DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION of National Action Plans ...

ForewordEnsuring and maintaining peace is strategic to the security anddevelopment of Africa, and women in West Africa and indeed the wholeof Africa have demonstrated through practical actions their determinationto ensure that this is a reality.Historically, Africans have always found a way not only to prevent conflict butto resolve and settle their differences based on traditional norms and valueshanded down from one generation to the next. In all African societies thereis “no impunity” for crimes committed against humanity. However, we findourselves in an era where the only way to settle a conflict is through thebarrel of the gun, and those engaged in fighting such wars, abuse, maimand kill women and children to humiliate and demoralise their opponents.No wonder, women globally continue to raise their voices and demand forrightful engagement in all stages of peace processes. And it is the recognitionof the need to include women in all aspects of peace and security that ledthe UN Security Council in 2000 to adopt the UNSCR 1325 and its subsequentresolutions (1820, 1888, 1889, and 1960).To demonstrate commitment to defining security from the perspective of theneeds of the people, an ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) wasadopted by the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) in January2008 as a framework for operationalizing efforts to prevent conflicts in ECOWASMember states. The ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) includes aspecific component on women, peace and security in line with UNSCR 1325.All stakeholders in West Africa are keen to see the acceleration of theimplementation of women, peace and security agenda in West Africa, takingdue cognizance of UNSCR 1325 and its subsequent resolutions; and theWomen Peace and Security Action Plan of the ECOWAS Conflict PreventionFramework (ECPF). It is also in this respect that ECOWAS Member states areurged to develop National Action Plans as a framework for implementationof practical actions suited to the diversity of their needs and specificities oftheir formal and informal institutional structures and levels of power. The aimis to ensure increased accountability to the implementation of regional andinternational commitments, and to the active engagement of women in thepeace and security architecture of their respective states.vi