Peace Direct has signed a joint commitment calling on the international community to address the drivers of conflict and better promote co-working between peace, humanitarian and development organisations. Download and read The Peace Promise (pdf).
The Peace Promise outlines the stark humanitarian crisis the world is facing, and makes five key commitments to address this. Currently 125 million people require humanitarian assistance, most are affected by violent conflict, and displacement has reached record levels. One in ten children lives in areas affected by armed conflict and violence and the average length of displacement due to war and persecution is now 17 years. In light of this, The Peace Promise aims to achieve the following:
Ultimate collective outcome: Ending human suffering by addressing the drivers of conflict and vulnerability, and reducing subsequent humanitarian needs
Commitment 1: Focus on the alignment and coherence of the collective short, medium and long term objectives simultaneously
This includes a commitment to an inclusive process ensuring local populations, communities and civil society are included and vulnerable populations are empowered. It also shifts focus to longer term outcomes related to peace and resilience, whilst continuing to monitor short term outputs.
Commitment 2: Conduct context, risk or conflict analysis regularly
Ensuring regular context, risk and conflict analysis that includes local people will allow the international community to better understand the areas they work in.
Commitment 3: Develop capacities, tools and partnerships, ensure institutional learning and innovation and share information
This includes a commitment to identifying interconnected risks and drivers of conflict through analysis including local actors on the ground. Most importantly it commits to focusing on people and putting local people including young people and women at the fore. This will support and strengthen national and local systems.
Commitment 4: Do no harm and ensure conflict-sensitive programming
Includes a commitment to ensuring positive impact by enhancing social trust, strengthening resilience, promoting human rights and reducing the risk of violence, all while engaging local stakeholders.
Commitment 5: Provide adequate, sustained risk-tolerant financing
This includes a commitment to providing adequate and sustained funding of collective outcomes on peace, humanitarian action and development.
The international community has a responsibility to address the root causes of violent conflict and implement measures aimed at peacebuilding and strengthening resilience. As prevention and peacebuilding remains underfunded, we must refocus attention on preventing crises, addressing the drivers of conflict and stopping human suffering.
Download and read The Peace Promise (pdf)
Partners:
Alliance for Peacebuilding
American Friends Service Committee
(AFSC)
CARE
Catholic Relief Services
Conciliation Resources
Cord
Human Appeal
International Alert
Interpeace
MercyCorps
Peace Direct
Saferworld
Search for Common Ground
Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
UNICEF
United Nations Department of Political Affairs
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UN Women
World Bank
World Food Programme
World Vision International
