1 INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE ON PEACEBUILDING AND

INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE ON PEACEBUILDING AND STATEBUILDING
SIDE EVENT
“NEXT GENERATION PEACEBUILDING”
WORLD BANK SPRING MEETING
April 18 2015 9.00-10.30 am, Room MC 13-301
The co-Chairs of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding – Swedish Minister of
International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin, and Sierra Leonean Minister of Finance Dr. Kaifala
Marah – invite you to a discussion on peacebuilding and statebuilding in practice.
What is the objective?
The objective of the event is to reinforce commitment to peacebuilding and statebuilding practice in conflictprone states.
Ideas will be shared on how international and national actors can more effectively translate peacebuilding
and statebuilding principles into operations and activities at country level. Key lessons learned on what has
been working on the ground and why.
Why is this important?
In the 1990s and 2000s the number of conflicts worldwide decreased, and several countries with deep
legacies of war moved to sustain peace and begin the long climb to development and prosperity, including
many g7+ members such as Sierra Leone. Yet the most recent period has seen another uptick in violence
worldwide, with the number of wars increasing. Some commentators have highlighted this as a "collective
failure" to address conflict and fragility. Both low and middle income countries that seemed to be going in
the right direction, are now seeing their development gains being reversed by outbursts or relapses into
conflict and violence. The world has not witnessed comparable numbers of forcedly displaced people since
the Second World War. While some fragile states have made significant progress on the millennium
development goals, many others are still lagging behind. Peacebuilding and statebuilding in practice is a
deeply challenging and complex political task, as the situations in Syria, South Sudan, Iraq and the DRC show.
Focusing on the “how”
This session will discuss the next generation of peacebuilding and statebuilding work, based on experiences
gathered from, and outside of the work of the International Dialogue-New Deal.
What are key lessons learned from the past years of peacebuilding and statebuilding practice? For instance,
how have fragility assessments helped lay the ground for development programming? What has been the
utility of the five peace- and statebuilding goals in promoting reform related to inclusive politics, security,
justice, economic foundations, and revenues and services? How can international partners best support
domestic actors? Examples will be drawn from countries like Somalia and Sierra Leone. However, what
insights can be offered to build peace and enhance resilience in places such as Iraq?
Speakers
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H.E. Isabella Lövin, Minister of International Development Cooperation, Sweden; Co-chair of the
International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding
H.E. Dr. Kaifala Marah, Minister of Finance, Sierra Leone; Co-chair of the International Dialogue on
Peacebuilding and Statebuilding
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Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati – Managing Director, World Bank Group
Mr. Erik Solheim, Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee
Ms. Betty Bigombe, World Bank Senior Director
Dr. Raymond Gilpin, African Centre of Strategic Studies
Mr. Peter van Sluijs, Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding
Mr. Abdullahi Aress, Ministry of Finance, Somalia
Ms. Deqa Hagi Yusuf, IIDA Women's Development Organization, Somalia
Moderator Ms. Sarah Cliffe, Director, Center on International Cooperation
Background: What can the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding offer?
The International Dialogue offers a platform for discussion on peacebuilding and statebuilding that is of
universal relevance to all countries experiencing fragility.
Recognising that fragile and conflict affected states, compared to other developing countries, stood little
chance of progress on the millennium development goals, development partners, fragile states governments
(g7+) and civil society actors formed the International Dialogue in 2008. The intention was to build a
consensus about how to promote effective peace- and statebuilding. This meant first and foremost
addressing the root causes of fragility (weak institutions, instability and fractured state/society
relationships), to enable the fragile states to make better progress on the millennium development goals.
In 2011, the International Dialogue crafted the New Deal at the Busan High Level Forum on Aid Development
effectiveness. Donors and fragile state governments committed to promoting the five Peacebuilding and
Statebuilding Goals (inclusive politics, security, justice, economic foundations and revenues and services).
The New Deal essentially brings together the fragile states principles and aid effectiveness principles into
one package. That is, putting country ownership first, seeing peacebuilding as a political not just a
humanitarian endeavour, recognising the importance of context specific solutions and the need to rebuild
the capacity of institutions and to forge more solid reciprocal relations between states and their citizens, as
the bedrock of peace and effective transitions out of fragility.
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