Professor Erin McCandless
Professor Erin McCandless

In recent weeks Professor McCandless has been involved in several key international meetings of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding / New Deal process, where she has recently been selected as first civil society Co-Chair of the New Deal’s primary technical working group – on New Deal Implementation. This ongoing high level policy dialogue http://www.pbsbdialogue.org/  aims to change the way aid is delivered and national policy is designed and implemented in countries affected by conflict and fragility. The IDPS mandate was recently renewed for five years, in Stockholm, at the 5th Global Meeting of the Dialogue in Stockholm.

Working with senior officials from donor governments and intergovernmental bodies (INCAF) and from countries affected by conflict and fragility (the g7+),  Professor McCandless and other representing civil society colleagues met in Kenya from 29 May – 4 June to map out the mission, core strategies and workplan of the Dialogue for the coming years. From June 1-2 she co-chaired the New Deal’s Implementation Working Group session, with her United States Agency for International Development and Sierra Leone Ministry of Finance colleagues.

From 6-9 June she then met with civil society colleagues in Berlin for the Civil Society Platform on Peacebuilding and Statebuildling (CSPPS) core group meeting to further map civil society’s core strategies to engage effectively in the Dialogue and to better peacebuilding and statebuilding in g7+ countries. Dr. McCandless gave numerous presentations, including one as part of a side event panel aimed at raising awareness of the German government on the links between the New Deal and Agenda 2030. Dr. McCandless also co-chairs a working group within the Dialogue on this topic, with civil society and g7+ colleagues.

The Dialogue constituencies played a key role in successfully advocating for, and shaping Agenda 2030 to ensure it factors peace, conflict and fragility considerations across the framework. Ensuring that Agenda 2030 is realized in countries affected by conflict and fragility in ways that build upon the insights, agreements and achievements of the New Deal continues to be a core focus of the Dialogue moving forward.