Un­ra­ve­ling the Trip­le Ne­xus: Expl­or­ing the In­ter­sections be­twe­en Hu­ma­ni­ta­ri­an, De­ve­l­op­ment, and Pea­ce­bu­il­ding In­ter­ven­tions

Christina Plesner Volkdal's research examines the Humanitarian–Development–Peace (Triple Nexus) framework and how it is implemented in practice across humanitarian systems. The thesis critically explores how humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding interventions are negotiated, adapted, and operationalized within complex institutional and crisis-affected contexts.

Methodologically, the project applies a pragmatic constructivist approach and institutional ethnography, combining qualitative methods across five peer-reviewed articles. Empirically, the research focuses primarily on UNICEF as a dual-mandate organization, complemented by case studies from Asia-Pacific and Sri Lanka. These cases highlight how organizational dynamics, donor structures, and local practices shape the possibilities for integrated and adaptive responses to protracted crises.

The thesis contributes a multi-level analytical framework that reconceptualizes the Triple Nexus as an emergent and practice-based form of coherence rather than a fixed policy model. The findings offer insights relevant to both academic debates on crisis governance and to practitioners working to improve the effectiveness, sustainability, and localization of humanitarian action.