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.
The 2030 Agenda reaffirmed, “There can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without development.” What does this mean in practice? The International Peace Institute (IPI) embarked on a research project focusing on supporting countries to implement the SDGs from a development and peace perspective. Through fieldwork, analysis, interviews, as well as events that bring together high-level officials and civil society representatives, IPI is working closely with several countries from all regions to explore ways to transform the visions of the 2030 Agenda and Sustaining Peace into a reality.
The countries in which IPI is involved this year are: Guatemala, Myanmar, Lebanon, Greece and Gambia. The findings of these case studies will be summarized in brief policy reports.