Following the launch of the joint World Bank and United Nations Report Pathways to Peace in March, the High-Level Event on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace in April and the launch of the Global Study of Youth Peace and Security, inclusion has been put back to the forefront. On 14 May, the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform (the Platform) found it timely to host one of its core-group partners, Conciliation Resources, in New York to launch their ACCORD publication Navigating Inclusion in Peace Transitions. The publication, which resulted from four years of research, explores how inclusion is negotiated in countries in transition from war to peace, the common barriers to and trade-offs between inclusion and stability and the types of external and internal support that have been possible and effective in peace processes.

Hosted at Quaker House, this off-the-record conversation provided an opportunity for civil society actors in New York to hear the experiences of colleagues from Colombia and Nepal and discuss more concretely what inclusion looks like the in the various contexts. The research highlights that if inclusion is not talked about in the initial stages of a transition, it tends to be sidelined throughout the process if not totally disregarded. The research also highlights the fact that political transitions are points for renegotiation because transitions and political unsettlement create opportunities for change. However, when aiming for political stability is the focus for a country in transition, it can also be challenging to introduce inclusion policies. Often, the prioritization of stability can lead to a return of the old guard and continued exclusion of marginalized groups.  

The research also reflected on the strategies used by different groups, in particular marginalized groups such as women, to influence these processes of political transition. The report draws on practical experience that Conciliation Resources and its partners have learnt from working on these challenges.

The Platform was pleased to host this discussion and looks forward to continuing to convene meetings between civil society, UN actors and Member States to enhance the UN and civil society organizations’ collective capacity to carry out preventive work.