To sustain peace, we need to put people at the heart of our operations

Around the world, violent conflict is on the rise. The deadly escalation of hostilities in Israel and Gaza is currently on all hearts and minds, but even before this tragic episode, our world was experiencing the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War. In 2022, more people lost their lives as a result of conflicts than at any time over the preceding 28 years. In the same year, military expenditures globally reached a new record of $2.24tn.

Achieving and sustaining peace is the heart of the work of the United Nations, deriving from its charter in 1945. Beyond the immense human suffering they cause, wars also reverse progress on human development. They create substantial additional humanitarian needs. And ultimately, armed conflicts are key hindrances to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Not even one conflict-affected country is on course to meet the SDGs related to hunger, good health or gender equality.

This is the reality of life for two billion people – one-quarter of humanity – who live in places affected by conflict. At the end of 2022, over 108mn people were forcibly displaced worldwide – largely due to conflict. Efforts to sustain peace are crucial if the world is to keep the promise of leaving no one behind, as agreed in the 2030 Agenda.

Of course, conflicts do not occur in a vacuum. They happen against a background of historical grievances, increasing poverty, rising inequalities within and among nations, attacks on human rights and a climate emergency that is intensifying competition for resources and exacerbating tensions.

If we have learnt anything from recent conflicts it is that the impact of armed conflicts rarely stays within national borders. In 2021, half of all armed conflicts were internationalised.

Preventing conflict and sustaining peace requires cooperation, even when at times this can seem like a tall order, amid profound geopolitical transitions and a loss of trust in leaders and institutions. That collaboration needs to happen at all levels – between UN Member States but also importantly between all actors at the regional, national and local levels.

Given the interlinked nature of so many of the crises facing humanity, the so-called humanitarian-development-peace nexus offers a helpful framework to guide a collaborative response. It calls for a coherent approach that allows us to address the root causes of fragility and respond to immediate needs while working towards building resilient and peaceful societies.

The nexus recognises the need for continued political dialogue and leadership in preventing and resolving conflicts, along with inclusive political systems that are a prerequisite for lasting peace.

It calls for a risk-informed and holistic approach to understanding and responding to vulnerabilities. It calls for all operations to ‘do no harm’ in the first place and then lay the foundations for peace and sustainable development. It calls for truly inclusive collaboration, involving local communities and civil society, to establish a common understanding of risks, needs, gaps and capacities, so we can ensure positive collective outcomes. This means prioritising inclusive and sustainable development, gender equality and human rights in our efforts to build peace.

I have been a strong believer in the utility of this concept. During my time as the director of the Development Co-operation Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), I led the development and approval of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) recommendation on the nexus. In my current role as the Executive Director of UNOPS, the UN agency with a focus on operations across the humanitarian, development and peace and security pillars, I am more convinced than ever about the need for a joined-up approach to conflicts and crises.

UNOPS implements projects on behalf of partners, drawing on infrastructure, procurement and project management expertise. This year, around half of UNOPS’ global delivery has been in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

When conflicts and crises happen, we assist our partners to respond, recover and rebuild better, so that societies are more resilient in the face of future shocks. This work takes on many forms, from first responders cleaning mines, to doing damage and needs assessments, and from offering operational support to peace negotiations, to delivering urgent, life-saving supplies and rehabilitating critical infrastructure.

In Afghanistan, for example, UNOPS administers the first nationwide humanitarian call centre, a joint initiative between multiple UN agencies and partners, including the European Union, to enhance feedback gathering and accountability. Practising the nexus approach on the ground means that we need to move on from pure humanitarian aid to helping people improve their livelihoods and communities, even in the most demanding settings and in a resilient manner, building back better for long-lasting peace. Together with the World Bank, we work to strengthen community resilience and improve livelihoods through a project that provides short-term employment opportunities for one million households. Local ownership is at the heart of this work, which involves community-based organisations composed almost equally of men and women, selecting work activities, identifying vulnerable households and recruiting workers.

In Myanmar, UNOPS manages the Nexus Response Mechanism, an EU-funded programme that works with and through civil society partners to address the broad range of humanitarian, development and peace challenges faced by communities across Myanmar. By putting people at the heart of its work – and anchoring the programme in rigorous analysis and evidence – the programme aims to reduce the vulnerability, build resilience and protect the rights of conflict- and disaster-affected communities across Myanmar.

In Yemen, our work encompasses three pillars: supporting the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to negotiate peace and deliver urgent medical equipment and supplies; restoring and improving access to essential social services in a way that builds sustainability and resilience; and providing livelihood opportunities.

The bottom line is that we need to work together to put people – their needs, vulnerabilities and aspirations – at the centre of our operations, whether they are of a humanitarian, development or peacebuilding nature.

Investing in peace pays. In an increasingly violent world, we have a moral obligation to make sure our humanitarian and development work counts for peace.

This article is a contribution from a member or partner organisation of Friends of Europe. The views expressed in this #CriticalThinking article reflect those of the author(s) and not of Friends of Europe.