" Professor
Fumika Sato of Hitotsubashi University commented.
The seminar included
discussions on the history of UNSCR 1325, its key provisions and
commitments; strengths and weaknesses; models and level of
implementation; and the supporting resolutions on WPS - UNSCR 1820, 1888,
1889, 1960. In addition, the seminar also covered experiences in national
action planning processes from different countries. Mavic
Cabrera-Balleza, the International Coordinator of the Global Network of
Women Peacebuilders, a coalition of women's organizations and civil
society groups advocating for the full and effective implementation of
UNSCR 1325 with headquarters in New York served as resource person for the
seminar.
The organizers of the
seminar were the Japan Women's Watch (JAWW) and the Institute of Gender
and Women's Studies at Josai International University.
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