Welcome to the United Nations

This Week in DPPA: 3 - 9 April 2021

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

 
Fernández-Taranco highlights the importance of peacebuilding and prevention

On 8 April, Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernández-Taranco took part in the first quarterly meeting of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). It was convened by the Group co-chairs, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom Barbara Woodward and Permanent Representative of Sweden Anna Karin Eneström. The meeting focused on finding solutions to ensure adequate and predictable financing. Taranco briefed on the outcomes of the PBF’s high-level Replenishment Conference held in January, as well as next steps for fund capitalization. He further emphasized the importance of PBF’s flexibility in carrying out peacebuildling and prevention work, especially in times of significant volatility. In 2020, the PBF approved $173.7 million in 39 countries, despite challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yemen

Special Envoy meets the Southern Transitional Council 

Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths met Amr Al-Bidh, Special Representative of the Presidential Council of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on 4 April to discuss the UN plan to reach an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire, opening Sana'a airport, allowing fuel and commercial ships into Hudaydah port, and resuming the political process. 

Libya

UNSMIL facilitates LPDF Legal Committee meeting in Tunis

A three-day meeting of the LPDF Legal Committee was held in Tunis on 7-9 April with support from UNSMIL. The meeting was held to finalize discussions on a constitutional basis for the upcoming national election on 24 December, in accordance with the LPDF Roadmap. Special Envoy for Libya and Head of UNSMIL Ján Kubiš underscored that a constitutional and electoral framework must be ready by early July for the election to take place on the agreed date. He also strongly encouraged them to rise above divisions for deliberations to move forward with preparations for the elections.  

Read more here

Full remarks here

 
UNSMIL convenes international financial review meetings of the Central Bank of Libya

UNSMIL, together with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Deloitte International, convened a series of meetings on 2-5 April to review and verify the preliminary results of the international financial review of the Central Bank of Libya. Security Council Resolution 2434 (2018) endorses the creation of conditions for the unification of Libyan financial institutions with integrity and transparency and also mandates UNSMIL to support the process. The final report, including practical steps to unify the central bank and enhance accountability and transparency, will be completed this month.

Read more here

Afghanistan

Special Representative visits Doha

Deborah Lyons, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA, visited Doha this week. She met with peace negotiators from the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, as well as other international partners, to discuss the upcoming proposed peace conference in Istanbul. Concurrently in Doha, UNAMA Human Rights representatives met with Taliban representatives to discuss victim-centred justice in peace efforts and stressed the need to take active steps to protect civilians in Afghanistan from harm.

 

Subscribe to This Week in DPPA by clicking here

Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org

Iraq

Special Representative discusses Baghdad-Erbil relations

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative for Iraq and Head of UNAMI, met in Erbil on 4 April with the Minister of Interior in Kurdistan Regional Government, Rêber Ahmed, and the Head of Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy Office of the Kurdistan Region, President Niyaz Barzani. They discussed the current political situation in the region and Baghdad-Erbil relations, including voluntary returns of internally displaced persons. 

 
Special Representative meets the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq

Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert met on 6 April in Baghdad with the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Mustafa Ghaleb. They discussed the current financial and economic situation of the country. 

Colombia

Former combatants receive land in the department of Guaviare

The UN Verification Mission in Colombia participated in an event on 8 April that celebrated the formalization of the purchase of land for ex-combatants in the village of Boquerón, San José del Guaviare in southeastern Colombia. As agreed between the Agency for Reintegration and Normalization (ARN) and 137 former combatants from the department of Guaviare, a total of 197 hectares of land was purchased through the National Land Agency. The event was attended by Director of ARN Andres Stapper, Paster Alape of the Componente FARC del Consejo Nacional de Reincorporación (CNR) Comunes, officials from the National Land Agency, representatives from the Governor's Office of Guaviare, the mayor of San José del Guaviare, leaders of the Reintegration Area of Charras and people from the community. 

 

Verification Mission strengthens youth capacities in peacebuilding

On 7 April, the UN Verification Mission spoke with 13 young people from the State of Querétaro, Mexico, who are part of the 'Embajadores 2030' program of the Secretaría de la Juventud. Topics covered included progress made on the implementation of the Acuerdo de Paz, the Mission's youth strategy, and the importance of their role in building peace. Earlier in the week on 5 April, the Mission also published a video capturing testimonials by young people from the former Reincorporation and the Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR) of Tierra Grata and Pondores, in Cesar and La Guajira, who had participated in capacity-building projects on peacebuilding given by the Mission.

Watch the video here

Next Week

Special Envoy Huang Xia will update the Security Council on the Great Lakes Region on Monday, 12 April. The Council will hold an open debate on sexual violence in conflict on Wednesday, 14 April, followed by a briefing on Yemen by Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on Thursday, 15 April.