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Principles for Quality Financing for Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention

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Practical Avenues to Improve Support for Local Peace Actors

This paper, written in partnership between Life & Peace Institute, Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, and Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, suggests practical avenues to improve the quality of financial support to local peace actors whose work is essential to conflict prevention, peacebuilding and sustaining peace.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

A significant shift in funding for peacebuilding is imperative given the changing and complex nature of violent conflict. The current funding systems do not respond to the dynamic needs of local peace actors. Specifically, the funding patterns are characterised by: unpredictability; projectisation as a result of the rising share of funds tightly earmarked for specific activities; unfair competition among actors with different levels of capacity; and increased transaction costs. This context signals a missed opportunity for the UN, Member States and the donor community to engage critical local actors with proven records of effective and efficient peacebuilding in partnership to achieve shared sustaining peace objectives.

Local peace actors are widely acknowledged as critical agents in peacebuilding and sustaining peace. They are first responders to rising tensions and emerging crises; understand the drivers of conflict; and advance solutions for (re)building and sustaining peace at the community level. Importantly, local peace actors are trusted and legitimate actors in their communities. Furthermore, many local peace actors have the relationships necessary to collaborate with local and national governments as well as with other peacebuilding partners. Local peace actors’ access and knowledge often go well beyond what national and multilateral partners can facilitate alone.3 The international community has readily embraced the concept of ‘local resilience’, with the understanding that post-pandemic and post-conflict recovery should be designed and led by local actors.

The importance of local peace actors is further recognised in the Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda,with a callfor a more inclusivemultilateralism that includes a stronger voice for local civil society and grassroots movements at all levels of decision-making.

Along with recognising the importance of local peace actors comes the need for a shift towards providing more resources to support their work. The commitment to strengthen financing for peacebuilding, including to local peace actors, has been placed at the heart of all UN agendas. For example, the Secretary-General’s 2022 report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace recognises the importance of innovative financing mechanisms that strengthen national ownership and support local actors in their work. Moreover, ongoing reform of the UN development system also underscores the need for a shift in funding behaviour to support the work of UN entities and their partners, including local actors. These shifts require participatory, accessible, flexible, and sustainable financing mechanisms in order for local peacebuilding to produce meaningful impact. It also requires adopting best practices and continuing to test innovative models.

Building on this progress and interest in supporting local peace actors, this paper suggests practical avenues to improve financial support for these actors whose work is an essential complement to international conflict prevention, peacebuilding efforts and sustaining peace.