Based upon an extensive stocktaking of UNDP’s experience in crisis affected contexts, Governance for Peace: Securing the Social Contract provides insights on new approaches to governance promotion, analysis and programming adapted to the 21st century challenges of fragility. Relying on interviews with policy makers, partners and programme staff this publication draws attention to innovative and promising practices in governance and highlights the importance of ensuring approaches based upon rebuilding social contracts and consolidating peacebuilding gains.

This paper highlights four core objectives that should influence and shape governance support strategies in the coming years:

• Construct responsive institutions that build on available capacities to deliver essential functions and enable minimum standards of service delivery.

• Promote inclusive political processes and facilitate state-society dialogue through institutions of political governance.

• Foster a resilient society by mobilising local capacities to adapt and cope with stress and crisis.

• Strengthen partnerships with national and sub-national government counterparts, representative civil society organizations, international financial institutions and the wider system of UN agencies in order to deliver in more coordinated, coherent and complimentary ways.

This publication identifies that these objectives are fundamentally interconnected. Without focusing on responsiveness, inclusiveness and resilience, there is little place for partnerships. Without a renewed emphasis on reshaping UNDP’s strategic partnerships, there is little possibility of achieving the goal of more responsive, inclusive and resilient states and effective development dividends.

This report concludes that durable investments in achieving governance gains in fragile contexts require approaches that take account of strategic outcomes rather than sector-specific outputs, and provides ideas on how to approach a governance agenda in a rapidly changing world.