THE FPCD IS A NEUTRAL ORGANIZATION ALLIED WITH THE g7+ AND MAKES NO JUDGEMENT ON THE ORIGINS OF CONFLICT. WE PROMOTE COUNTRY-OWNED AND COUNTRY-LED SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The Foundation for Post Conflict Development - 2024 Overview
In the summer of 2024, the FPCD hosted a Diplomatic Luncheon in partnership with His Excellency Christian Wenaweser, a distinguished member of the FPCD’s International Advisory Board. The event was convened to discuss the FPCD’s role in cultural diplomacy and explore concrete actions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support the Pact of Future.
President Ramos-Horta and FPCD Founder Visit Maternity Clinic in Same, Manufahi
On August 7, 2024, President José Ramos-Horta, alongside Claudia Abate, Executive Director of the Foundation for Post Conflict Development, visited a maternity clinic in Letefoho Village, Same, Timor-Leste. The visit aimed to assess the clinic’s needs and discuss potential healthcare support from Monaco. This initiative follows ongoing talks between President Ramos-Horta and Prince Albert II, signaling Monaco’s commitment to contributing to healthcare development in Timor-Leste. Abate-Debat is playing a key role in fostering this collaboration.
We are facing one of the most challenging periods in modern history.
More countries experienced violent conflict than at any point in almost 30 years. The introduction of the climate crisis combined with the COVID-19 pandemic has produced global conditions never faced by humanity before. Conditions once exclusive to conflict-affected and fragile states are now shared by all countries. United Nations officials warned that 2021 was likely to be the worst humanitarian crisis year since the beginning of the United Nations 75 years ago. Urgent action is required.
The world we face today calls on us all to envisage newer, better ways to solve our most enduring challenges. Research shows that the likelihood of peace accords achieving long-term success over 15 years increases by 35% when women are involved; we believe their input into all aspects of nation building can facilitate long lasting peace. We are called to be bold in thinking, innovative in execution, and most importantly, creative in approach. FPCD exists to meet this call to action.
THE POST CONFLICT DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION'S OVERVIEW PRESENTATION
CONFLICT & VIOLENCE
There are 1.5 billion people that live in situations of conflict and fragility.
According to the Global Peace Index, the economic impact of violence on the global economy is on the rise, costing the world nearly 15 trillion US dollars a year, or $2000 dollars per person (World Economic Forum). The cost of violence is approximately 11 times the size of global foreign direct investment. To put this into perspective, the world spends about 272 times more on violence than on peace. A quick examination of the numbers reveals that the world continues to spend vastly disproportionate resources on responding to and containing violence, compared to what it spends on peace. In 2015 alone, UN peacekeeping expenditures of $8.27 billion totalled only 1.1% of the estimated $742 billion of economic losses from armed conflict.
Despite exponential increases in military spending, armed conflict is becoming more complex and violent conflict is increasing. One factor remains steadfast: women and children are the most vulnerable to the endemic shocks of human suffering which result from conflict and fragility. More than 22,000 children die daily from hunger, or hunger-related causes in these environments; one child dies every 3.9 seconds from poverty caused by fragility and conflict. By 2030, an estimated 46% of the world’s extremely poor will live in fragile contexts.
OUR HISTORY
In the year 2000, the United Nations Member countries signed an agreement to end poverty by 2015, the Millennium Declaration. With agreed goals, the Foundation for Post Conflict Development was established to act as a bridge from the developing to the developed countries to seek sustainable development initiatives in post-conflict and fragile countries, in pursuit of the agreed goals, Millennium Development Goals. The FPCD soon realized that post-conflict and fragile countries had needs very different from other developing or low-income countries and needed an organization dedicated to responding to these unique and diverse challenges. The FPCD was born.
The FPCD has focused on the most vulnerable in society, women and children, the organization delivered initiatives identified by communities for communities and ensured alignment with the government, the community, and all citizens. Country-owned and country-led interventions were the only interventions that saw sustained success in the post-conflict environment. The Foundation’s top down, bottom up approach has ensured that every intervention had maximum consultation, beginning with the Head of State or Head of Government, down to the local residents in each community. From maternity clinics to youth centers, environment and agriculture initiatives, and even veterans programs, the Foundation became well known for responding to individual needs while delivering successful program modalities – all while taking an active part in global forums to advocate for post-conflict and fragile countries.
In 2009, the experts of the Foundation took part in the development of the g7+, the first forum in history for those countries emerging from conflict and fragility. By 2009, 20 countries had convened, representing 1.5 billion people that live in situations of conflict and fragility. This landmark development allowed for the FPCD and the global community to work in tandem with the governments of countries emerging from conflict to further identify national priorities and expedite solutions.
By 2010, The FPCD had built clinics that served as a model for best practice with youth centers that have trained hundreds of youths across post-conflict countries, such as Timor-Leste and Haiti. By 2012, the g7+ had identified that their countries, emerging from conflict, had significant obstacles reaching the MDGs. In a landmark agreement, called the New Deal of Engagement in Fragile States, the g7+ addressed these problems.
This new framework for working in fragile contexts proposes five key peacebuilding and state-building goals: legitimate politics, security, justice, economic foundations, and revenues and services. It focuses on country-led inclusive ways of engaging that increase harmonization and donor coordination.
The five key peacebuilding and state-building goals focus on country-led inclusive ways of engaging that increase harmonization and donor coordination. It seeks to build mutual trust and achieve better results in fragile states through increased transparency in both donor and national systems. Capacity-building, shared risk and accountable and fair services are delivered.
The Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Goals (PSGs) guide the identification of peacebuilding and state-building priorities at the country level. The five goals are:
• Inclusive politics – Foster inclusive political settlements and conflict resolution.
• Security – Establish and strengthen people’s security.
• Justice – Address injustices and increase people’s access to justice.
• Economic foundations – Generate employment and improve livelihoods.
• Revenues and services – Manage revenue and build capacity for accountable and fair service delivery.
The New Deal involves supporting inclusive country-led and country-owned transitions out of fragility. This will include FOCUS:
By 2015 and with poverty still pervasive the experts of the FPCD turned their attention to the development of the next aid architecture, 2015–2030; while keeping the New Deal as the primary guiding foundational document from which to bridge from fragility. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were agreed to by all member countries of the United Nations in 2015 in a culmination of all the global documents from the past, after wide consultation between nation-states, their communities, and their citizens. The FPCD developed the next strategic plan based on the Sustainable Development Goals with the principle of “First, Do No Harm.” No organization intends to do harm, but without wide consultation, interventions can create conflict. The FPCD used the principle of “First, Do No Harm” as a foundational core value to ensure every intervention produced value for communities rather than conflict. The history of the FPCD demonstrates the overall premise from which it operates; countries, their communities, and their citizens should lead their own development without undue and unnecessary engagement from foreign countries; that the truest sustainable development can only be country-owned and country-led with as little, or as much, input as requested and required from the countries emerging from conflict. These lessons were learned but the journey came with challenges. Often, these priorities and requests from fragile countries are vast; ranging from agriculture, to environment, maternal health to youth initiatives. No matter what the request, The Foundation responded with the most expert assistance and the well crafted programs to service the request. Responding is at the core of the Foundation’s mandate.
In 2019, the Strategic Plan was completed to ensure the Foundation’s goals are set as outlined by the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States so that from 2020–2030 every fragile community can strive to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – with an emphasis on empowering women as family and community leaders and champions for peace.
The history of the FPCD dictates the future. The next phase has been devised based upon all we have learnt and what those countries emerging from conflict have taught us. We are confident in continued success because we have the best teachers; those men and women who have survived the horrors of conflict and have had the courage, determination, and the will to survive through educating us at the FPCD on how we can assist. We honor those who have supported the Foundation for Post Conflict Development just as we honor all those we have supported.
In 2019, the Strategic Plan was completed to ensure the Foundation’s goals are set as outlined by the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States so that from 2020–2030 every fragile community can strive to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – with an emphasis on empowering women as family and community leaders and champions for peace.
The history of the FPCD dictates the future. The next phase has been devised based upon all we have learnt and what those countries emerging from conflict have taught us. We are confident in continued success because we have the best teachers; those men and women who have survived the horrors of conflict and have had the courage, determination, and the will to survive through educating us at the FPCD on how we can assist. We honor those who have supported the Foundation for Post Conflict Development just as we honor all those we have supported.
CLIMATE CRISIS
According to the world’s largest study on climate change at Monash University, five million additional deaths a year can be attributed to abnormal hot and cold temperatures alone. Natural disasters have become more common, more powerful, and as with all external shocks, they mostly affect vulnerable communities worldwide. Intense flooding and storms triggered three times more internally displaced persons than violent conflict, and by 2020, the climate crisis will cause more displacements than war. The effects of the climate crisis are widespread, with dire human and economic costs.
The record number of global hurricanes, wildfires, and floods cost the world an estimated $210 billion dollars in damage and loss in 2020. Severe storms cause much of the weather related damage, resulting in some of the largest economic losses around the globe in memory. Economic losses have increased seven-fold annually over the last 50 years. The United Nations has warned that the entire region of East Africa faces a major hunger threat due to a locust plague, the worst outbreak in 70 years. In Asia, from China to Vietnam, millions have been displaced due to mass rainfall and flooding, and Europe has seen the worst droughts in 2000 years, which has produced unprecedented disruptions of food supplies, and basic commodities have become dramatically reduced. The world watched in disbelief as 46 million acres of land in Australia, roughly the same area of Syria, burned from forest fires, and entire communities and economies were devastated. Typically damage from natural disasters is measured in separate categories, the number of fatalities and injuries and the financial damage directly and indirectly. Both continue to deliver incalculable loss today.
COVID - 19
COVID-19 is estimated to have cost the global economy more in 2020 than all world disasters combined over the last two decades. The United States alone calculates the cost at 16 trillion US dollars. The International Monetary Fund estimates the hit to the global economy could total 28 trillion US dollars in lost output. The IMF also described the COVID pandemic as the worst crisis since the Great Depression, emphasizing that it would leave deep and enduring economic scars on the global population from job losses, weaker investment, and children being deprived of education. Global extreme poverty is expected to rise in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years as the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic compounds the forces of conflict and climate change.
EXTREME POVERTY
The COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to push an additional 88–115 million people into extreme poverty this year, with the total rising to as many as 150 million by the end of 2021, depending on the severity of the economic contraction.
WORLD HUNGER
There is an abundance of food around the world that could feed the global population, but as many as 811 million people go hungry. There has been a steady decline in world hunger for a decade. Now world hunger is on the rise, affecting 9.9% of people globally. The causes and effects of hunger are numerous, and action is needed. Through the World Food Programme 115.5 million people are given food assistance.
RISKS OF CHILDBIRTH
The WHO explains that 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of newborn deaths, and 65% of stillbirths could be averted if midwife care is given proper resources, focus, and recognition by 2035. An estimated 4.3 million lives could be saved each year. Midwife training programs and reproductive health needs must be a priority in developing nations. Pregnant women, who are in areas of conflict, natural disaster, or displacement, are at a higher risk of maternal deaths.
PEACE & CONFLICT
Over 1.5 billion people are affected by war, violence, and high levels of crime. This results in economic burdens, disrupting or destroying communities and social cohesion, and extinguishing any hope of eliminating poverty. It has been estimated that one person dies every minute (526,000 people each year) due to violent conflict. Tolerance and dialogue with processes for peaceful mediation help build resilient societies. Trust, inclusiveness, and participation between the State and society contribute to sustainable human development. Ultimately peace pays off in an investment sense. 1 USD can be used for prevention of conflict instead of having to spend 10 USD on recovery efforts. Another way to look at this is that a civil war can cost 65 billion USD, but this does not include the human suffering that violence and war inflict.
THE NATURE OF CONFLICT IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Since the founding of the UN 75 years ago, conflicts have morphed and now tend to be waged between domestic groups instead of nations, which makes them less deadly on average. while there has been a dramatic decline in war deaths, there has been an increase in state-based conflict (excluding the genocide in Rwanda). Gender-based attacks and homicides are increasing, with almost half a million people world-wide killed in homicides. In comparison, 89,000 people were killed in active armed conflicts and 19,000 in terrorist attacks. Over half of the world’s population has lived in contact with political violence in the past 15 years.
The most dangerous place for women and girls is in the home (58% of female homicides were due to family members or intimate partners, in 2017, an increase from 47% in 2012). Inequality and dependency for women and girls persists, especially in low-income countries. The impact of interpersonal violence, including violence against children, on development is now better understood.
Technology can help bring lasting economic prosperity, but it can also be used for harm. With technological advances there is a concern for cyberattacks, weaponization of bots or drones, criminal activity, and live streaming of extremist attacks. International cooperation is strained, resulting in diminished global potential for the prevention and resolution of conflict and violence. Scarcity of resources, which has increased because of climate change, are driving conflict. Currently, the nature of threats is more sophisticated and requires bold responses. A strengthened collaboration between states, the private sector and civil society is needed. A bridging of institutional boundaries is critical so that political, human rights, and development partners can work together.
YOUTH
In terms of direct deaths due to conflict, statistics suggest that young adult males make up more than 90% of all casualties.
During the Syrian civil war, it only took two years to extinguish educational progress made since 1900. Before the conflict almost every child was enrolled in primary school. However, by 2013 1.8 million children and adolescents were out of school. Of the 1.4 billion people living in countries impacted by fragility and conflict 50% are under the age of 20.
An estimated 100,000 girls under the age of 18 were fighting in global conflicts in 2008. Armed forces and groups worldwide comprise 10–30% of young women.
Nearly 14 million youth were forcibly displaced by conflict and disasters in 2011. The numbers are much higher today.
Most adolescent girls (80%) who died because of violence were between the ages of 15 and 19.
Adolescent girls are more vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and violence (including risky livelihoods) because of poverty, financial hardship during conflict, and weakened institutions.
The humanitarian community generally does not collect enough data about youth affected by conflict [UNHCR, 2015].
Humanitarian global responses tend to focus greatly on children below age 18. Adolescents and youth are often considered to be more resilient and are therefore given less priority.
A staggering 600 million youth live in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION
Secondary School enrollment is nearly 20% lower in conflict-affected countries and is far lower for girls.
21% of young people in conflict-affected poor countries are illiterate.
Very few youth refugees (1%) due to conflict have access to tertiary education [UNHCR, 2015].
A major challenge in conflict-affected areas is the lack of secondary school teachers trained to national standards [UNHCR, 2015].
When a country has a high ratio of youth to adults, one way to halve the risk of conflict is to double the number of youths attending secondary school; this means from 30–60% in some cases. [UNESCO, 2014].
As of 2011, only 79% of young people in conflict-affected states are literate, compared to 93% in other countries.
In countries where the military uses schools, this has led to them being attacked and perpetrators justify their attacks on schools. In some cases, students were in school while attacks from both sides occurred.
Between 2009 and 2013 global attacks on higher education included the following: assassination, killing or injury of students and academics, arbitrary arrest, torture, abduction, kidnapping, imprisonment, and the bombing of groups of students, individual academics, and higher education facilities.
INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE ON YOUTH
Of all homicide victims 4 out of 10 victims are aged 15–29.
Killings carried out by intimate partners are rarely spontaneous or random, and should be considered gender-related violence, which remains underreported and too often ignored [UNODC, Global Study on Homicide, 2011 and 2013; 2019].
With targeted interventions backed by sustained engagement and trust between communities and law enforcement, bringing down homicide rates is possible [UNODC, Global Study on Homicide, 2019].
There were 37,000 young people under age 24 who were intentionally killed in 2010 in the Western Hemisphere [Geneva Declaration Secretariat, Global Burden of Armed Violence, 2011]
Areas where there is a high prevalence of armed violence shows the most affected male group is age 15-19 for death caused by homicide. Girls and women are at the highest risk of being killed by their partners.
Daily, about 180 adolescents die due to interpersonal violence.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Sexual violence, which increases the risks of STIs including HIV, unwanted pregnancy, and unsafe abortions, affects adolescents, especially girls.
In all 51 countries that had conflict-affected areas since 1986, all reported sexual violence against adolescent girls [Women’s Refugee Commission, 2015].
In the 30 countries with the highest level of child marriage there is also a high level of conflict and fragility (> 50%) [OECD, 2012; UNFPA, 2012].
GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN OVERVIEW
A record 235 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection next year, nearly a 40% increase from 2020, the UN has projected. This is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and involves 1 in every 33 people worldwide. An estimated cost to help these people is 35.1 billion USD.