This Week in DPPA: 29 January - 4 February

Security Council

Briefing the Council on the situation in Ukraine on 31 January, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that the UN remains greatly concerned about the escalating tensions amid a dangerous military build-up in the heart of Europe. “No one is watching the current diplomatic efforts more than the people of Ukraine,” she said. “They have endured a conflict that has taken over 14,000 lives since 2014 and that tragically is still far from resolution. It is painfully obvious that any new escalation in or around Ukraine would mean more needless killing and destruction. Whatever one’s position regarding the current situation or the status quo in eastern Ukraine, this should be inconceivable. The fact that it is not should give us pause.” The Under-Secretary-General added that the UN welcomes the steps taken so far by all involved to maintain dialogue and urged all actors to build on these efforts to remain focused on pursuing diplomatic solutions by engaging in good faith. She further stressed that the Secretary-General himself has also made clear in all his contacts that there can be no alternative to diplomacy and dialogue to deal with the complex and long-standing security concerns and threat perceptions that have been raised.

Full remarks at the Security Council here

The Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2619 (2022) on 31 January to extend the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 30 April 2022. The integrated special political mission will continue to support the political process in Libya.

Read more here

DPPA's Security Council Affairs Division of the Department has released the January 2022 issue of the "United Nations Security Council in Review." The monthly newsletter offers an overview of the activity of the Security Council for the previous month. It is an addition to the existing research tools and information products available here.

Read the latest newsletter here

Sign up here to receive updates of the Council’s work

Myanmar

Speaking to journalists in New York on 31 January ahead of the one-year anniversary of the military takeover in Myanmar, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Noeleen Heyzer urged the international community to “help Myanmar work towards a common vision for their country.” She further stressed that “[a] Myanmar-led process, guided by the aspiration of the people towards a peaceful, democratic and inclusive future has to be supported by a coherent international approach founded on regional unity."

Full press conference here

Iraq

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), met on 29 January with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. They discussed the political and security situation, as well as cooperation between Iraq and the UN. The Special Representative reiterated the UN’s unwavering support.

During her visit to the Mesopotamian Marshes on 1 February, Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert witnessed the challenges arising from climate change, water shortages and population growth. "Water scarcity is a threat multiplier, adding to poverty, displacement, instability and conflict,” said the Special Representative, adding that the risks will only be exacerbated in the absence of concerted action and political resolve.

Read more here

UNAMI’s Human Rights Office organized a two-day training in Baghdad on 3 February for the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s media officers. It aimed to inform and hone the reporting skills of the staff relating to human rights and technical language when drafting press releases on security matters. Discussions focused, among other topics, on the duty of authorities to inform the public while taking into account the rights of suspects and the right to privacy.

Libya

Stephanie Williams, the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General for Libya, met on 2 February with the eastern-based members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Benghazi. They discussed the status of the LPDF and current dynamics. She also met separately with House of Representatives members and discussed recent parliament deliberations.

Find out more about her latest engagements in the region

Central Africa

The UN Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) held the tenth meeting of Special Representatives and Envoys of the UN Secretary-General, Regional Directors and Resident Coordinators of the UN system in Central Africa, from 1 to 2 February in Brazzaville, Congo. The meeting highlighted issues related to the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts, particularly in a context marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA François Louncény Fall called for the establishment of a framework to strengthen governance and democratic public spaces in the subregion. He also argued for a similar instrument for climate security.

Read more here

West Africa and the Sahel

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), took part on 3 February in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on the political situation in Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea. In his remarks, Special Representative Annadif reaffirmed the UN's support to ECOWAS efforts to help these three countries. On Burkina Faso, he stressed the importance of coordinating efforts by ECOWAS, the African Union, and the UN to ensure a swift transition. Ahead of the meeting, he took part in a joint mission with ECOWAS Foreign Ministers to Ouagadougou where the joint delegation held exchanges with the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR) and was also allowed to visit former President Kaboré.

Read more here

Sudan

The fourth week of the UN-facilitated consultations on a political process in Sudan concluded on 3 February. This week saw more than 20 groups representing various civil society, women’s rights organizations, political parties, academics and national experts engaged in the sessions facilitated by the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). “The UN-facilitated consultations process seeks to hear what Sudanese stakeholders believe is critical to overcome the current political impasse. Not the other way around,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General Volker Perthes while emphasizing that the UN does not have a premade solution to offer in this Sudanese-owned process. The Mission will continue these consultations with the broadest range of Sudanese stakeholders to seek their views on priority issues and their vision on the way forward.

Read more here

Innovation

In October 2021, DPPA’s Innovation Cell co-organized a three-day scenario analysis and planning workshop in Issyk-Kul with the UN Country Team in Kyrgyzstan and the Regional Department of the UN Coordination Office for Europe and Central Asia. The workshop allowed the participants to explore, for the first time, a future-leaning approach to develop a shared vision of the UN’s role in Kyrgyzstan. The methodology used in the exercise, along with participants' reflections, can be found in the report “Framing Futures: Kyrgyzstan Scenario Planning.”

Read the report here

Listen to our colleagues on the “Framing Futures”

In December 2021, DPPA’s Innovation Cell supported the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bolivia and the Vice Presidency of the Plurinational State of Bolivia in launching “Bolivia Conversa”, a digital dialogue with over 250 Bolivian citizens. The Innovation Cell coordinated the development of a short documentary titled Liita’s Conversa, out this week, which follows a young Bolivian woman as she participates in the dialogue. In the documentary, Liita shares her hopes for her country’s future, what unites Bolivians, and how technology can be used to generate dialogue and advance peace.

Watch the short documentary here

This week’s episode of the UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU)'s podcast series on women in peace and political processes features Regional Director and Assistant Secretary-General for UN Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa Ahunna Eziakonwa. In this episode, she talks about the application of a gender perspective to reconstruction and peacebuilding.

Listen to the episode

Peacebuilding

In an Ambassadorial-level PBC meeting on 1 February, Ambassador Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh became the first woman Chair since the inception of the Commission, taking over from Egypt Permanent Representative. Egypt and the Dominican Republic took over as vice-chairs while the Chairs of the country-specific configurations were re-elected. Member States commended progress in the Commission’s work in 2021 as summarized in its annual report, which was approved on 31 January. In her remarks, Officer-in-Charge of DPPA’s Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) Awa Dabo expressed her concern for political instability observed in different part of the world, risking the gains that the Commission has been supporting for years. Together with the Chair, they called for greater focus on impact and stressed the need for inclusive approaches to peacebuilding, particularly by empowering women and youth. They underlined their commitment to further pursuing more coherent UN support, stronger partnerships with regional organizations and IFIs, and further enhancing the Commission’s advisory and bridging roles. They called for timely action on the recommendations contained in Our Common Agenda, including further advocacy for adequate peacebuilding financing. Calls were also made to prioritize discussions on resource challenges facing the Commission, even as the General Assembly prepares to convene its first-ever high-level meeting on peacebuilding financing.

During an informal meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission on 4 February in preparation of its 2022 Programme of Work, PBSO’s Awa Dabo said her office receives clear messages both from Permanent Missions and UN representatives in the field about the urgent need to take a hard look at the efficacy of international support in contexts where peacebuilding gains remain fragile and where peace dividends take too long to translate to opportunities, especially for young people. . During the meeting, country and regional representatives presented their expectations and priorities for PBC support in 2022, in synergy with the Peacebuilding Fund, ranging from effective governance and transitional justice to basic services delivery, action against climate change and its devastating effects, women and youth empowerment, as well as regional and cross-border cooperation for peacebuilding and sustaining peace. 

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