Over the last year, the need for greater efforts in the prevention of violent conflict has been cited in a wide range of contexts, from development (the 2030 Agenda) to humanitarian action (as in the SG’s report on the World Humanitarian Summit), from the Prevention of Violent Extremism to the reviews of Peace Operations and the Peacebuilding Architecture, and from the review of 1325 implementation to the new resolution on Youth, Peace & Security.

But what do we know about prevention? What is being learned about preventive action in these different contexts, and what would an effective approach by the international community to the prevention of violent conflict look like?

To address these issues, QUNO hosted a packed discussion around current thinking on the prevention of violent conflict from a variety of perspectives. A panel of peacebuilding experts provided views through both a thematic lens (preventive approaches to violent extremism and humanitarian action) and a regional one (preventive approaches in Africa). Respondents from policy centers around the world then reflected on the way in which the prevention agenda is developing in each environment.