A study on national prevention strategies and UNDP contribution to conflict prevention

The “evidence for prevention” initiative is a UNDP effort to document knowledge and lessons learned on conflict and crisis prevention. The study is composed of two parts: Part 1 reviews nationally led prevention and peace strategies in 15 countries with a specific focus on three cases, namely Mauritania, Norway, and Kenya. Part 2 reviews UNDP’s contribution to prevention efforts through programmatic support in eight country cases.

Drawing on diverse settings, the study illustrates how national prevention works in practice and what enables it to succeed. The qualitative evidence is not presented to define a universal blueprint, but to highlight and offer transferable principles and practices that can inform risk-informed development, peacebuilding, and governance reforms.

The study highlights how combining political inclusion, trusted institutions, socio-economic opportunity, and anticipatory governance can address structural and emerging drivers of instability.