A key component of Interpeace’s efforts to build peace is addressing the local, national and cross-border factors that influence peace and conflict dynamics. Interpeace recognises that sustained peace and social cohesion require the consolidation of successful, context-specific peacebuilding at appropriate scale in national institutions in particular. Interpeace also recognises that the effectiveness and enduring nature of national policies and decisions on resource allocations is materially enhanced by the quality of inclusive participation in their development and adoption.

In 2023, Interpeace made key partnerships and progress on efforts to influence policies and practices of government institutions to be better equipped to support and advance social cohesion through their diverse mandates and technical interventions. These efforts are collectively aimed at ensuring that government, which has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring peace, has the skills, tools, instincts and practices to do so. Below are some examples of our partnerships for peace responsiveness:

• In Ethiopia, Interpeace worked with the Ministry of Peace and the Ethiopian Police University. The community policing methodology piloted by Interpeace was integrated into the police training curriculum. Additionally, communities and police collaborated on security management, with the recognition on both sides that security management is not exclusively the responsibility of government institutions.

• In Côte d’Ivoire, Interpeace and the Ministry of Reconciliation and National Cohesion signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2022. In 2023, the Minister indicated her desire to see the PREDIA project, focused on peacebuilding and development, renewed ahead of the 2025 presidential elections, in association with her ministry.

• In Rwanda, Interpeace developed and piloted a national community resilience assessment framework in collaboration with the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), the results of which will be used to structure future research activities, policies, and programmes for community resilience in Rwanda.

• In Yemen, Interpeace worked with the National Steering Committee. A draft roadmap for peace in Yemen has been established, aiming to lay down the foundations for policy and legislative initiatives to support a post-conflict Yemen.

In Somalia, Interpeace hosted roundtable discussions bringing together stakeholders from government institutions, civil-society organisations and international entities to raise awareness of the critical importance of MHPSS in post-conflict settings and to emphasise the importance of collaboration.

A key focus of Interpeace’s 2021-2025 strategy, reflecting its mandate, is to assist the international community to enhance its knowledge and practices of peacebuilding. In 2023, there were multiple advances, in working with international actors to enhance their peace contributions. The following table illustrates some of the partnerships that Interpeace advanced with international institutions and regional actors in 2023.

The first phase of the Peace Responsiveness programme, aimed at systemic and organisational change in United Nations actors, concluded in 2023. Programme monitoring and an external evaluation highlighted significant contributions by the programme towards giving practical impact in strengthening the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus:

• The FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-2030 underlines the importance of peace responsiveness in emergencies and resilience programme areas. The FAO’s “Operationalising pathways to sustaining peace in the context of Agenda 2030” how-to guide was co-developed with Interpeace.
• The FAO framework has been referenced in the UNDP Nexus Academy guidelines, highlighting the growing policy and operational consensus among international organisations on the need to prioritise peace responsiveness in development and humanitarian initiatives.
• UNFPA integrated humanitarian, development and peace-responsive efforts into its strategic plan. Additionally, the UNFPA Disability Inclusion Strategy underscores the importance of incorporating peace responsiveness.
• Through work done in the cross-organisational learning group and bilateral policy exchanges, Interpeace has been able to influence the ILO’s peace and conflict analysis guidance, facilitating the integration of peace responsiveness.
• Based on several policy meetings with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in Bamako and MINUSMA’s participation in dialogues of Interpeace’s Rethinking Stability initiative, a strong collaboration was established. This eventually led to Interpeace being solicited to work with MINUSMA’s stabilisation department to enhance peace responsiveness in its interventions.

• In Guinea-Bissau (2022-present), Interpeace, at the invitation of the FAO, the UNFPA, and UN-Habitat, is designing joint programmes funded under the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund to tackle longstanding land tenure issues, a source of numerous conflicts.
• In Libya (2022-present), Interpeace engaged with the ILO to incorporate peace and social cohesion contributions into their re-engagement strategy, which was presented to the Libya United Nations Country Team. Additionally, Interpeace is partnering with the Fezzan Libya Organisation, a local NGO, to formulate peace-responsive programme recommendations for a UNDP initiative.
• In Mali (2021-2023), Interpeace accompanied MINUSMA to establish participatory and inclusive dialogues with communities and to help restore trust and collaboration between community members, security actors and the international community.
• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2023), Interpeace helped KfW to design its new infrastructure programme in the east of the country in a way that enhances rather than undermines peace.
• In the Sahel (2020-present), Interpeace is supporting implementation of cross-border programming financed by the PATRIP foundation in Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire on joint natural-resource management, such as rehabilitation of water points and establishment of markets, and transhumance management of routes, roads and bridges, ensuring that these investments are aligned and accompanied by social cohesion and peacebuilding activities.
• In the Karamoja Cluster (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda) (2022-present), Interpeace was invited by the FAO and the IGAD to design peace-responsive programmes based on a joint assessment that would integrate issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation, livelihoods and food security, migration and displacement, and peacebuilding and conflict transformation.

At COP28 in Dubai, the topic of peace-responsive climate action was advanced. Interpeace’s President, Itonde Kakoma, moderated the 3 December 2023 launch of the Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace. The declaration makes an explicit link between environment, climate, peace and security. This placed the topic on the global agenda and opens the door for peacebuilding organisations to play a more pro-active role.

Furthermore, COP28 also put in perspective the significant resources that are being channelled into climate action which can concurrently be deployed to mitigate conflict and advance enduring peace. Interpeace, in partnership with the CGIAR’s Focus Climate Security initiative, developed the Climate Security Programming Dashboard for Climate Finance (CSPDxCF) in support of the Green Climate Fund’s accredited entities. The dashboard was designed to provide analytics and guidance on conflict sensitivity and integrated climate-security programming for the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) accredited entities. Tailored to GCF characteristics and result areas, the CSPDxCF integrates socio-economic and environmental data with a self-assessment survey, offering a preliminary assessment of security risks and peace opportunities within GCF projects.

The inaugural two-day Civil Society Organisation (CSO)-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding took place at the UN Headquarters in New York from November 30 to December 1, 2023. It aimed to provide a platform for UN entities and civil society actors dedicated to peacebuilding to engage in substantive discussions on global peacebuilding efforts. The event strived to systematise an ongoing dialogue within the larger context of the New Agenda for Peace between the UN and civil society and set the stage for continued, expanded, and diversified engagement.

The event convened 70 civil society participants from all over the world to discuss global, regional, and local peacebuilding efforts, UN-CSO partnerships, and future engagement opportunities. The event was co-hosted by the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)/the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) and Interpeace, with the generous support of the Governments of Finland, Colombia, the Netherlands, and Norway, and OHCHR, UNDP, UNHCR, and UN Women.