The 2030 Agenda and the New Deal: Where next?

Discussion paper for the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding

The New Deal played a significant role in ensuring that peace was included in the 2030 Agenda. It offers many ongoing lessons that should be reflected upon and absorbed in the planning of the 2030 Agenda implementation. However, how the two frameworks now come together for mutually beneficial impact in conflict-affected states is open to question. Key points reflected in this analysis include:

1. At a minimum, alignment can be achieved by linking individual country compact Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Goal (PSG) priorities to individual SDG targets and indicators. New Deal countries would thus prioritise only some SDG targets for implementation.

2. The New Deal-2030 Agenda integration process should also be used to reassess progress and priorities within each country context and identify what might have been missing in the New Deal framework. General lessons from the New Deal pilot phase should be addressed, including by:

• valuing inclusion, notably creating a more prominent role for civil society and drawing in new actors
• using the prominence of the 2030 Agenda to widen ownership of PSG priorities across government
• rebalancing the focus of international engagement onto people and learning how to build peaceful societies
• learning how to build accountable institutions that draw their strength from inclusiveness and responsiveness while accepting the limits of outside engagement
• engaging on a wider spectrum of financing issues beyond increased aid and domestic revenues

3. A more inclusive global dialogue on peaceful societies could be built on the now universal recognition of the links between peace and development. This would allow for International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding countries to share their lessons, whilst also facilitating collective action to enable national implementation of the peaceful, just and inclusive societies agenda.

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“The higher visibility and prominence of the 2030 Agenda could help to broaden political and social buy-in to the New Deal process if we create the right synergies between Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, and national planning frameworks.”

Saferworld / Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding