Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexu

Adopted during the 2019 Senior Level Meeting, the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus represents a pivotal shift in international aid strategy. Central to this framework is the goal of enhancing coherence across the humanitarian, development, and peace sectors to more effectively mitigate risks and address the underlying drivers of vulnerability. By prioritizing prevention and sustainable solutions, the initiative seeks to transition from the mere provision of emergency relief toward the ultimate objective of ending humanitarian need. 

This strategic realignment is essential for lowering the global humanitarian caseload and fulfilling the international community's fundamental commitment to "leave no one behind." Whilst the global number of people living in poverty has significantly decreased over the last few decades, there is an increasing number of severe and protracted humanitarian emergencies, caused by conflict, governance failures, climate change, and man-made disasters. These challenges are compounded by recent changes in geopolitical strategies and policies, which already have profound immediate and will have long-term impact on reducing extreme poverty, resolving conflicts, and making the Sustainable Development Goals increasingly elusive.  

There has been growing acceptance among the international aid community that these problems can only be addressed through a combination of tools – humanitarian, development, and peace initiatives – that require new governance, financing, and coordination mechanisms. This approach emphasizes that for sustainable improvements, temporary solutions must be part of a broader vision that not only saves lives in the short term but also addresses the systemic issues affecting stability and development in the long run. 

The benefits of the Nexus approach include greater coherence among the three sectors and reduced fragmentation among the various actors working in conflict-affected areas. Additionally, it improves effectiveness through coordination across sectors, ensuring that immediate relief efforts transition smoothly into longer-term recovery and peace initiatives. This approach also helps mitigate the risk of renewed crisis and fosters comprehensive disaster risk reduction by addressing not only the symptoms but also the root causes of protracted conflicts.

This “search for coherence” is not new and raises important questio