COVID-19 is creating a series of crises that increase the risk of conflict worldwide, and addressing these risks early on and building resilience to them is key to preventing the potential for violence. But the pandemic also brings new opportunities for peacebuilding. This report documents how the United Nations has made positive steps toward implementing a sustaining peace approach in the COVID-19 response so far, and provides recommendations for deepening these gains across the system.

With economies around the world suffering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global public wants governments to adopt bold approaches in response—and polls from a range of countries show that large majorities believe their actions have not been strong enough. This briefing examines global polling data showing that policies previously deemed “radical” are now garnering widespread support in many countries.