Guidance Document: Including Civilian CSDP in NAP 1325

Guideline documents, handbooks European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management (CoE) Public 2025

This CoE guidance document analyses the coherence between gender references in National Action Plans for Women, Peace and Security (NAPs 1325) and the gender commitments in the 2023 EU Civilian CSDP Compact, and provides recommendations to increase it.

NAPs are national-level strategy documents that outline a government’s approach and course of action for implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. This guidance document presents findings of the analysis conducted by the CoE to review the coherence between gender references in the NAPs and the gender commitments in the Civilian CSDP Compact. The analysis was based on an examination of each CoE member’s NAP (publicly available document) and interviews with the respective NAP coordinators. It showed that while most NAPs make a reference to civilian CSDP, the coherence could be improved.

This guidance document was prepared for both NAP Coordinators and focal points, as well as those working on civilian CSDP in EU Member States. It provides conclusions of the above-mentioned analysis, followed by recommendations on the inclusion of civilian CSDP gender references into NAPs. The guidance includes best practices of NAPs 1325 with regards to national coordination mechanisms, the internal-external focus of the various NAPs, and a peer review of NAPs 1325.

This document is complemented by a mapping of CSDP in NAPs 1325 by CoE members, and a ready-to-use factsheet on the contribution of NAPs 1325 to the two gender-related deliverables of the 2023 Compact.

Reference: Flach, M. (2025), Guidance Document: Including Civilian CSDP in NAP 1325, European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management