Paper details
| Paper authors | Rodrigo Mena |
| In panel on | Beyond Integration: Revisiting the Triple Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus in Practice |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
This paper and presentation explore how the Triple Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus is operationalised in real-world settings, moving beyond institutional strategies, donor-driven agendas, and policy discourse to examine the concrete forms nexus approaches take in practice. Drawing on literature, programmatic analysis, and case-based observation, it proposes a practical typology of HDP implementation, identifying three primary modalities: integrated, nexus-sensitive, and sequential/coordinated approaches. This is one of the first attempts to systematically classify the operational shapes the Triple Nexus takes, offering both conceptual clarity and guidance for practitioners navigating complex environments.
While these models serve as useful frameworks for aligning humanitarian action, development programming, and peacebuilding efforts, they often appear in hybrid, evolving, or improvised forms shaped by contextual constraints, institutional mandates, and funding dynamics. The presentation also provides a historical overview of nexus thinking in the humanitarian sector, critically examines a decade of project and policy implementation, and reflects on current challenges and debates, such as the 2025 aid sector budget cuts, questions around who promotes the nexus, and the increasing inclusion of climate change and displacement within nexus agendas.
In doing so, it argues that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the nexus: its application varies by context and actor. The presentation thus contributes to making nexus thinking more actionable, adaptive, and grounded in operational realities.
