Today, on International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament, the Alliance for Women, Peace and Security launches its report on civil society priorities for the 5th Swiss National Action Plan to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The report contains recommendations from Swiss civil society to make Switzerland – and the world – safer and more peaceful for all people, especially women, girls and queer people.
The most important recommendations include moving away from traditional state-centred security concepts towards people-centred, feminist security principles and consistent demilitarisation.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000, recognises the important role of women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding and comprises four pillars: prevention, protection, participation and relief and rehabilitation. To date, 105 states, including Switzerland, have taken measures to implement the resolution. Switzerland has already drawn up four National Action Plans (NAPs) to implement this resolution. The federal government has been working on the 5th NAP 1325 since spring 2024.
Together with Frieda - the feminist peace organisation and KOFF swisspeace, we have been part of the project "Alliance for Women, Peace and Security: Bringing the voices of civil society to the WPS agenda" since 2022. The aim is to increase the relevance and visibility of the WPS agenda and NAP 1325 in the Swiss administration, civil society and the interested public. At the same time, the Alliance's support for the Swiss NAP ensures that the concerns and priorities of civil society are taken into account in the 5th NAP.
Moving away from traditional security concepts
The report "UN Resolution 1325: Women, Peace and Security. Civil society priorities for the 5th Swiss National Action Plan" sets priorities and contains recommendations from civil society. Representatives of civil society organisations had the opportunity to voice their concerns and priorities in specially organised hearings. The most important recommendations include moving away from traditional state-centred security concepts towards people-centred, feminist security principles and consistent demilitarisation.
The participating organisations and actors are committed to a comprehensive understanding of peace and security that incorporates international instruments such as CEDAW, the Istanbul Convention and the 2030 Agenda. The elimination of gender-based violence against women, girls and queer people and the social structures that enable this violence and insecurity, as well as the implementation of measures for genuine gender equality, are key points of the report.
Measures in Switzerland and abroad
The recommended measures should be implemented in both domestic and foreign policy. "Taking up the challenges of the WPS agenda means that Switzerland needs to discuss what it really means to make a clear commitment to the WPS agenda. It is implausible to advocate for the WPS agenda in foreign policy but not take the appropriate steps in domestic policy," the authors write in the report.
The Alliance calls on Switzerland to include civil society’s recommended measures in the upcoming 5th NAP 1325.
Read the report "UN Resolution 1325: Women, Peace and Security. Civil society priorities for the 5th Swiss National Action Plan" below. The report is also available in German and French.
Read previous reports and find out more about UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
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