Actions to address the effects of climate challenges can contribute to sustaining peace, while peacebuilding initiatives can, at times, also strengthen the capacity of communities to adapt to climate change.
Author: Cedric de Coning
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The ways forward are clear. If they are taken, Security Council leadership on addressing climate-related security risks—underpinned by a thematic resolution—is still in prospect.
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How we choose to adapt to and mitigate climate change can either cause harm, including potentially triggering conflict, or it can contribute to sustaining peace.
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Climate- and conflict-affected countries are trapped in a negative spiral where climate change undermines the ability to cope with conflict, and conflict undermines the resilience to cope with climate change.
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Although MINUSMA’s support to the G5 Sahel Force has been essential and critical, a number of challenges have prevented the force from fully benefitting from the support provided by the UN.
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Efforts to translate climate and environmental-related mandates into policies and practices are a work in progress, and can benefit from ongoing learning, monitoring, and adaptation.
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A shift to people-centered peace operations implies moving away from a narrow focus on state-building, institutional capacity, and the extension of state authority.
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Some new practices are specific to the pandemic and will change over time, while others are likely to be more lasting.
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Significant reductions and changes in the way peace operations function may be needed over the coming months.
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Despite the positive conclusions of statistical studies, not enough is known about how peace operations contribute to reducing violence and sustaining peace in specific cases.
