The Joint Peace Fund (JPF) is an organization set up by international donors to support peace in Myanmar. Our innovative design takes a holistic approach, supporting a broad range of stakeholders and projects at all levels of society. From the high-level negotiation process to remote communities working for peace in their villages, this support reflects our belief that the road to peace in Myanmar lies in an inclusive approach.
With many donors pooling their funding, JPF offers a coherent and efficient approach to providing financial, technical, and advisory assistance to conflict parties and peace stakeholders as well as other Myanmar organizations working at all levels of society – Union, State, and local.
Currently, we have eight international donors: Canada, European Union, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
JPF was established in 2015 and first disbursed funds to stakeholders in support of the peace process in late August 2016. Since then it has established a broad portfolio of projects which reflect the JPF's holistic approach to supporting peace in Myanmar: they are run by a wide range of the country's many peace actors and stakeholders at every level of Myanmar society. All these projects ultimately aim to mitigate the impact of armed conflict and support Myanmar in the longer term on the path to sustainable peace.
Our Approach
Our support for peace in Myanmar is led by our core goal of enabling an effective peace process. For any peace process to be successful, all parties need to feel the process is jointly owned. They also need to be equipped to negotiate effectively. This is why we provide impartial support to all sides.
For JPF, sustainable peace is a long-term investment in the many individuals and groups throughout the country who are working hard towards this goal. Staffed by specialists in peace support, we are equipped to help. And with nine donors invested in our success, we embody a strong international commitment to achieving a peaceful future for all the peoples of Myanmar.
Who and What We Support
JPF is supporting a broad range of peace actors and national organizations at every level of society through a broad range of projects. We are providing impartial financial, technical and advisory support to those involved in formal and informal dialogue and negotiations that further peace. We are supporting projects that seek to mitigate the impact of armed conflict and violence on local communities. We support projects aimed at empowering women and gender-diverse persons to advance meaningful and equitable participation in conflict prevention; peace negotiations; peacebuilding; and post-conflict reconstruction and governance. We support youth projects that engage the next generation in a process that will shape their future. We are supporting projects that build peace within and between communities. We are supporting conflict monitoring, research, and communications projects that help deepen and broaden understandings of key peace and conflict issues.
How We Operate
JPF's strategic approach and overall governance is overseen by our Fund Board which is made up of our Heads of Mission from our donor countries and organizations. It is supported by a Fund Board Working Group which meets to discuss technical or operational issues that arise in JPF’s work.
Operationally, JPF is managed by UNOPS. The UNOPS-managed JPF Fund Management Office leads the development and implementation of programmes; carries out monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects; provides targeted and bespoke analysis and advisory support; and assists with the overall governance of the Fund. UNOPS as the legal entity of the Fund is also responsible for fiduciary management and oversight and signs agreements with partners.