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Guidance On Sustaining Peace.170117.final - 2
Guidance On Sustaining Peace.170117.final - 2
Sustaining Peace
1
What does “sustaining peace” mean?
On 27 April 2016, the General Assembly and the Security Council adopted substantively identical resolutions on peacebuilding
(A/RES/70/262 and S/RES/2282 (2016), respectively), concluding the 2015 review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture.
These resolutions are the most comprehensive and far-reaching resolutions on this issue. This ground breaking achievement
outlines a new ambitious agenda and approach for peacebuilding. Member States demonstrated their commitment to
strengthening the United Nations’ ability to prevent the “outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of [violent]
conflict,” address the root causes and assist parties to conflict to end hostilities in order to ”save succeeding generations
from the scourge of war” as stated in the opening sentence of the UN Charter.
The resolu*ons introduce the term “sustaining The new resolu*ons stress that sustaining peace is
p e a c e ,” w h i c h , r a t h e r t h a n r e d e fi n i n g a shared task that should flow through all three
peacebuilding, provides for more clarity and an pillars of the UN system’s engagements at all
expanded scope. During the 1990s, peacebuilding stages of the conflict, and in all its dimensions. The
was mostly understood in the UN as post-conflict resolu*ons offer an opportunity to increase the
peacebuilding. However, that posi*on changed in focus and capacity of the UN system to prevent
the 2000s with the adop*on of Security Council violent conflicts, and Member States, civil society
Presiden*al Statement S/PRST/2001/15 and the organiza*ons and the UN system need to seize the
following 2007 Policy CommiPee decision that opportunity presented by the resolu*ons.
defined peacebuilding as aiming to prevent the Sustaining peace should not be viewed as
outbreak, the recurrence or the con*nua*on of rebranding exis*ng work but rather as a more
armed conflict. This posi*on was reaffirmed in the prac*ce-oriented comprehensive concept to
new resolu*ons A/RES/70/262 and S/RES/2282 in prevent violent conflict, by addressing drivers of
the preamble, when it states that “sustaining conflict, paPerns of viola*ons of human rights and
peace encompasses ac*vi*es aimed at preven*ng interna*onal humanitarian law and underlying
the outbreak, escala*on, con*nua*on and root causes of conflict, including different kinds of
recurrence of conflict.” Sustaining peace should in e xc l u s i o n , s y s t e m i c d i s c r i m i n a * o n a n d
prac*cal terms not be dis*nguished from marginaliza*on with renewed vigour, based on
peacebuilding. It does not imply any redefini*on of joint analysis of conflict dynamics and joined-up
respec*ve roles, responsibili*es or mandates of strategic planning.
UN en**es. Both sustaining peace and
peacebuilding are ul*mately intended to reduce The resolu*ons are reinforced by other
the risk of lapse or relapse into violent conflict. It agreements and reports, including the report of
can be seen as an aspira*onal goal, aiming at the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace
fostering the ability and capacity to look beyond Opera*ons (HIPPO) and the Secretary-General’s
crisis management and the immediate resolu*on follow up to the report, the 2030 Agenda for
of conflicts. The resolu*ons offer an opportunity to Sustainable Development and the World
increase the focus of the UN system to preven*ng Humanitarian Summit, which all emphasize the
conflicts, so that not only the symptoms, but also importance of preven*ng violent conflicts.
the root causes of conflicts are addressed. Hence,
the concept aims at tackling issues that may
otherwise fuel new cycles of conflict.
⁸⁶⁷⁵
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding Sustaining Peace
2 Sustaining Peace
The concept of “sustaining peace” should, according to the resolu*ons, be broadly understood as:
All programmes and ac*vi*es should be conflict sensi*ve and “do no harm” guided by a conflict
analysis. Broadly, depending on the theory of change based on an analysis of the causes and drivers
of conflict, they could be clustered in two groups:
a) Ac*vi*es that are designed and directly aimed at sustaining peace; and
b) Ac*vi*es that, while not explicitly designed to sustain peace, can contribute to sustaining
peace.
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding
Sustaining Peace
Sustaining Peace
3 sustaining peace:
4 sustaining peace:
“The when” “The who”
Peacebuilding is no longer treated only as a The primary responsibility for leading the process for
post-conflict ac*vity, but should be a sustaining peace rests with national governments and
priority during all stages of the conflict authori*es, including sub-na*onal and local authori*es.
cycle – before, during and after, implying
that sustaining peace should take place National ownership and leadership in peacebuilding are
simultaneously with peacekeeping, important, whereby the responsibility for sustaining
development and humanitarian ac*vi*es. peace is broadly shared with the en*re society, including
[PP 8] all na*onal and local stakeholders. [PP 9, OP 3, 16]
5
Sustaining peace: the “how”
that the UN system adapts to this new agenda, not the other way
around;
7. Evaluation: Evaluate ac*vi*es and programmes and learn and share lessons.
•
Peacebuilding
• 6 Relationship between sustaining peace
Sustaining Peace
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustaining Peace
Agenda are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
The tenet of the 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind” and reach the
furthest behind first implies a need to focus on sustaining peace.
Sustaining peace also commits to ensuring that “the needs of all
segments of society are taken into account.” [OP 3]
There are several areas of overlap between sustaining peace and the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which include the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
The link between the two agendas is not only about Sustainable
Development Goal 16. Different aspects of peaceful, just and
inclusive socie*es are included in several SDGs. The SDGs are
universal, interlinked and integrated. SDG 16 is important in
conflict-affected countries, but so are other Goals and Goal 16 is
as important in other countries. As many as 36 targets across the
2030 Agenda are directly related to violence, jus*ce or
inclusivity, e.g.:
“Recognizing that ‘sustaining peace’, as drawn from the Advisory Group of Experts report, should
be broadly understood as a goal and a process to build a common vision of a society, ensuring that
the needs of all segments of the popula*on are taken into account, which encompasses ac*vi*es
aimed at preven*ng the outbreak, escala*on, con*nua*on and recurrence of conflict, addressing root
causes, assis*ng par*es to conflict to end hos*li*es, ensuring na*onal reconcilia*on, and moving
towards recovery, reconstruc*on and development, and emphasizing that sustaining peace is a
shared task and responsibility that needs to be fulfilled by the government and all other na*onal
stakeholders, and should flow through all three pillars of the United Na*ons’ engagement at all stages
of conflict, and in all its dimensions, and needs sustained interna*onal aPen*on and assistance, [PP
8]
Stressing that civil society can play an important role in advancing efforts to sustain peace, [PP 10]
…
Emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to sustaining peace, par*cularly through
the preven*on of conflict and addressing its root causes, strengthening the rule of law at the
interna*onal and na*onal levels, and promo*ng sustained and sustainable economic growth, poverty
eradica*on, social development, sustainable development, na*onal reconcilia*on and unity including
through inclusive dialogue and media*on, access to jus*ce and transi*onal jus*ce, accountability,
good governance, democracy, accountable ins*tu*ons, gender equality and respect for, and
protec*on of, human rights and fundamental freedoms, [PP 12]
…
Recognizing that an integrated and coherent approach among relevant poli*cal, security and
developmental actors, within and outside of the United Na*ons system, consistent with their
respec*ve mandates, and the Charter of the United Na*ons, is cri*cal to sustaining peace, and
essen*al for improving respect for human rights, advancing gender equality, empowering women and
youth, strengthening the rule of law, eradica*ng poverty, building ins*tu*ons, and advancing
economic development in conflict-affected countries,” [PP 13]
UN Peacebuilding Support Office/Policy, Planning and Application Branch with inputs from UN entities through the Peacebuilding Contact Group, 17 January 2017