Written by Eric Pichon.
Hosting a substantial portion of the world’s poor and displaced populations, fragile countries and territories (‘fragile contexts’) are characterised by weak governance and vulnerability to crises, and often prone to conflict. This creates challenges for identifying complex power structures, accessing the persons most in need and implementing long-standing development solutions.
In these contexts, the UN and OECD pushed for a shift towards integrated, context-sensitive responses that consider humanitarian, development, and peace dimensions simultaneously: the ‘HDP Nexus’ or ‘Triple Nexus’. The EU, with its extensive competences across the three pillars of the Nexus, has adopted a comprehensive Triple Nexus approach, including coordinated strategies, shared financing, and partnerships with local and international stakeholders.
However, implementing the Triple Nexus is complex, with organisational, financial, and mandate-related hurdles. Balancing immediate humanitarian needs with long-term development and peace goals often results in tensions. Additionally, the approach necessitates conflict-sensitive actions and ethical considerations, particularly in regions with questionable government legitimacy. Furthermore, the EU’s migration, trade, and climate policies, which affect human movements, trade dynamics, and environmental strategies, add layers of complexity to the Nexus efforts.
The European Parliament supports the Triple Nexus, calling for enhanced collaboration and a clear policy framework. It stresses a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of crises in fragile contexts, recognising the interconnectedness of issues like conflict, climate change, migration, and poverty.
Read the complete briefing on ‘Understanding the triple nexus: The challenges of creating synergies between humanitarian, development and security policies‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.
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