Why International Geneva’s ‘Human Dimension’ Bodes Well for Environmental Peacebuilding

Feb 2, 2022 | Annika Erickson-Pearson
View Original

It’s a compound problem: areas with dwindling natural resources, harsh climate change impacts and biodiversity loss also tend to be those experiencing violent conflict. But it’s these countries that are hit the hardest that tend to receive little to no climate funding or support. Geneva and its long history of humanitarian, human rights and development work, is well placed to not only provide expertise, but also to support the delivery of funding and policy support to high-risk communities. While climate change adaptation finance is on the rise, we cannot leave conflict contexts behind. 

For over 150 years, Geneva has stood for the human dimension in international affairs. This is embodied in the humanitarian diplomacy, human rights and people-centred security efforts at work in the city. It is home to the United Nations Human Rights Council, a major hub for the world’s top humanitarian institutions, and the site of numerous historic peace talks.This legacy has nurtured the know-how and expertise embedded in Geneva’s community of professionals. In an era where multilateral discourse surrounding climate security tends to be dominated by hard security or counter-terror policies, Geneva can add value by emphasising people-centred approaches that build on the use of dialogue, negotiation and partnerships to resolve conflict and to create more inclusive societies. Securitisation, on its own, risks addressing the symptoms (concerns of “climate-induced” terrorism) while missing both the root causes of conflicts and the well-being of communities experiencing it. The role of Geneva should not be to supersede climate security efforts in New York, but rather to complement them with an emphasis on justice and peace.

Interdisciplinarity is a crucial step towards realising this contribution. Geneva has long-discussed the so-called triple nexus of humanitarian-development-peacebuilding expertise and practice. Might environmental peacebuilding be an opportunity to realise our interdisciplinary potential?