The Joint Peace Fund has been established in December 2015 under the guidance of the donor Peace Support Group, currently chaired by Switzerland. It aims at channelling coordinated international support for national efforts to achieve a final and lasting settlement of ethnic armed conflict in Myanmar. The main programme areas anticipated are:

• Support to institutions, process and activities that form the core architecture of the NCA and/or other peace instrument(s) that may be negotiated in the future. This may include efforts that promote broad-based inclusion of Ethnic Armed Organisations in the peace process.
• Peacebuilding support, responding to demands emerging mainly from the sub-state and community levels. The Fund should support initiatives that increase trust, confidence, engagement and participation in the peace process and/or enhance safety and security at the community level.
• Applied research that strengthens stakeholder understanding of peace and conflict dynamics and issues relate to the implementation of the peace process.

The Joint Peace Fund will have a three-tiered governance structure:

• A High Level Committee, comprising the national stakeholders and international donors, responsible for the overall strategic direction and oversight of the Fund.
• A Fund Board, made up of donors, with responsibility for decision-making on project submissions and resource allocations
• State-level Working Committees, serving as advisory bodies at the sub-national level.

Support to the Joint Peace Fund is line with the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for Myanmar 2013-2017, under domain IV: Peace, democratisation and protection. It is also in line with SDC’s focus on fragility and conflict transformation.

Phase 1: 2016-2020 (with inception phase)
Phase 2: 2020-2024
Phase 3: 2024-2026