This Week in DPPA: 6 - 12 March 2021

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

Afghanistan

Deborah Lyons, Special Representative and Head of UNAMA, met on 10 March in Doha with Dr. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, to discuss the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations and Qatar’s key role, as well as to exchange views on how best the UN can support efforts to end the conflict and reach an inclusive peace settlement. She arrived in Doha on 9 March to meet with Afghan parties and international partners. 

Security Council

Volker Perthes, Special Representative for Sudan and Head of UNITAMS, told the Security Council on 9 March that while the country is making significant advances in its transition, “the remaining challenges are staggering”. He urged the international community to step up assistance to Sudan. “It is urgent to respond to the needs of communities across the country,” he said, cautioning that “[p]rogress on the political transition or peacebuilding will not happen without economic resources, and vice versa.”

Full statement here

The Security Council has strongly condemned the violence against peaceful protesters in Myanmar. In a Presidential Statement issued on 10 March, the Council voiced “deep concern” at restrictions on medical personnel, civil society, labour unions, and journalists, as demonstrations continue across the south-east Asian nation against the military takeover last month. The 15-member body reiterated its call for the immediate release of all those detained arbitrarily and expressed its continued support for the democratic transition in Myanmar.

Read more here

Iraq

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative for Iraq and Head of UNAMI, met Pope Francis during the pontiff’s historic visit to Iraq from 5-8 March. She attended the reception for Pope Francis in Baghdad and joined a public Mass in Erbil. 

This month’s Iraq’s Electoral Preparations and Processes report was issued on 9 March. UNAMI has been issuing monthly reports on electoral preparations in Iraq, in conformity with its mandate under Security Council Resolution 2522 (2020) to provide electoral assistance and advice to the Government of Iraq and the Independent High Electoral Commission.  

Learn more

Libya

Ján Kubiš, Special Envoy and Head of UNSMIL, visited Cairo from 6 to 8 March. In a meeting with the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry, the Special Envoy discussed the latest developments in Libya, including the progress made on the dialogue tracks: security and military; political; and economic and financial. He also held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), Ahmed Aboul Gheit, on the implementation of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Roadmap and the ceasefire agreement.

Read more here

Subscribe to This Week in DPPA by clicking here

Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org

Peacebuilding

The 14th Annual UN-AU-Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms Desk-to-Desk meeting took place this week. The three-day meeting gathered over 140 participants, including external experts, to explore existing frameworks on unconstitutional changes of government, popular uprisings, and political transitions. Participants also discussed ways to enhance coordination on preventing violent extremism and counterterrorism in Africa and identified good practices. The meeting underscored the need to continue working towards predictable financing of peace support operations and agreed to undertake a joint review on ad hoc security arrangements. Stakeholders also deliberated on support to the Member States for elections and ways to enhance structural prevention and inclusion strategies. 

On 9 March, Anna Karin Eneström, Chair of the Liberia Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), convened a meeting on promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality in Liberia. The meeting benefited from UNOWAS analysis on 20 years of implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security (2000) in West Africa and the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund support to women’s empowerment in Liberia (more than USD14 million since 2013). The meeting included briefings by the Liberian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Gender, new UN Resident Coordinator Niels Scott (joined by the UN Women Country Director) and Liberian civil society, Ambassador Juli Endee of The Liberia Crusaders for Peace.

International Women's Day

Marking International Women’s Day, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo took part in an “Arria formula” meeting of members of the Security Council on 8 March to discuss women’s inclusion in peace processes. Ms. DiCarlo highlighted, among other things, UN efforts to ensure women sit at the table in all the peace and political processes the world body is engaged in. “Women are essential to identifying durable and inclusive political solutions that can lead to sustainable peace,” she said. 

Full remarks here

The United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), in partnership with Sweden in Ethiopia, has just launched a podcast series titled, ‘She Stands for Peace’. The series follows on the flagship publication of the same name jointly produced by UNOAU and the AU last year (see the English and French versions).

The series explores the state of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (UNSCR 1325) in Africa through conversations with key actors/partners. Four episodes are now available.

All episodes are accessible collectively here and app specific episodes as listed here Apple podcasts, Audible, Spotify, Stitcher, Deezer, SoundCloud and Tune In.  

Next week

Special Envoy Geir Pedersen will brief the Security Council on the situation in Syria on Monday morning. Special Envoy Martin Griffiths will brief on Yemen on Tuesday morning. There will be a briefing by the 1540 Committee on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism on Tuesday afternoon.