Without face-to-face meetings, what does peace building look like during COVID-19?

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As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in many regions worldwide, some fragile countries face ongoing conflict at the same time. Civil society organizations and networks in conflict countries such as Afghanistan and Yemen are getting creative with their advocacy efforts, finding new ways to appeal directly to warring parties and press for peace. “Where programs have been able to continue and where social-distancing measures are in place, peace building is harder to do. There is a…

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The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the women, peace and security agenda in Africa

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Women-led organisations that are dealing with peace, security and development are playing a key role in developing policies, strategies and guidelines for gender-responsive actions to prevent and combat COVID-19, and in post-COVID-19 recovery.   Read more

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Country profile: The impact of COVID-19 on stability and the peace process in South Sudan

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One of the ways in which COVID-19 had a negative impact on the implementation of the peace process was felt when the government decided to suspend the training of the unified forces as a precautionary measure – a decision that affected 29 000 combatants. The creation of a unified army was one of the core aspects of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed in 2018. Delays in the…

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Women, peace and a pandemic: Translating gender provisions in peace deals into peaceful and inclusive societies during the COVID-19 outbreak

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“Today, it should be unthinkable for peace talks or negotiations that take place in the world to not incorporate gender as a central aspect, since women not only have a right to meaningful participation, but are also key actors in the construction of peace.” – Nigeria Renteria, principal negotiator in the peace process between the Colombian Government and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) Ms. Renteria’s statement during the online panel discussion on Gender in…

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COVID-19 Addendum to the 2020 South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan

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The COVID-19 Addendum to the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan requests US$390 million and brings the overall humanitarian appeal for the year to $1.9 billion. The National COVID-19 Response Plan, which request $150 million, is included in this Addendum. Humanitarian organizations aim to assist 7.4 million people by the end of the year, up from the 5.6 million planned before the outbreak.   Download

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Can a virus accelerate change in Africa?

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African intellectuals are calling for a different discussion about how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Isn’t this the right time to propel changes that have often been postponed? African leaders fall easily into response mode, not to the crises they face but to the advice they receive. Perhaps COVID-19 can herald structural transformation in the continent. Admitting this is too good a crisis to be allowed to go to waste, here are five reasons…

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Six concrete measures to support women and girls in all their diversity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

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COVID-19 is not only a health issue, just as HIV never was. It impacts on a wide range of human rights, and although it affects all people, it does so unequally. Women and girls in all their diversity are experiencing the greatest impact of the crisis. COVID-19 has highlighted the stark inequalities across societies, with a lack of pandemic preparedness and fragile or non-functioning institutions posing graver impacts.   Download

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Enabling agricultural innovation systems to promote appropriate technologies and practices for farmers, rural youth and women during COVID-19

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will vary for different groups of rural population, with the highest impact expected to be on farmers and other vulnerable groups, especially women and youth. Targeted support is feasible only by activating a network of actors or organizations within agricultural innovation systems (AIS) and promoting customized technologies and practices suitable for location specific contexts. AIS actors include experts engaged in agricultural education, research (public and private), business enterprises (agricultural…

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COVID-19: From a Global Health Crisis to a Global Food Crisis?

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As the world faces an unprecedented public health crisis in living memory in the form of COVID-19, this special feature examines the current and likely impacts of the pandemic – the “Great Lockdown” – with a focus on international food markets. Such markets are not insulated from changes in the wider economy, therefore emphasis is placed on how broader economic shocks have, and can be, transmitted to food markets, notwithstanding the direct transmittable effects of…

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Evidence-Based Decision Making During COVID-19: How to Navigate Extreme Uncertainty and Urgency

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Evidence-based policy generation is an aspiration more than reality at the best of times. With COVID-19 generating extreme uncertainty and urgency of action across the world, it has become harder than ever. This blog considers three areas where both researchers and policymakers need to engage more effectively: asking better questions; being clearer about how well we can answer them; and broadening collaboration and challenge. It concludes with four propositions for better decision-making under great uncertainty:…

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