CSPPS Annual Core Group Meeting 2018: Reaffirming Priorities to Prevent Conflict and Sustain Peace

The Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) will hold its annual Core Group meeting, gathering its Southern and Northern membership, from 11 to 12 April 2018 in The Hague, The Netherlands.  There can be no peace without development and no development is possible without peace. Actualization of 2030 Agenda and implementation of the UN/WB Pathways for Peace Report recommendations requires timely actions to prevent conflict and build sustainable peace – a strong focus should be placed on how to address and approach these in fragile and conflict affected states. During the last World Bank Fragility Forum, a delegation of CSPPS membersechoed the essence of building on existing frameworks such as the New Deal when addressing how to prevent conflict and build sustainable peace in fragile and conflict affected states. Civil society emphasized on the need for inclusion and recognition of civil society as an actor rather than an implementor; especially has we continue to perceive an increasing trend of civic space restrictions.

Core Purpose

Being cognizant of the above factors i.e. the continuing trend of shrinking civic space and the need to build on existing mechanisms such as the New Deal to prevent conflict and sustain peace, CSPPS members will seize the window of opportunity offered in its annual Core Group meeting to review and actualize priorities for the CSPPS in the context of conflict prevention and sustaining peace agendas. The meeting will also take stock of civil society's role in localization of 2030 Agenda using the New Deal as a lens. Core Group members will share contextual experiences of the restrictions imposed to prevent civil society to freely conduct its work. Other IDPS constituencies and key donors have been invited to join the discussions. 

Outreach to Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

The CSPPS annual Core Group meeting aims to strengthen working relationships across all platform members around the IDPS partnership and related policy processes and will focus on reviewing and solidifying current workplan priorities. The meeting in The Hague will include strategic outreach to Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff in The Netherlands, giving an opportunity to CSPPS members to interact and have a dialogue with MFA in the wider context of relevant policy discussion happening (sustaining peace and conflict prevention) and discuss how best to amplify the role of civil society in context of shrinking civic space.

Stay Tuned

At the end of the meeting, we hope to reach consensus on key priorities while we reaffirm our commitment to support and contribute to key agendas through collaboration at national and international levels. Follow the meeting discussions using below social media channels and hashtags:

• Facebook: Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding
• Twitter: idps_cspps
• Hashtags: #NewDeal4Peace #CivilSociety4Peace #CGM2018
• Sample tweets:
  • There cannot be peace without #inclusion - #civilsociety is an actor not a mere implementor #CGM2018
  • Building #sustainable and #resilient societies requires #women & #youth participation #CGM2018
  • Shifting from commitments to tangible actions #CGM2018 #NewDeal4Peace #Agenda2030
  • Reaffirming priorities to prevent conflict and sustain peace #CGM2018

For more information, please contact Peter van Sluijs, CSPPS Coordinator & Cordaid Senior Strategist: Peter.van.Sluijs@cordaid.org

Please click here for The Hague Declaration