Participants at the Third Global Meeting of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) have issued 'The Washington Communique,' appealing to the UN High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP) to tackle conflict and fragility.
7 May 2013: Participants at the Third Global Meeting of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) have issued ‘The Washington Communique,’ appealing to the UN High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP) to tackle conflict and fragility.
Ministers of the g7+, leaders from developed countries, leaders of international institutions and representatives of civil society and the private sector participated in the Meeting, which took place in Washington, DC, US, on 19 April 2013, co-hosted by the US Government.
According to the g7+, ministers stressed the importance of the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States as a part of the post-2015 development agenda. The New Deal, adopted in Busan in 2011, identifies peacebuilding and statebuilding as the foundations for transitioning from fragility to resilience, as guidance for engaging with fragile states.
The Washington Communiqué notes that state fragility is a “barrier to social cohesion, economic growth, sustainable development, and political stability.” It says, “We underline the value of a post-2015 development agenda that recognises the universal importance of peacebuilding and statebuilding, and that the post 2015 agenda reflects the results and lessons of the New Deal.” It also reiterates the message of the Dili Consensus adopted at the International Conference on Development for All, in February 2013, that “national ownership of the development agenda is imperative.”
The g7+ is a country-owned and country-led global mechanism to monitor and report on the challenges faced by fragile states. It aims to stop conflict, build nations and eradicate poverty through innovative development strategies, based on principles of peace-building and state-building. Its member countries are: Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Haiti, Liberia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste (Chair) and Togo. [g7+ Press Release on Third Global Meeting of IDPS] [Washington Communique] [IISD RS Story on Dili Consensus] [g7+ Website] [IDPS Website]