Peace & Sustainable Development

Through our work on peace and sustainable development, IPI works to reframe sustaining peace and prevention as a proactive, nationally owned and driven strategy for averting the outbreak of conflict. Our focus on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development supports a shared, practical understanding of how countries can implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from both a development and a peace perspective.

  • Localizing the 2030 Agenda: People Connecting Peace and Development
    In 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a universal framework designed to support countries to eradicate poverty in all its forms, reduce all inequalities, increase inclusive growth, raise quality of education and address climate change, among other international priorities. The 2030 Agenda is a paradigm shift from the past. It requires all of us to find new ways of working together and building partnerships to address these global challenges. The adoption of the joint resolutions on Sustaining Peace reinforces this paradigm shift. Conflict is no longer the starting point; now, peace is. Read more
  • Advancing the Culture of Peace
    Increasingly, international actors and analysts are looking at the positive elements of peace. Instead of asking, “What causes war and how can we fight it?” people are asking, “What makes a peaceful society and how can we build and sustain it?” Exploring the connections between culture, peace, security, and development is key to answering this question. Building on the links between the sustaining peace, sustainable development, and culture of peace agendas, IPI will continue working in partnership with the Al-Babtain Foundation to advance the culture of peace at the multilateral level with UN member states and international organizations alike. This work will include continued support to the Office of the President of the General Assembly during the annual High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace at the UN. This forum normally takes place in early September but may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Interreligious Dialogue for Peace 
    IPI MENA will continue its project on interreligious dialogue for peace to counter extremist narratives couched in religion. As part of this an interreligious alliance, IPI MENA hosts annual conferences that bring together religious representatives and leaders to discuss solutions to radicalization, violence, and extremism conducted in the name of religion. IPI MENA’s annual “Iftar for Peace” and “Clothes for Eid” events, bringing together interfaith representatives during Ramadan and Eid, have been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Social Peace in Sustainable Development
    Social security for older generations and the belief in a secure future for younger generations is a critical component of resilient societies and sustainable peace. As such, IPI MENA is working with partners in Bahrain, as well as regional and international financial institutions, to tackle the pension crisis across the MENA region. Socioeconomic and demographic factors, such as increasing lifespans, delayed retirement, and reduced family sizes, are exacerbating the challenges faced by many countries’ pension systems. This can set the stage for generational tensions over limited public resources.

    IPI MENA will host expert-level roundtables, Global Leaders Series speaking events, and a multi-day conference on this topic. IPI MENA will also engage in high-level strategic outreach and build relationships with international, regional, and multilateral leaders and policymakers. IPI MENA is also looking into holding an end-of-year roundtable with social peace and pensions partners to discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on life and social insurance as well as its impact on states’ pension systems.
  • Peace and Health in Pakistan‚ Afghanistan‚ and Yemen
    In 2020, IPI will continue its strategic partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) on issues related to peace and health. This includes research on the security situation in polio-affected regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen to reduce risks and increase the effectiveness of the campaign to eradicate polio. IPI will also advise BMGF more broadly on issues related to peace and development in Pakistan.

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