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USG DiCarlo begins trip to northeast Asia, meets with senior officials in China and Japan
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The Under-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, began her visit to northeast Asia this week. On 10 April in Beijing, she met separately with State Councillor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Qin Gang and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu to discuss UN engagement and cooperation efforts with China, as well as various regional developments.
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On 12 April, DiCarlo met in Tokyo with the Foreign Minister, Hayashi Yoshimasa, to discuss UN-Japan cooperation, among other matters. She also discussed regional issues with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Keiichi Ichikawa and the upcoming G7 Summit in Hiroshima with Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Shigeo Yamada. Continuing her visit, she will be in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 16 April.
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Colombia Special Representative calls for full implementation of the Peace Agreement
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On 13 April, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, presented the Secretary-General's latest report on the Mission to the UN Security Council. He appealed for the full implementation of the Peace Agreement and the de-escalation of violence through dialogue. "After six decades of armed conflict, it is not with more bloodshed among Colombians that an environment conducive to peace is created, quite the contrary," said Ruiz Massieu. The Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Álvaro Leyva Durán. also attended the session. The Special Representative urged all the illegal armed actors "not to waste the opportunity presented by the audacious search for peace through dialogue".
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Chair of Peacebuilding Commission briefs Security Council
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On 13 April, the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission H.E. Mr. Ivan Šimonović briefed the Security Council on Colombia. He called for broad international support, including via the Verification Mission, the UN Country Team, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund and the Peacebuilding Fund, for the Government of Colombia’s commitment to implement all chapters of the Final Peace Agreement. He also encouraged full and timely implementation of provisions in the Peace Agreement as they relate to Indigenous and Afro Colombian populations, and reiterated the importance of the role of Colombian women and the centrality of their full equal and meaningful participation in peacebuilding. The PBC also expressed the need to follow up on the protection of young community members and leaders to ensure their full and effective participation in political processes and continue to support their peacebuilding efforts.
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Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Mozambique connects DDR beneficiaries with coffee producers
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This week, the office of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Mozambique, Mirko Manzoni, held reintegration information sessions to link Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) beneficiaries with coffee producers. The beneficiaries will be part of an outgrowing smallholder farmer scheme that will provide them with coffee seedlings, technical training, and guaranteed purchase at harvesting. This innovative approach allows farmers to continue growing their staple crops while also growing coffee plants at the same time, providing them with additional income. In Mozambique, over 1,300 DDR beneficiaries and family members have been connected with reintegration opportunities in 50 out of 154 districts of the country.
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Technical Support Committee meeting held for Great Lakes region
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From 12-13 April, the 33rd meeting of the Technical Support Committee of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region was held in Nairobi, Kenya. Representatives from signatory countries including Angola, Burundi, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, the Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia attended the meeting. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia called for the intensification of efforts to prioritize dialogue and de-escalate tensions. The meeting provided an avenue to build up to the 11th high-level meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the PSC Framework, which will be held in Bujumbura on 6 May.
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Special Representative Abarry visits the Central African Republic to discuss support to peace and stability
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Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) Abdou Abarry visited the Central African Republic (CAR) from 12 to 14 April. He met with the Special Representative for the Central African Republic and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) Valentine Rugwabiza, the UN Country Team, ECCAS, international financial institutions and the members of the diplomatic community. The exchanges focused on the ongoing, multi-layered and coordinated support for peace, stability and development in Central African Republic. On 12 April, Abarry was received by President Faustin A.Touadera and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sylvie Baïpo-Temon. Discussions highlighted the need for enhanced co-ordination and partnership between MINUSCA and UNOCA in support of ongoing initiatives towards the country’s stability and development.
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Hundreds of detainees released in Yemen
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Nearly 900 conflict-related detainees are being released in Yemen over a three-day period, starting on 14 April. The release is part of a plan agreed by the parties in Switzerland in March, and will be managed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, welcomed the start of the release and thanked the parties for their collaboration. “This release operation comes at a time of hope for Yemen as a reminder that constructive dialogue and mutual compromises are powerful tools capable of achieving great outcomes,” he said. He also urged the parties to immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained individuals.
Read more here
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UNAMI DSRSG Cordone visits Ninewa Governorate
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On 9 April, Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Iraq, visited Mosul to inspect the ongoing reconstruction of the al-Nouri mosque and the nearby al-Sa'a church, which were devastated during the conflict with Dae'sh. He also met with Mayor Amin al-Memari to discuss the situation, including security, electoral developments, and reconstruction plans. In Ninewa Plain's Hamdaniya district, DSRSG Cordone visited Christian spiritual leaders to listen to the views and concerns of their community.
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On 10 April, Cordone met with West Ninewa Operations Commander Maj-Gen. Akram Saddam Mednef to discuss the overall security situation in the area, including the Sinjar district. He also met in Sinjar with representatives and elders of the Yezidi, Arab and Turkmen communities from the town and surrounding areas. DSRSG Cordone emphasized the importance of accountability for crimes committed by Da'esh and the urgent implementation of the Sinjar Agreement.
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UNAMI organizes human rights briefing with Salahaddin University
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On 13 April, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office, in coordination with Salahaddin University (SU) College of Law in Erbil, organized a briefing session with a particular focus on the human rights aspects of the Mission’s work. Eighty-five students and three professors from the College participated in the session. The students were briefed on UNAMI’s human rights monitoring and reporting, focusing on priority areas of work in the Kurdistan Region, including civic space, women's rights, and the administration of justice, among other topics.
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“Pathways for Peace” meetings held on the prevention agenda
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This week, the World Bank and the UN organized a joint event on “Pathways for Peace: Progress on Preventing Conflict”, as part of the 2023 Spring Meetings in Washington DC. Panelists from the United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Save the children, together with member state representatives from Benin, Denmark, and Mozambique, discussed the prevention agenda. They reflected on the progress made since the launch of the joint UN-WB landmark report, “Pathways for Peace: Inclusive approaches to preventing violent conflict” and the way forward in light of the evolving global conflict landscape. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed underscored that to sustain peace, institutions that are fit for purpose are needed to address more diverse conflicts.
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