The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), and the European Union (EU) have signed a new agreement under the Joint UNDP–DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention. This renewed partnership aims to strengthen nationally led efforts to prevent conflict and sustain peace. Through this new three-year contribution, the EU will support the ongoing five-year phase of the Joint Programme (2024–2028), which focuses on deepening prevention strategies, strengthening inclusive peace infrastructures, advancing gender equality, enhancing youth participation, and reinforcing UN capacities for conflict-sensitive programming and analysis.
UNDP Assistant Secretary-General Shoko Noda emphasized that the partnership demonstrates the “power of prevention and partnership,” highlighting how investing in locally driven peace solutions can shift responses from crisis management to proactive prevention. Since its establishment in 2004, the Joint Programme has deployed Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) across more than 70 countries, helping governments and civil society address the root causes of conflict, promote dialogue, and strengthen national ownership of peacebuilding processes.
Peter M. Wagner, Head of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, reiterated the EU’s commitment to multilateralism and conflict prevention. He noted that the renewed support underscores the EU’s confidence in the Joint Programme’s role in promoting integrated peace, development, humanitarian, and security approaches.
The EU’s contribution will also fund peer-to-peer exchanges, learning platforms, and innovation to advance best practices in conflict prevention. It will support PDA deployments in fragile and transitioning contexts, ensuring continuity in national peacebuilding efforts.
The Joint UNDP–DPPA Programme, a key UN initiative since 2004, unites the peace and development pillars of the UN to operationalize prevention efforts at the national level. By deploying PDAs, the programme supports locally owned strategies to address conflict drivers, foster inclusive governance, and build sustainable peace. It aligns with the UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace and the Pact for the Future, and is financed entirely through voluntary contributions, including from the European Union.
