This Week in DPPA: 12 - 18 March 2022

Security Council

On 16 March, Under-Secretary-General (USG) Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Security Council on Libya, warning that the Libyan executive is facing a crisis that could, if left unresolved, lead to instability and parallel governments in the country. She said that the United Nations is exerting significant efforts to bring together Libyan stakeholders to convene a joint committee of members of the House of Representatives and the High State Council with the objective of achieving agreement by both bodies on a constitutional basis that would lead to elections this year. She added that Special Adviser Stephanie Williams has offered her good offices to mediate between Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha to overcome the current political impasse.  

Full remarks to the Security Council here

Addressing the Security Council on 15 March, USG DiCarlo, together with Zbigniew Rau, Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said the war in Ukraine vividly illustrated the importance of mechanisms to maintain and strengthen European and international peace and security. She said the war was the most severe test the OSCE and related regional frameworks had faced since their creation. Briefing the Council again on 17 March, USG DiCarlo said daily attacks were continuing to batter Ukrainian cities, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including hundreds of residential buildings, hospitals and schools. “The magnitude of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine cannot be denied. This demands a thorough investigation and accountability,” she said. Also addressing the Council were the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees for Operations Raouf Mazou.  

Full remarks on UN-OSCE cooperation here, and on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine here

Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, briefed the Security Council on 15 March alongside Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. Reporting on the consultations he has had on his Framework for peace, the Special Envoy said that he was encouraged by the interest in and active engagement from Yemeni political parties, components, experts and civil society representatives. He hopes that the parties will engage swiftly and constructively with his proposals to bring the people of Yemen some much-needed hope and relief. “Any potential de-escalation measures will not hold unless they are supported by a political process. This is why my Framework and its attempt to chart a path toward reaching an inclusive political settlement are vital,” said the Special Envoy. 

Full remarks to the Security Council here

The Security Council adopted on 17 March a resolution that extends the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for 12 months. The new, robust mandate allows UNAMA to coordinate humanitarian aid; promote inclusive governance; monitor human rights and promote the empowerment of women and girls; and support regional cooperation.

Read full resolution here

On 17 March, the Security Council held closed consultations on the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Resolution 1701 (2006) and the situation in Lebanon. Briefing the Council on the ongoing preparations for parliamentary elections that are due on 15 May, Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka stressed the need for reliability and predictability, particularly with regards to finalizing the elections budget, the legislative framework and the functionality of the Supervisory Commission for Elections. “The Lebanese voters need and deserve certainty and the ability to make their voices heard”, the Special Coordinator said, hoping that women in particular would participate actively in the elections, both as voters and candidates. Urging full adherence to resolution 1701 in all its provisions, the Special Coordinator underlined the fragility of the relative calm between Lebanon and Israel.

Read more here

New York

USG DiCarlo met on 18 March with Ukrainian civil society representatives in New York. She heard testimonies and information on the grave humanitarian and human rights situation in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. 

Afghanistan

On 15 March, USG DiCarlo addressed the event “Upholding Women's Rights in Afghanistan: An Urgent Moment for Renewal of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.” She said the UN is committed to supporting Afghan women and advocates for their rights and for inclusive governing structures, which are essential for sustaining peace and economic development. She saluted the bravery, determination and perseverance of Afghan women and reiterated the importance of hearing directly from them. 

Iraq

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), met on 13 March in Baghdad with Judge Faiq Zaidan, Head of the Supreme Judicial Council. They discussed the legal and judicial support the United Nations provide to the Iraqi judiciary.

Annette Lyth, the Senior Women’s Advisor of UNAMI and Head of the Human Rights Office in Erbil, met on 16 March with Hemin Hawrami, Kurdistan Parliament Deputy Speaker. Accompanied by Francesc Revuelto-Lanao, UNAMI Political Affairs Officer, they discussed the political situation in the Region, including preparations for the forthcoming regional elections. 

On 16 March, United Nations staff at the Regional Office in Erbil, Kurdistan Region commemorated the 34th anniversary of the chemical weapons attack in Halabja. At a solemn ceremony, staff observed a moment of silence to remember the more than 5,000 people who lost their lives in the attack. 

Syria

In his message issued on 15 March, Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Syrians continue to suffer in profound ways, with the hardship only deepening. He said that there have been no shifts in the frontlines for two years, while humanitarian needs are growing. The Special Envoy noted that the Constitutional Committee will meet again soon in Geneva. He reiterated his belief that a series of reciprocal confidence-building measures in resolution 2254 could be implemented in parallel, step-for step.

Full statement here

West Africa and the Sahel

On 14 and 15 March, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with the support of the Mauritanian authorities, organized the region’s first edition of the annual Women's Forum for Peace and Security in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The Forum brought together more than a hundred women and men from 17 countries of West Africa and the Sahel, as well as representatives of the UN system and the Mauritanian government. At the end of the two-day meeting, participants launched the Nouakchott Call for the Effective and Civic Participation of Women in Decision-Making processes, which contains a series of recommendations aimed at the authorities of the countries, regional organizations and partners of the subregion.

Read more here

Colombia

The UN Verification Mission has been supporting the process of building an access road leading to a cemetery at San Gabriel in Viotá, 80 km from the capital Bogotá. The work is being carried out by a group of ex-combatants as a measure of reparation for victims of the region who suffered from violence by the extinct FARC-EP during the conflict. On 17 March, a team from the Bogotá Regional Office of the Verification Mission visited the construction site accompanied by a group of ex-combatants, victims and reintegration officials.



Peacebuilding

Amid deteriorating political and security conditions against the backdrop of the continuing pandemic, the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) set records across nearly every benchmark in its current strategic plan. In 2021, the PBF had record-high investments worth $195,067,769 in 32 countries. It’s support to cross-border or regional programming of $26.6 million, also a record high, signals growing recognition of the challenges of transboundary conflict factors to sustaining peace. Approval of $51.1 million through the Fund’s Gender and Youth Promotion Initiative also translated to the Fund’s historic approval of 47 per cent of its total investments in support of gender-responsive peacebuilding. Recent investments in monitoring and evaluation have helped the Fund to more than double its evaluation coverage, from 36 project evaluations in 2020 to 86 in 2021. Donor partners generously responded to the appeal of the Secretary-General for increased financing for the Fund by contributing or pledging $178,344,755 in 2021. The Fund’s ability to meet growing peacebuilding demands, however, will require greater and sustained support.

For more information

On 18 March, the Peacebuilding Commission Chair Rabab Fatima participated in a special meeting convened by the President of ECOSOC under the theme “Natural Resources, Peaceful Societies and Sustainable Development: Lessons from the Kimberley Process”. In her remarks, the Chair reiterated the Commission’s commitment in support of efforts that aim to address the causes of instability, including those related to natural resources, while stressing the need for transboundary cooperation, economic diversification, and full participation of women and youth in natural resources governance. She explained that the Commission works in synergy with the Peacebuilding Fund which, between 2017 and 2021 invested $161.7 million to tackle farmer-herder conflicts and competition over natural resources, including conflict and disputes over water, and to support climate change adaptation strategies and other related initiatives. She also confirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting the Kimberley Process, particularly in view of the significant benefits to peaceful and inclusive societies, economic and social development and achievement of the SDGs.

Next Week