Mr. Do Hung Viet, Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organisations, delivered opening remarks at the international workshop "Women, Peace, and Security National Action Plan: International experiences and recommendations for Viet Nam." (Photo: Tuan Anh)

Building on the momentum and commitments from the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) which was successfully hosted by Viet Nam in Ha Noi in late 2021, the international workshop brought together WPS experts and more than 100 representatives from the Viet Nam's National Assembly and ministries, the United Nations, and other agencies.

The workshop aims to discuss how to accelerate the development of a WPS National Action Plan (NAP) for Viet Nam as part of its international commitment to implement the WPS Agenda.

By examining six different NAP models from Canada, Norway, Sudan, Uganda, Indonesia, and Thailand, the workshop raised further awareness among Vietnamese stakeholders about the strategic importance of having a clear plan of action on WPS.

Sharing good international practices on NAP implementation and relevant decision-making processes, the workshop also called for cross-ministerial collaboration by related government agencies to develop a NAP roadmap that articulates the vision and ambition of Viet Nam to advance the WPS Agenda.

The development of a well-resourced National Action Plan on WPS was a key provision in the Ha Noi Commitment for Action, which is the outcome document of the global conference on WPS held in Viet Nam in December 2020.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Do Hung Viet, Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organisations, emphasized that national action plans on WPS will help connect, orient and coordinate efforts at the national level with a view to promoting the role of women and girls in peace processes.

He affirmed that the study of these plans opens a new direction to continue Viet Nam's initiatives at the United Nations Security Council, promotes Viet Nam's active role and affirms its strong commitment in the field of gender equality in general and WPS in particular.

Ms. Rana Flowers, UN Resident Coordinator ad interim of Viet Nam, and Representative of UNICEF. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

According to Ms. Rana Flowers, United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim of Viet Nam, and Representative of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a NAP on WPS can be a powerful and complementary tool to the existing efforts by the government to strengthen the protection and empowerment of women.

The NAP elevates for attention and action the multiple security needs faced by women in Viet Nam, including to cope with emerging threats like COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated pre-existing gender inequalities in many countries.

"Strong political will and commitment can further the determination of the Government of Viet Nam to enhance the implementation of the WPS Agenda," she said.

Ms. Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Viet Nam Representative, indicated that the formulation of the NAP on WPS will allow the government of Viet Nam to reflect on its existing efforts for gender equality and the WPS agenda, identify future priorities and opportunities, and ensure policy coherence. It will also help generate synergies between national strategies such as the National Strategy for Gender Equality and the National Action Plan to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"UN Women, together with other UN agencies, stands ready to provide full support to the Viet Nam government and the related stakeholders in this task," emphasized the UN Women Viet Nam Representative.

The workshop was implemented under the framework of UN Women’s regional project "Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: Preventing Violence and Promoting Social Cohesion in ASEAN". The Governments of Canada and the Republic of Korea fund the project. The workshop was also supported by the Government of Australia and the British Embassy in Ha Noi.

The international workshop overview. (Photo: Tuan Anh)