In this shadow report, GAPS assesses the 2020 Annual Report to Parliament by the UK Government and focuses on how the UK Government has used, and could have used, the third year of implementation for this National Action Plan (NAP) to lay a strong foundation for the remaining years of the NAP.

This report reflects on 2020 which marked the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 and the 25th anniversary Beijing Platform for Action. This year also saw the start of the COVID-19 pandemic which demonstrated national and global inequalities. The events of 2020 have shown the urgent need to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda in full to ensure that the rights, needs and experiences of women and girls globally are met.

This report builds on previous GAPS documents (including previous annual shadow reports) which include analysis of, and recommendations for, the UK Government’s work on WPS.