Malta launches its Second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
Ensuring that the voices of women are amplified – Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, launched Malta’s Second National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), on Wednesday morning.
The National Action Plan 2025-2030 reaffirms Malta’s commitment to gender equality, peacebuilding, and the protection of women and girls in all spheres of society, locally and internationally.
Building on the achievements of the first NAP launched in 2020, the second NAP sets out a holistic agenda aligned with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions. The Resolution recognises that women and girls are disproportionately affected by conflict, including conflict-related sexual violence. At the same time, it affirms that women have a critical role in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, mediation, security and governance. In this regard, Malta’s second National Action Plan introduces inclusive and transformative measures designed to strengthen Malta’s role in implementing the WPS agenda, as it prioritises four key pillars – the promotion of the agenda, prevention, participation, and relief and recovery.
Deputy Prime Minister Borg noted that building on the lessons learnt of the first NAP, Malta is setting itself an ambitious, yet implementable agenda to meet its global commitments and ensure a more just, equitable and peaceful future. “Malta’s Second NAP ensures that the voices of diverse women are amplified, and that meaningful change is rooted in inclusive partnerships between government branches, academia, civil society actors, youth advocates, and NGOs, reflecting our collaborative whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach,” he affirmed.
The Foreign Ministry developed the Second NAP through broad consultations with government entities, disciplined forces, civil society organisations and academia, who also participated in Wednesday’s launch event.
Dr Alexandra Schaerrer, Research Support Officer at the University of Malta, explained that key targets of the Second NAP include strengthening efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, supporting women’s participation in the field of peace and security, and fostering strategic collaborations with international organisations and civil society. It also addresses emerging challenges such as technology-facilitated gender violence, the recognition of intersectional vulnerabilities, and the empowerment of youth and migrant women.
The Second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is available on https://foreign.gov.mt/publication-wps-actionplan-2025-2030/
