New York
Country reps, experts explore the link between peace and security and the SDGs
The Permanent Missions of the Central African Republic, Iraq and the Republic of Korea and DPPA’s Peacebuilding Support Office hosted a high-level side event in the margins of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on 9 July. The event served to underline how the UN’s peace and security pillar, including through its peace operations, peacebuilding and conflict-prevention work, supports national governments in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the experiences in the Central African Republic and Iraq as concrete examples. “The 2030 agenda and sustaining peace are people-centric processes. We need to include national and local institutions, woman and youth, civil society, community and grassroot organizations and private sector to achieve our common goal”, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, said.
For more information, please contact DPPA
Guinea-Bissau
Human rights workshop in Bissau
The Human Rights Section of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau and the Human Rights Defenders Network provided technical support for a validation workshop in Bissau on 9 July. The workshop looked at the civil society report for the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Guinea-Bissau, taking place in Geneva in January 2020. The UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States.
Read the full story on UNIOGBIS website.
Training Women Mediators
UNOGBIS Gender Unit and the Woman Mediators Network of Guinea-Bissau (REMUME) conducted an advance training course from 8 – 9 July. The training brought together community leaders, members of REMUME and other mediation actors, and aimed to strengthen the operational capacity of the network.
Read the full story on UNIOGBIS website.
Somalia
New head of mission visits Puntland
James Swan, the new Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM, made his first trip to a regional center this week. In Garowe, the capital of Puntland, he met with President Said Abdullah Modamed Deni on 8 July. The SRSG reiterated the UN’s support for development programmes and inclusive dialogue between the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member states. While in Puntland, he also visited the Food for Asset-project in Laac-dheere, where a solar-powered irrigation system has improved vegetable and fruit production for the local cooperative.
Read the full story on UNSOMS website.
African Union
UN and AU launch call for nominations for commemorative book on UNSCR 1325
2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council’s landmark resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. UNOAU, in partnership with the African Union, has launched an open call for nominations for an upcoming joint publication that will feature exceptional African women who have remarkably contributed to advancing UNSCR 1325 and other related resolutions on the continent. This commemorative book also reflects a strengthened partnership between the UN and AU as envisioned in the joint framework in peace and security signed in April 2017. The open call closes on 12 August 2019.
More information on the nomination process available here.
Kenya
Secretary-General meets staff in Nairobi
During his visit to Kenya, Secretary-General António Guterres held a town hall meeting with all UN staff in Nairobi on 10 July. With him were the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, the Executive Director of UN Habitat, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, and the Executive Director of UN Environment, Inger Andersen.
For more information, please contact DPPA
Silencing the Guns in Africa
The Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Bintou Keita, participated at a side-event at the margins of the Africa Regional Conference on Counter-Terrorism and the Prevention of Violent Extremisms Conducive to Terrorism in Nairobi on 10 July. The event, named the Role of African Youth in Silencing the Guns, gathered more than 50 young activists from across the continent. The Assistant Secretary-General called on participants to “empower every single person in you are contact with”.
For more information, please contact DPPA
Libya
Deputy Special Representative in Libya visits Tobruk and Benghazi
Stephanie Williams, Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs, visited Tobruk on 7 July. There, she met with members of the House of Representatives and Municipal Council and reiterated the commitment of UNSMIL’s leadership to engage with all parties in Libya, and work with all to address the country’s political and economic crisis. In Benghazi on 9 July, she met with the Mayor and municipal council members and was briefed on the challenges in providing essential services. In the meeting, Ms. Williams asserted the UN’s commitment to support the people in Benghazi. While in the city, she also visited the Woman’s Police Center, where she hailed the role of woman police officers in the security sector.
For more information, please contact DPPA
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Syria
Special Envoy notes progress toward forming constitutional committee
Geir O. Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, held a number of meetings in Damascus this week. He met twice with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Walid Al-Moallem, and on 10 July he told reporters: “I believe we have made a very solid progress and we are very close to have agreement on establishing the constitutional committee”. The Special Envoy also called for a return to stability in Idlib province, and said a truce there agreed last year between Russia and Turkey should come back into force.
For more information, please contact DPPA
Lebanon
Special Envoy visits Iran
Ján Kubiš, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, visited the Iranian capital Tehran on 11 July. He met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif, and they had a thorough and substantive exchange on the work of the UN in support of Lebanon, implementation challenges related to Resolution 1701 and regional developments.
For more information, please contact DPPA
Yemen
Martin Griffiths holds talks with US officials
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Martin Griffiths met with US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on 10 July to discuss the latest developments on the UN-led political track. Afterwards, Mr. Griffiths called the exchange fruitful and expressed appreciation for the U.S. support and commitment. The Special Envoy and the Secretary of State agreed that parties must continue working toward a political settlement and an end to the conflict in Yemen.
For more information, please contact DPPA
Iraq
New internship program in Erbil
The UNAMI office in Erbil launched its new internship program on 8 July. A group of 14 students, nine females and five males, from Tishk University and University of Kurdistan – Hawler, started on a month-long internship program at the Regional Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq in Erbil, Kurdistan Region. The students will learn about UN activities in Iraq, gain communications-related skills and prepare a research paper during their internship.
Read the full story on UNAMI’s Facebook page.
Afghanistan
Special Envoy visits Pakistan
Tadamichi Yamamoto, Special Representative and Head of UNAMA, visited the Pakistani capital Islamabad on 8 July. He met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, and other officials to discuss regional cooperation and peace. While in Islamabad, the Special Representative also met with representatives from the international diplomatic corps.
For more information, please contact DPPA
UN-backed ‘local peace initiative’ culminates in pact to end longstanding land dispute
In the eastern province of Kunar, a UN-backed ‘local peace initiative’ has helped two tribes reach agreement on ending a 40-year conflict over land. The conflict has been a source of tension and violence and has affected the lives of hundreds of people by disrupting social, economic and other activities. After several weeks of UNAMA-arranged meetings, the two tribes agreed to a two-day Jirga, a traditional form of conflict resolution used across Afghanistan to resolve disputes.
Read the full story on UNAMA’s website.
Colombia
Security Council visits Colombia, expresses full support for the peace process
A three-day visit of the Security Council to Colombia to assess developments in the peace process and to reiterate support for its implementation began on 11 July. On Friday 12 July, the Council delegation had meetings with President Iván Duque, members of Congress, civil society representatives, the FARC political party, and the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-Repetition, among others. "All members of the Council are fully committed to and supportive of the peace process in Colombia," said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu. During July, Peru holds the rotating monthly presidency of the Council, and the country is co-leading the visit to Colombia along with the United Kingdom.
For more information, please contact DPPA
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