For people,
for peace
In turbulent times, the International Year of Peace and Trust seeks to reinvigorate a global culture of peace
1 in 4 people
live in places
affected by
conflict
A quarter of the world’s population, or 2 billion people, live in places affected by conflict, according to United Nations Security Council estimates. Delving deeper, the UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index found that nearly 40 percent of multidimensionally poor people live in countries exposed to violent conflict.
These figures crystalize what we know intuitively: conflict drives people and countries into poverty, or keeps them there.
Right now, violent conflicts are at their highest levels since the United Nations was founded 80 years ago. To strengthen a global culture of peace and improve the lives of people everywhere, UN Member States have declared 2025 the International Year of Peace and Trust. The General Assembly Resolution calls on the international community to redouble efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
2025 is the
International
year of peace
and trust
International
year of peace
and trust
Beyond the loss of lives and immense human suffering, conflicts are a significant obstacle to global efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. That’s why UNDP is on the ground in conflict settings around the world, partnering with governments, communities, civil society, the private sector and with the UN system, to anticipate, prevent respond and recover. About 50 percent of our annual budget is spent in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
Before, during and after conflict, here are some ways UNDP works with countries and communities to help people meet their basic needs, protect development gains, and rebuild more quickly once peace is achieved.
Prevention is better than cure
Prevention is at the heart of UNDP’s approach to sustaining peace. We help countries anticipate and act proactively to mitigate risk and address the root causes of conflict. Prevention isn’t just about preventing violence; it’s about creating spaces for dialogue, strengthening social cohesion, and ensuring that people have opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives. By empowering communities and supporting context-specific solutions, UNDP helps bridge divides, build trust and create resilient societies.
Conflicts are less likely when people have access to justice, security, and the ability to exercise their rights. Through its Global Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights, every year UNDP supports over 100 countries to achieve this. In Mali, UNDP has revitalized traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, particularly the Communal and Village Land Commissions. These commissions, which include traditional leaders, women and youth, play a critical role in mediating land disputes—a primary driver of inter-community conflict. As a result, in 2023, 239 local conflicts were prevented or managed.
In Peru, the Tejiendo Ciudadanía (Weaving Citizenship) initiative aims to address political crises by promoting democratic dialogue and citizen participation. It empowers marginalized groups—women, youth and indigenous communities—to engage with the government. In 2024, three civic debates across the country resulted in 45 solutions proposed for a national citizen’s agenda, focusing on democratic governance and sustainable development.
UNDP’s work on preventing violent extremism aims to address grievances that can set people on a course to radicalization, while also showing people pathways to leave extremist groups. We work with governments, community leaders and local change agents, including faith-based actors and youth organizations, to provide employment opportunities and promote alternatives to divisive narratives.
Photo: UNDP Benin/Giacomo Pirozzi
In Gulf of Guinea countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo), facing increasing threats from the spread of violent extremism, UNDP partnered with national authorities and local actors to establish 38 early warning and response mechanisms to address the root causes of extremism and reached more than 3 million people with messages of peace and tolerance.
It’s impossible to measure just how much conflict prevention efforts deliver in terms of conflicts avoided and lives undisturbed. But according to the UN-World Bank Pathways for Peace report, for each US$1 spent on prevention, the world can expect $16 in savings on crisis response.
FOR EACH $1 SPENT
ON PREVENTION
ON PREVENTION
The world can
expect $16 in savings
on crisis response
expect $16 in savings
on crisis response
DEVELOPMENT CAN’t WAIT
UNDP’s global network, stretching across 170 countries and territories, means we’re already on the ground when help is needed. When conflicts erupt, UNDP takes a steadfast stance to “stay and deliver”, immediately facilitating support from the UN system and the international community.
Working alongside humanitarians, we help to deliver essential needs and protect development gains, so that countries don't slide back on hard-won progress. This work lays the groundwork for early recovery and shortens the road to long-term stability.
IN GAZA, THE IMPACT OF THE WAR HAS SET BACK DEVELOPMENT BY AS MUCH AS 69 YEARS
RAFAH, GAZA
29 October 2023
Photo: UNDP PAPP/Abed Zagout
29 October 2023
Photo: UNDP PAPP/Abed Zagout
DEL AIL BALAH, GAZA
20 November 1957 | Photo: UN
20 November 1957 | Photo: UN
DEL AIL BALAH, GAZA
20 November 1957
Photo: UN
20 November 1957
Photo: UN
RAFAH, GAZA
29 October 2023 | Photo: UNDP PAPP/Abed Zagout
29 October 2023 | Photo: UNDP PAPP/Abed Zagout
Photo: UNDP PAPP/Abed Zagout
Similarly in Ukraine, UNDP assists government institutions in maintaining the continuity of basic services as the conflict rages, essential to save lives and sustain livelihoods. We also helped over 900 businesses to be better equipped to asses and address their impact on human rights amidst the conflict. In Sudan, where fighting between rival militias has set off the world’s largest hunger crisis as well as the world’s largest displacement crisis, UNDP’s response comprises three main areas: supporting livelihoods, restoring essential services, and fostering local peacebuilding initiatives. And in Afghanistan, our community-oriented approach contributes to resilience and social cohesion, addressing the root causes of conflict and raising the chances for peace in the long term.
Photo: UN Afghanistan
Development cannot wait until fighting subsides. Even in the midst of conflict, UNDP stays and delivers, focusing on protecting people’s livelihoods, safeguarding socio-economic progress and service delivery systems. Alongside immediate emergency relief, we initiate early recovery processes, bridging towards longer-term structural transformation and sustainable development.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF FRAGILITY
In the aftermath of conflict, UNDP helps governments and communities to rebuild and guard against the resurgence of violence. Stabilization activities support legitimate authorities as they work to restore essential services, create employment opportunities, and build cohesive, peaceful societies. Ensuring that governments and other authorities are accountable to their populations also helps to strengthen trust and redress grievances that can potentially fuel violence.
UNDP also works to create the conditions that allow displaced persons to return home. This includes reviving local economies, repairing broken infrastructure and clearing landmines but also strengthening governance, rule of law and respect for human rights. The aim is to remove obstacles for displaced families to safely return, reintegrate and resume normal lives. Building the foundations for longer-term peacebuilding and development also includes integrating mental health and psycho-social support to help individuals and communities cope with the trauma of war.
Breaking the cycle of conflict and fragility requires sustained investment in peacebuilding and development. But countries emerging from conflict, particularly protracted war and instability, have an opportunity to set themselves on a different path.
Photo: UNDP Lebanon/Baudouin Nach
The fall of the dictatorial regime has provided such an opening for the people of Syria. Fourteen years of war have devastated lives, the economy and the country’s infrastructure. Over 7 million people were displaced inside the country, and almost the same number fled to other countries as refugees. Throughout this time, UNDP has maintained a strong presence in the country, engaging with all sectors of society to mitigate the impacts of the war.
The future of Syria is for the Syrians to determine. UNDP is conducting needs assessments, data collection and analysis and stands ready work with the people of Syria in their journey towards realizing their vision for a stable and inclusive future.
By forcing people to flee their homes, keeping children out of school, destroying our natural and built environments, conflicts prevent us from reaching our full potential as a global community. The impacts of war and conflict do not stop at national borders. Localized conflicts can destabilize entire regions and the world, setting back progress on development across the board. A clear example is the global food and energy price surges sparked by the war in Ukraine, which pushed 71 million people into poverty around the world.
The International Year of Peace and Trust highlights the need for greater cooperation to prevent and resolve the conflicts that are stealing lives and blocking progress. And because there can be no long-term sustainable peace without development, greater investment in development solutions is critical to nurture a global culture of peace and prevent future wars.
Ending conflicts, wherever they are, is for our common good – and should be our common goal.
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