The APPG on Women, Peace & Security in collaboration with the High Commission of Canada held a roundtable on 9th December with leads on WPS in Embassies and High Commissions in London. Participants gathered to discuss how some governments are increasingly applying WPS principles domestically to help tackle and build national resilience to transnational challenges such as climate insecurity and online gender-based violence. 

Baroness Hodgson welcomed everyone to the House of Lords. It was the 5th Roundtable with WPS leads and highlighted how helpful it is to hear what other countries are doing in this regard and to be able to share best practice.  Whilst WPS is an important agenda, it is also complex and can ‘slip out of sight’.    

The High Commission of Canada provided brief remarks on how Canada’s third National Action Plan on WPS, launched this year, goes farther than previous NAPs in applying the WPS principles at home and how this is seen as key to national resilience. This includes in addressing climate insecurity within Canada, gender-based violence, including online, crisis response, and protecting women’s rights defenders within Canada.  This was then followed by the FCDO and MOD who shared the UK’s perspective on implementing their fifth WPS National Action Plan launched February last year, which included specific commitments from domestic departments. The FCDO and MOD also outlined the Government’s priorities on violence against women and girls domestically and internationally, as well as how Defence is supporting women in the armed forces and how it is building capabilities on gender perspectives in how Defence operates.  

The event sparked a lively debate and highlighted several key issues, including the connection between global and domestic security challenges, the evolution in thinking of the WPS agenda beyond active conflict situations, and the continued importance of promoting women in decision making and ensuring a diversity of voices are heard, both at home and abroad.  It was also noted that the WPS agenda remains critical to combatting the roll back in women and girls’ rights around the world.  

With 2025 marking the 25th Anniversary of UN Security Council 1325 and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, participants agreed that ongoing exchange, engagement and commitment among WPS partners remains more important than ever.   

The meeting closed with Baroness Hodgson thanking the High Commission of Canada for partnering in this roundtable and thanking all participants for their attendance at this very busy time of the year! 

For further information, please email appg-wps@gaps-uk.org.