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This Week in DPPA: 2 - 8 November 2019


 

1 - 8 November 2019

This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.

 

Under-Secretary-General

Partnerships key to evolving multilateralism, DiCarlo says at Yale lecture
Speaking at Yale University’s MacMillan Centre on 4 November, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo expanded on how the UN works to extend and nurture partnerships with a range of actors to improve the climate for global international cooperation. Such partnerships should also include civil society, the private sector, youth and women, she said, not only governments.
Read her full remarks here 

 

New York

New report on UN-AU partnership
Assistant Secretary-General Bintou Keita participated in a panel organized by the International Peace Institute in collaboration with the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies on 7 November to launch a joint report entitled “Toward a More Effective UN-AU Partnership on Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management.” The discussion highlighted the significant progress achieved in the UN-AU partnership; noted the need to make further progress to implement the women, peace and security agenda, including by Member States; and pointed out the opportunities offered by “Silencing the Guns in Africa” as the AU theme for 2020.
For more information, contact us

 

Mediation

Gender and Inclusive Mediation Strategies in focus at Helsinki seminar
The 10th annual UN High-Level Seminar on Gender and Inclusive Mediation Strategies, held in collaboration with the Finnish MFA and the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), took place in Helsinki from 5 – 7 November. The Seminar aims to generate more consultative processes by promoting women’s effective participation and building inclusive, gender-sensitive mediation capacity at international, regional and national levels. It provided participants the opportunity to discuss challenges for inclusion in their work and offered concrete tools and strategies to overcome obstacles. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari represented DPPA.  Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative to the African Union, delivered key note remarks, sharing her experience from the South Sudan peace process. 
For more information, contact us

 

Afghanistan

Media summit spotlights impact of worsening violence against reporters in Afghanistan
For the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November, the United Nations and the Afghan Journalist Safety Committee (AJSC) convened a Media Summit in Kabul to spotlight the impact of worsening violence against reporters in Afghanistan. Some 100 journalists, along with government officials and members of the international community, participated in the event. “Speaking truth to power, of any type, is a fundamental function in democratic societies, and exercising freedom of expression rights in a country at conflict entails enormous risk,” said UNAMA’s Human Rights Chief Fiona Frazer in her opening remarks.
Read the full story here

 

Colombia

National Rafting Championship "Paddling for Peace" makes history
The biggest tournament in the history of rafting in Colombia ended on 4 November in the Pato River, Caquetá Department after having brought together victims of the armed conflict and forced displacement, members of the security forces, ex-combatants and members of the community. Twenty teams from six departments of Colombia, and two special guests from Costa Rica, participated in the national rafting championship held in Miravalle reintegration area. The championship was marked by messages of resilience, reconciliation, and teamwork. The Championship was organized by Caguán Expeditions, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, the International Rafting Federation for Colombia, the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization, the Ministry of Sports, the Vice-Ministry of Tourism, the Government of Caquetá, the Mayor's Office of San Vicente del Caguán, the National Police and the National Army.
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Central Africa

Meetings to discuss ECCAS reform
François Louncény Fall, Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA, met with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon on 5 November. President Bongo Ondima is President-in-Office of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and Mr. Louncény Fall congratulated him on progress made on ECCAS reform and reiterated the UN’s commitment to support this process.
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“Building Partnerships for prevention”
UNOCA hosted the Second Annual Meeting of Political Units and Peace and Development Advisors in Central Africa under the theme "Building Partnerships for prevention" from 4 – 5 November. Participants, including UN Staff from DPPA/DPO (Headquarters and field missions), Resident Coordinators Offices, Regional Offices and ECCAS  focused their discussions on four main areas: Early warning and analysis with a gender perspective; Good offices in non-mission settings, particularly in the lead up to the upcoming electoral cycle in the subregion; Support for and strengthening the capacity of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); and Building partnerships with civil society and supporting sub-regional civil society networks.
For more information, contact us

 

Somalia

Somalia’s food crisis can be tackled by data-driven early action and investment
Following a joint mission to Somalia, Mahmoud Mohieldin, the World Bank Group’s Vice-President for the 2030 Development Agenda, UN Relations, and Partnerships; Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Oscar Fernández--Taranco UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, have written an opinion piece on how the two organizations are working together to improve food security in Somalia. 
ead the opinion piece here

 

Mano River Union

Peacebuilding Commission visits the Mano River Union
A high-level delegation from the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is on a mission to the Mano River Union this week. From 4 – 9 November, the delegation is visiting Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to assess the international support to the countries peacebuilding priorities and explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation in support of cross-border regional issues, relevant peacebuilding and sustaining peace challenges. The Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Oscar Fernández--Taranco, and the Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, accompanies the delegation, which is led by the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN and Chair of the PBC, Ambassador Guillermo Fernández de Soto.
For more information, contact us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org