Thursday 15 October 2020 at 8:30-10:00 am EST. Please register here.
Complex crises, protracted conflict, and the impacts of climate change on lives and livelihoods in many contexts are frustrating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda. Climate change is increasingly recognized as a risk multiplier which exacerbates instability and insecurity. The increasing prominence of climate- and conflict-induced crises are escalating the need for immediate humanitarian responses, but also call for the need for increasing investments into longer-term development and peacebuilding solutions to address underlying causes of recurrent and cyclical crisis.
Reflecting the UNGA75 theme, 'The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism,” this high-level event will highlight key challenges and the work of actors to promote integrated and inclusive responses to climate action and sustaining peace across the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding nexus. The high-level event will highlight experiences including by participant organizations to tackle immediate impacts of climatic hazards and conflict, solutions to bridge climate action and peacebuilding, the evolving global dialogue on climate security, and ultimately towards advancing a crisis prevention agenda.
The event will focus on regions especially impacted by the intersection of climate and conflict, such as the Horn of Africa and Sahel, but the optic will be global in relevance.
Framing questions for the event:
1. How can humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors operate more coherently in addressing both the causes and consequences of climate and security crises?
2. What are the main challenges and opportunities for joined up approaches to climate action and peacebuilding in the Horn of Africa?
3. What solutions are working and showing impact on the ground?
4. What else needs to be done and how can we raise the bar together?
Speakers:
1. Moderator: Dan Smith, Director, SIPRI
2. H.E. Peter Eriksson, Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden
3. Mourad Wahba, Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Programme
4. Ilwad Elman, Director of Programs & Development, Elman Peace and Human Rights Center
5. Valerie Guarnieri, Assistant Executive Director, World Food Programme
Expected outputs of the event:
1. The high-level side event will generate dialogue and aim towards specific recommendations on how to mobilize member states and partners to strengthen integrated approaches to climate change and crisis prevention.
2. The discussion will help to inform ongoing collaboration within the HDP nexus between humanitarian, development and peace actors in the target regions and beyond, including the work of the UN Climate Security Mechanism.
3. A brief outcome report will capture the event’s recommendations, and contribute to building a coalition of partners to take the recommendations forward. Following the event, the dialogue will be continued on the UNDP online SparkBlue consulation platform.
Organizers: UNDP, Sweden, SIPRI, WFP and the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center.
Please register here.
Photocredit: CIAT/ Flickr