Blue Peace Financing: transboundary, multisectoral and transgenerational investments

Secondary beneficiaries: Transboundary water organizations and municipalities; private financial sector (global and domestic private sector); countries / governments, citizens (incl. women and young people), academic sector, civil society.

Primary beneficiaries: people living in the river basins and municipal environment, especially poor and vulnerable men and women, boys and girls.

• Increased ability of transboundary entities and municipalities to address key regional and local sustainable development challenges through access to sustainable sources of capital financing;
• Strengthened legal and financial capacity of transboundary entities and municipalities to manage access to capital sustainably in the long-term;
• Shared benefits based on joint multisectoral investment plans owned by the countries at basin level or by municipalities in a transboundary twinning partnership;
• Innovative approaches to measure sustainable development and peace impact analysed and identified;
• Increased ownership and legitimacy through inclusive policy dialogue

Expected results:  

• Technical assistance for new financial products / instruments (e.g. issuance of Blue Peace Bonds);
• A multi-sectoral and transboundary joint investment plans at basin level;
• A twinning partnership, including financial agreements, between municipalities (e.g. a municipality from the North and the South);
• Legal  and Financial Knowledge Transfer;
• Analytical study on impact measurement instruments and approaches for Blue Peace;
• Regular inclusive Policy Dialogue, including on supporting the enabling environment through a Coalition of Leaders and set-up of a Blue Peace Trust.

Results from previous phases:  

• A broad stakeholder mapping clarified the actors landscape;
• Two demonstration projects have been identified in Africa with the objective to attract and promote capital to non-sovereign entities which look at water as the entry point for investments, but include areas such as migration and consequences of migration, food security/agriculture, health and the environment;
• Thorough consultations at the political level, including with the involvement of Embassies and other partners took place and have informed the decision;
• With the Blue Peace Bond an appropriate financial instrument has been identified, while not excluding other additional instruments and approaches;
• the 9 months of the opening phase have clearly shown the added value of Switzerland as a convener; Switzerland’s global, regional and local presence and access to political dialogue, Swiss neutrality and reputation;
• a coalition of countries has been launched fostering ownership and legitimacy of the Blue Peace Financing Initiative;
• A trusted multilateral institution has been identified as partner;
• A Swiss advisory firm has won the competitive tender for strategic advice and support.