THE government is approaching the completion of a National Action Plan (NAP) on women, peace and security aligned with the United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1325 of 2000 on the theme, a senior diplomat has stated.

Cosato Chumi, the Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation deputy minister, made this assertion at the second session of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a ministerial meeting held over the weekend in the Japanese capital of Tokyo.

Making remarks at the session focused on peace and stability in ensuring human dignity and individual security, he said that addressing challenges facing African countries requires joint efforts and commitment.

African states need to ensure that people in all African countries live in peace, he said, praising Japan for its leadership in international efforts on African development, as it has served as a role model for development partners.

Commitment to gender inclusion as well as marginalised groups was essential in promoting peace and security, he said, urging increased cooperation among African nations to find sustainable solutions to shared challenges.

He said Japan needs to further boost trade and investment in Africa as this will significantly contribute to the continent’s human development, promoting regional stability.

He touched on Tanzania’s role in mediation and fostering dialogue to maintain peace, working for stability domestically and regionally, hinting at the unifying role of the national language for cohesion, stability.

He also underscored the tradition of hosting refugees plus asylum seekers, with 237,997 refugees from the neighbouring countries present here, a broad segment being women and children.

Aspiration number four of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 which advocates for a peaceful and secure Africa, good governance, accountability and effective security financing strategies was vital for the Tokyo deliberations, he said.

True to this aspiration, Tanzania has contributed 1,537 peacekeepers, featuring 124 women, to United Nations and African Union peacekeeping operations, he said, noting that this makes the country 11th largest contributor globally and the 5th in Africa.

 “Tanzania remains committed to ensuring gender equality in peace and security efforts,” he stated, citing the national action plan, where the host Foreign Affairs minister, Yoko Kamikawa, led a strong Japamese government delegation along with TICAD partners.

They featured among co-organisers, especially the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the African Union Commission plus other global and regional organisations.