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Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme showcases work of Peace and Development Advisors
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Hosted by Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention held on 9 February a high-level partner event to discuss recent examples of country-led efforts to sustain peace. USG DiCarlo and other speakers noted the critical role of Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) in operationalizing prevention and supporting peacebuilding across many areas, including the response to COVID-19, combatting hate speech, addressing climate-related risks and advocating for the meaningful inclusion of women and young people in political and peace processes. President George Weah of Liberia and President of São Tomé and Príncipe Carlos Vila Nova took part in the commemoration.
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DiCarlo: UN sanctions not the blunt instrument they once were, can be made more effective
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Briefing the Security Council on sanctions on 7 February, USG DiCarlo said that sanctions are not an end in themselves. “UN sanctions are no longer the blunt instrument they once were,” she said. “Since the 1990s, they have undergone considerable changes to minimize their possible adverse consequences on civilian populations and third States.” The Under-Secretary-General added that the Council and its sanctions committees have increasingly sought to obtain firsthand information on possible adverse consequences and that sanctions are continually adjusted in response to changes on the ground. To be effective, she further stressed that sanctions should be part of a comprehensive political strategy, working in tandem with direct political dialogue, mediation, peacekeeping and special political missions.
USG DiCarlo’s full remarks here
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Annadif stresses importance of coordinated response to help Burkina Faso
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Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) briefed the Security Council on 8 February during closed consultations on Burkina Faso. He stressed that the current situation in the country demands our continued attention and that we need to help support a coordinated response. He called for a road map for a consensual and reasonable transition to be put in place to restore constitutional order and reiterated his commitment to closely coordinate his good offices work with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to help Burkina Faso quickly emerge from this crisis.
Read more here
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Concern over missing women activists
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Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA), met with the Taliban leadership this week to convey deepening concern about the well-being of missing women activists. On 6 February, she met with the de facto Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Kabir, followed by a meeting with de facto acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi on 8 February and de facto acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi on 9 February. In all meetings, she voiced concern to Taliban leadership about the women’s safety and urged for all steps to secure their liberty. Raising the same issues and voicing concern over the well-being of the missing women activists, UNAMA Deputy Head Mette Knudsen met with de facto Acting Kabul Mayor Molvi Abdur Rasheed to discuss the city's security, the economy and inclusive governance.
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Two-State solution with no Plan B
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Secretary-General António Guterres on 8 February spoke at the opening of the 2022 Session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. He said that the situation today in the Occupied Palestinian Territory — including East Jerusalem — continues to pose a significant challenge to international peace and security. He emphasized the urgent need to intensify collective efforts to resolve the conflict and to end the occupation in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements. The Secretary-General said the goal is to continue for a two-State solution, adding that “there is no Plan B”.
Read more here
Watch the session here
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Special Coordinator Wronecka visits south Lebanon
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On 10 February, Joanna Wronecka, Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for Lebanon, visited southern Lebanon, including Sidon, Bissariye, Sarafand and Amraa. She met with the Directorate of General Security, visited a collective shelter and spoke to Lebanese and refugee families supported by the UN and its partners. "The current economic crisis is having a severe impact on communities in the south, where vulnerable Lebanese and refugee families are struggling," the Special Coordinator said. “During today’s visit, I spoke with many families who shared their difficulties to provide for their loved ones and their overall desire to live in dignity.” Faced with one of the harshest winters, many families are relying on the assistance provided by the UN. “The needs are immense, and most families cannot make ends meet", the Special Coordinator said. She also reiterated the importance of safeguarding stability and social cohesion in Lebanon despite the severe socio-economic crisis, and the UN's strong commitment to leaving no one behind.
Read more here
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Special Adviser Williams continues her engagements in Rome and Sirte
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In Rome on 7 February, Stephanie Williams, the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General for Libya, met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio to discuss recent developments in Libya and the importance of national and international consensus in support of an inclusive political process. In the Italian capital, she also met Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. The Special Adviser then traveled to Sirte, Libya, on 9 February to meet with the members of the Joint Military Committee (JMC) (5+5). They discussed the JMC’s efforts to operationalize the action plan signed in October 2021. She commended the progress made on the release of detainees and efforts to reopen the Abu Qurain road and Al Jufra.
Find out more about her latest engagements in the region
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Special Representative Annadif visits Guinea-Bissau, reaffirming UN solidarity after coup de force
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Mahamat Saleh Annadif visited Guinea-Bissau on 10 February. He held meetings with Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau and the P5 partners, composed of the African Union, the ECOWAS, the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, the European Union and the UN, and extended for the occasion to other representatives of the diplomatic corps. He also chaired a meeting with the United Nations country team. Annadif said at the end of the visit: “Our visit follows the coup de force suffered by the government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on February 1, 2022. We have come to offer our condolences to the families of the disappeared, reaffirm our solidarity and reiterate our condemnation of any unconstitutional change”.
Read more here
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UNITAMS continues consultations on a political process for Sudan
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In its fifth week, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes continue holding the UN-facilitated consultations on a political process in Sudan with various stakeholders. This week also saw more than 20 groups representing various groups, including a delegation of Civil Forces Alliance (Central States), National Reform Party, Sudanese National Liberal Party, Sudanese Bar Association and Republican Party, who shared their visions for the country and discussed ways to end the current political crisis.
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Medellín Director presents latest UN report on Colombia to civil society and journalists
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Medellín Director of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Raul Rosende on 10 February presented the Secretary-General's latest report on Colombia to civil society representatives. He said that it is crucial to preserve the independence and the functioning of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to guarantee its work and the full implementation of the peace agreement. Meeting with journalists and community media in Antioquia the following day, Rosende highlighted the importance of the comprehensive implementation of the peace agreement in this region of the country.
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