The Nexus: the key to unlock inclusive sustainable development in Africa
UN-OSAA Think Tank Network Webinar
Friday, 7 October 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. New York local time
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This webinar will explore how Think Tanks in Africa can help spread the message and translate into actionable policies at local, regional and national levels. The role of UN-OSAA is to promote the nexus approach at the global level as many UN bodies, even though they have embraced the concept, still need to translate it into programmes.
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The NEXUS: The key to unlock inclusive sustainable development in Africa
It seems quite obvious to assert that there can be no development without peace. Indeed, how can an economy prosper amidst a raging conflict? The other side of the coin “no peace without development” may look less logic. As one can find a lot of examples of developing countries enjoying peace while struggling with their development. But eventually lack of development will lead to social unrest and indeed to conflict. To that axioma, a third element is being added: the Human Rights dimension. There is no peace nor development without Human Rights. Indeed, the absence of social and economic justice, can also trigger frustration and popular upheaval. The linkages between the three components have been coined as the Nexus.
In his riveting study "Strengthening the Capacity of African Countries to Design and Implement Policies that Promote the Nexus between Peace, Humanitarian Work, Development and Human Rights for an Accelerated Implementation of the SDGs", the Professor Alain Tschudin is adding a fourth dimension as the corner stone that keeps this fragile edifice together like the arch holding cathedrals: governance. The author demonstrates that the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of Agenda 2063 can only be possible with the prerequisite of a good governance, namely an inclusive democracy and economy. The author does not stop there by adding a harsh reality to the equation: the climate change. Unwillingly, environment priorities have become the umpire of the nexus. The climate dimension commands the development agenda and therefore can be considered as the fifth overarching dimension.
The study is also a plea for integrating the nexus into any development plans with a bottom-up approach from the local level community groups, especially faith groups as 80% of the World population is associated with some form of faith. The nexus approach requires a paradigm shift from the silo mentality and its operability still needs to be written. As every new approach it requires time to convince the different levels of decision-makers but where it has been implemented, it shows lasting success improving living conditions, security and social justice. The study is a plea to scale up the nexus approach to unlock inclusive sustainable development in Africa.