Actions taken:
The Brazilian National Plan of Action (NPA) on Women, Peace and Security was launched on 8 March 2017, as part of the commemoration of International Women’s Day. Coordinated by the Ministry of External Relations, its elaboration, which began in October 2015, had the participation of the Ministry of Defense, the Minister of Justice and Security and of the then Secretariat of Policies for Women. In adopting the NPA, the Brazilian government reaffirmed its commitment to the role of women in the promotion of international peace and security, as well as to the protection and empowerment of all women and girls. The initiative aligns not only with the nine Security Council resolutions on the matter, but also with the positions historically supported by Brazil in different international and regional fora, including on the occasion of the very creation of the United Nations.
In November 2018, when the NPA was approaching its term, the Brazilian government began its review. The review process was conducted by an Interministerial Working Group (IWG) coordinated by the Ministry of External Relations and composed of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights. Based on the conclusions of the IWG, the Brazilian government announced, on 29 March 2019, at the UN headquarters in New York, the extension of its NPA for an additional four years. During the review process, the Ministry of External Relations decided to adopt voluntary indicators and non-binding goals in order to monitor the implementation of the activities under its primary responsibility. Such indicators and goals are available in the Ministry’s website (http://itamaraty.gov.br/pt-BR/plano-nacional-de-acao-sobre-mulheres-paz-e-segurança/20032-indicadores-e-metas-voluntarios-do-plano-nacional-de-acao-sobre-mulheres-paz-e-seguranca).
It is worth mentioning that the Brazilian NPA contains actions devoted to refugee women. One of the objectives of its Pillar 2, titled “Prevention and Protection”, “fosters a comprehensive policy to ensure the rights of refugees and asylum seekers that takes into consideration the specific needs of women”. Within such objective, the NPA establishes 12 measures, including prioritizing women and girls in the Brazilian resettlement programme and promoting the access to healthcare and psychosocial services to victims of violence.
