New York, USA — In less than a month, at the third edition of the Paris Peace Forum (PPF 11 -13 Nov 2020) the international community will gather to build forward better from the COVID-19 pandemic. All actors of global governance are invited to participate on the exclusive digital platform.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been a proud partner of the Paris Peace Forum since its creation in 2018.  Three UNDP projects are among the one hundred “Solutions for Peace” selected, to be featured in the ‘Space for Solutions’— theme of the 2020 edition of the PPF. 

The selected projects being featured at the Paris Peace Forum highlight UNDP’s work on peace and development as well as digital innovation in response to COVID-19 green recovery efforts.

“In this time of global crisis, we need to learn what works and what doesn’t –and we need to learn fast to try to solve complex challenges such as inequality and climate change and those arising out of violent conflict. A global threat of this magnitude requires global solidarity to support the most vulnerable countries. Paris Peace Forum brings the right opportunity to engage with various partners including the private sector to better cope with future pandemics and crises,” said Asako Okai, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP’s Crisis Bureau.

“We now have the opportunity to build forward better than in the past, aiming at inclusive and sustainable economies and societies. UNDP welcomes the forum’s initiative to further the agenda of multilateralism and ‘Partnership for Peace’. This is an opportunity for UNDP to exchange knowledge and innovation, as a credible partner in development,” she further added.

In the words of the UN Secretary General Antonio Gutterres  – “We need a networked multilateralism, strengthening coordination among all global multilateral organizations, with regional ones able to make their vital contributions; and an inclusive multilateralism, based on deep interaction with civil society, businesses, local and regional authorities and other stakeholders… where the voice of youth is decisive in shaping our future” - on the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.

About the selected projects:

1. The COVID-19 Recovery Needs Assessment (CRNA) builds on a pre-existing partnership between the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank. The tool guides multilateral organizations in assisting governments to assess the overall socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying priority needs of affected households and sectors of the economy, and recommending institutional mechanisms and policy measures for recovery, while also helping to mitigate future crises. It also seeks to uncover the spectrum of gender issues that can help establish an accurate baseline for a truly gender-responsive recovery strategy. Building on methodologies that have been tested many times in response to other crises, it is currently being used by 8 countries.

For instance, in Ecuador, the CRNA was conducted under the leadership of the National Planning Office, with nearly 100 officials involved in assessing the economic effects and social and human impacts of COVID-19 on sectors such as industry, tourism, transport or healthcare and identifying crucial actions for vulnerable groups and to support small and medium enterprises.

2. Digital Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) is a digital micro-level assessment tool that provides firsthand data on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on families and small and medium enterprises. Data is digitally collected by interviewers on smartphones and through online surveys or phone interviews. The digital SEIA data is visualized on dashboards and digital maps that offer almost real time insights to decision makers on recovery policies and interventions. The SEIA toolkit is currently used in 50 plus countries.

3. Electoral Violence Early Warning and Early Response systems - A global initiative, currently piloted in several African countries with European Union funding and benefiting from a longstanding EC –UNDP partnership, the Joint Task Force on Electoral Assistance (JTF) is designed to support nationally led multi-stakeholder dialogue and coordination platforms intended to contribute to peaceful and conducive environment around elections. The COVID-19 pandemic has in many contexts hampered democratic processes and shrunk civic space, making tools and mechanisms that facilitate peaceful democratic process even more crucial. 

Of the 100 Selected Projects, 46 focus on immediate responses to the health, social and economic crisis, particularly concentrating on the three priorities of this year's Forum: the governance of health, the use and regulation of digital tools and platforms to respond to the crisis, and the support of civil society and economic activity in times of pandemics.

For more information:

Sangita Khadka, Communications Specialist, UNDP New York | email: sangita.khadka@undp.org | Tel: + 1 212 906 5043

Alexis Laffittan, UNDP Geneva Representation Office | email: alexis.laffittan@undp.org | Tel:+41 (0) 22 917 8660