This Week in DPPA: 22 - 28 January

Security Council

Briefing the Council on the situation in Libya on 24 January, Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said growing polarization among political actors resulted in the postponement of the 24 December 2021 elections, with the High National Commission for Elections citing such reasons as shortcomings in the legal framework and contradictory court ruling on candidates. Discussions in the House of Representatives and among political actors are also focusing on the status of the Government of National Unity, DiCarlo said. She noted that the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, Stephanie Williams, is working with national, regional, and international stakeholders and echoed her message that it is critical for the international community to remain united in its support for the timely holding of presidential and parliamentary elections.

Full remarks at the Security Council here

Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), briefed the Security Council on 26 January alongside Secretary-General António Guterres who spoke on the need to scale up humanitarian operations to save Afghan lives. Reporting that the de facto authorities have taken some steps to function more effectively as a government, Special Representative Lyons stressed that it was time for the Taliban to govern based on trust, not fear, to be inclusive, protect the rights of all Afghans and initiate an Afghan dialogue for national reconciliation.

Full remarks of the Special Representative here

Read the Secretary-General's remarks here

Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen briefed the Security Council on 27 January. He said that, despite continued violence and suffering, it is clear that a strategic stalemate exists in the country. He noted that there have been no shifts in frontlines for nearly two years, adding that no existing actor or group of actors can determine the trajectory or outcome of this conflict and that the military solution remains an illusion. “It is an enormous challenge to make real progress that can make a difference to the Syrian people, but that is what we must do,” said the Special Envoy, seeking for the Council’s guidance and united support.

Full remarks at the Security Council here

Afghanistan

In her meeting on 27 January with Former President Karzai of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Special Representative Deborah Lyons stressed the urgent need for steps towards dialogue and inclusivity and action on ensuring universal girls’ education by March. They discussed opportunity for Taliban to build on resounding support for Afghanistan that was expressed at the Security Council and protect all Afghans’ rights. 

Central Asia

Natalia Gherman, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), met on 24 January with Under-Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov. They discussed the situation in Central Asia, the upcoming High-Level International conference on counter-terrorism in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the launch of the fourth phase of the Joint Plan of Action designed to address the threat of terrorism. 

Yemen

Bringing a wealth of experience in military operations and United Nations peace operations gained over 40 years of overseas military deployments, Michael Beary assumed his duty last week as Head of the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) and Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee. On 26 January, he arrived in Yemen, where he met with the parties in Aden and Sana’a, reaffirming the importance of reviving dialogue to advance solutions for urgent de-escalation and stability in Hudaydah Governorate. 

Iraq

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), met on 26 January with Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mohammed al-Halbousi. They discussed the political and security situation, stressing the importance of calm and restraint at this critical phase.

UNAMI’s Human Rights Office organized a one-day training on human rights and humanitarian law on 27 January for the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) in Ninewa. Participants discussed, among other topics, available accountability mechanisms relevant for the country.

Read more here

Lebanon

Joanna Wronecka, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, continued a round of political and diplomatic engagements this week, urging the parties to take decisive steps towards urgent reforms and orderly conduct of parliamentary elections scheduled in May. Reactivation of the Cabinet, adoption of the annual budget, macro-economic and fiscal reforms were the subject of the Special Coordinator’s discussions with the President of the Republic Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib and the Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi. In follow-up with religious leaders, the Special Coordinator met Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Sunni Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian and Armenian Catholicos Aram II Kechichian. The leaders lauded the “historic initiative” which brought together representatives from across the religious spectrum to share their views with the Secretary-General on issues that concern Lebanon from the perspective of their respective communities.

Libya

Stephanie Williams, the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General for Libya, met on 23 January with House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh in Al-Qubba and discussed the need for the national reconciliation and transitional justice process to accompany the electoral process. She also met with the President of the High Council of States, Khaled al-Mishri, in Tripoli where they discussed the means to address the obstacles facing the electoral process. In her meeting on 27 January with Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army General Mohammed Al-Haddad, she briefed him about her recent engagements with regional and international partners and discussed the military track, efforts to unify the military institutions and advance the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces from Libya.

Find out more about her latest engagements in the region

Central Africa

In Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, on 27 January, the UN Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) organized a two-day coordination meeting with political units and Peace and Development Advisers working in Central Africa. Participants discussed issues related to conflict prevention and climate change.

West Africa and the Sahel

In the wake of the military takeover in Burkina Faso, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), met this week with various political stakeholders, as well as the President of the ECOWAS Jean Claude Kassi Brou. Special Representative Annadif will travel to the country over the weekend on a good offices mission. 

Sudan

The third week of the UN-facilitated consultations on a political process in Sudan concluded on 27 January. This week saw a greater engagement with more groups from various Sudanese States outside Khartoum as they continue to urge the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) to organize sessions with constituencies in all states. “We do not want to predict an outcome. These initial consultations will guide our next steps,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNITAMS Volker Perthes, reiterating the missions’ mandate to facilitate a Sudanese-owned process on a way forward to address the current political impasse following the coup on 25 October.

Read more here

Somalia

DPPA’s Innovation Cell, together with the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), convened a design lab, titled E-Analytics on innovative solutions for peace from 6 to 8 December in Doha, Qatar. In its fifth year, the lab brought together an unlikely group of collaborators, including UN political analysts, computer scientists, designers, and others. Exploring topics such as social media analysis, open-source investigations, natural language processing, and geospatial analysis, the course aimed at enhancing core analytical skills. Participants focused on re-purposing new technologies for preventing conflicts and building sustainable peace processes and resilient societies. 

For more information

Kiki Gbeho, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, met on 26 January with the Goodwill Ambassadors that had been appointed by the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia to secure the 30 per cent women’s quota for the 11th Parliament. They discussed the continued support needed from Somalia’s international partners to help make the 30 per cent quota a reality for the country's House of the People elections. 

Peacebuilding

As the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) gets ready to elect its Chair for 2022, DPPA’s Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) took stock of work accomplished in 2021, including the successful organization of 29 meetings, resulting in 63 outcome documents. The Commission supported peacebuilding priorities in 13 countries and regions and advanced nine global policy agendas. Last year’s highlights include the promotion of inclusive approaches to peacebuilding, with 65% of the briefers representing national and local institutions. The percentage of PBC meetings that included civil society briefers increased from 51% in 2020 to 63% in 2021, while the private sector participation increased from 19% in 2020 to nearly 30% in 2021. The PBC continued to empower women and youth. Women peacebuilders participated in 74% of PBC meetings and young peacebuilders in almost half of the Commission’s meetings, a dramatic increase from previous years. 2021 registered the highest number of the Commission’s submissions to other intergovernmental bodies and peacebuilding fora, proving its valuable advisory and bridging role. The PBC continued to forge partnerships with regional organizations and international financial institutions and engaged for the first time with the World Trade Organization and the G7+. The Commission continued to promote UN coherence, with Special Representatives, Special Envoys, and Deputy Special Representatives comprising nearly one-third of all UN briefers. The percentage of Resident Coordinators/Humanitarian Coordinators/Resident Representatives who briefed the Commission increased from 3.6% in 2020 to 17.6% in 2021, which resulted in enhanced understanding about United Nations Country Analysis (CCAs) and the Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks.

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