The Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) convened its eighth Annual Strategic Dialogue with top donor partners in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 11 to 13 November, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Dialogue brought together the Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office and the Fund’s leading donors to assess its contributions to peacebuilding and prevention, review findings from the evaluation of its 2020–2026 Strategy, and help shape priorities for the next PBF Strategy (2027–2030).
The Dialogue was opened by Kim Jina, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Peace Support Elizabeth Spehar underscored the growing demand for peacebuilding support amid tightening resources, highlighting the importance of strategic prioritization to maximize the Fund’s impact.
Discussions drew on country-level experiences and lessons shared by Mohamed Ag Ayoya, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for MINUSCA and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Central African Republic; Geneviève Boutin, UN Resident Coordinator in Guinea-Bissau; Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, UN Resident Coordinator in Mali; Shalini Bahuguna, UN Resident Coordinator in Papua New Guinea; and Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, Coordinator of the Pacific Women Mediators Network. Representatives from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank also contributed perspectives on peacebuilding trends, partnerships and opportunities to strengthen the Fund’s effectiveness.
Donor partners reaffirmed the PBF’s pivotal role in supporting peacebuilding and prevention efforts, complementing other UN instruments and strengthening partnerships. They also reiterated their commitment to the Fund and the broader UN peacebuilding and prevention agenda.
