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Wennesland briefs Security Council on situation in the Middle East, warns of erosion of hope
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On 27 June, Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland noted the alarming spike in violence across the northern and central occupied West Bank, which had resulted in numerous Palestinian and Israeli casualties. “The deepening occupation, settlement expansion, the high levels of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, and, critically, the absence of a political horizon are rapidly eroding hope among Palestinians and Israelis, and particularly among youth, that a resolution of the conflict is achievable,” he cautioned.
Read full remarks here
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Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi briefs Council on situation in Syria
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On 29 June, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Majat Rochdi briefed the Council on the latest developments in the country. She described recent air strikes in the north-west, and also noted other concerning incidents, including reports of Turkish drone and artillery strikes on Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Government positions and civilian infrastructure; Syrian Democratic Forces shelling of Turkish positions; Israeli air strikes; and ongoing attacks by listed terrorist groups. She also underlined that Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Geir Pedersen had called for restored and sustained calm with key actors in the Ceasefire Task Force. She also referred to the vote in the General Assembly on the detained, disappeared and missing in Syria, emphasizing that many would look to that with the hope that a new entity dedicated to the issue could bring some measure of relief to families.
Read full remarks here
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Ambassadorial-level meeting in Honduras
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On 26 June, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) convened a meeting on Peacebuilding in Honduras. Representatives of the government of Honduras spoke on sustainable peace through electoral processes and institution-building. Member States commended Honduras for sharing its successes and challenges and emphasized the need to address root causes of violence and ensure progress in the rule of law. They also emphasized the relevancy of the Peacebuilding Fund and called for increased support of peacebuilding activities in the country. They welcomed the Government’s dedication to establish an impartial, independent and autonomous international mechanism against impunity and corruption.
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ECOSOC and Peacebuilding Commission convene meeting on the Sustainable Development Goals, peace and development
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On 29 June, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Peacebuilding Commission met to discuss the linkages between peace and development, with a view to promoting coherence for peacebuilding, sustaining peace and sustainable development efforts. Member states stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of conflict and strengthening prevention efforts as instrumental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also called for flexible, adequate, and predictable financing for peacebuilding and development and highlighted the need for increasing contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund.
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Peacebuilding Support Office joint induction session with the African Development Bank's Transition States Coordination Office
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This week, the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) held a joint induction session with the African Development Bank's Transition States Coordination Office. The Transitions States Coordination Office and PBSO briefed each other on their structure and respective work and discussed entry points for cooperation. The session included an exchange on collaboration between the African Development Bank’s Transition Support Facility, the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, and the Peacebuilding Commission.
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Peacebuilding Commission holds retreat to discuss its role in building trust, promoting solidarity
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On 29-30 June, DPPA and the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation organized a retreat for the members of the Peacebuilding Commission at the Greentree Estate in New York. The retreat provided a platform to discuss ways to advance the role of the Commission to ensure it can continue to respond to the calls for a more effective, networked and inclusive multilateral system. Participants discussed how to advance the upcoming New Agenda for Peace, including though a possible ministerial meeting in September. They discussed the role the Commission could play to support building trust, promoting solidarity and advocate the universality of peacebuilding and sustaining peace, utilizing its platform to facilitate the sharing of experiences and good practices in peacebuilding.
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UN and World Bank hold “Pathways for Peace” event
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On 26 June, the UN and World Bank held an event on “Pathways for Peace: Five Years On”, focusing on inclusive approaches to preventing violent conflict. In her remarks, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo stressed that conflict prevention saved lives and offered a tremendous yield on investment. The Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Elizabeth Spehar, and DPPA Director of the Policy and Mediation Division Asif Khan identified opportunities to support national prevention strategies and strengthen UN instruments in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the forthcoming Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace, and the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture.
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“Peace is Our Culture” campaign celebrated with concert
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On 29 June, Mozambique launched a song and music video for its campaign “Peace is our Culture” with a concert attended by the Mozambican Prime Minister, RENAMO leader and civil society at large. An initiative of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Mozambique, Mirko Manzoni, the concert brought together Mozambican musicians and artists from all over the country to celebrate peace together. The campaign aims to foster and strengthen national reconciliation efforts through culture.
Watch the music video here
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UNSCOL launches virtual reality documentary “Dreaming of Lebanon”
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This week in Beirut, the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) and DPPA’s Mediation Division Innovation Cell launched its virtual reality documentary Dreaming of Lebanon. The film provides an immersive look into the lives of young Lebanese people and their hopes for the future. It utilizes 360-degree filming technology to enable viewers to engage in an interactive interview with three young Lebanese from various walks of life. “New technologies can be a great tool for multilateral diplomacy and peacebuilding,” said Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General Joanna Wronecka. “This virtual reality documentary shows the human face of Lebanon and how hope, patience and dreams can and must survive despite all the challenges, and it inspires young people to use all their potential to build a better future,” she added.
Watch the trailer here
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UNAMI Gender Unit holds discussion on women’s participation
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On 25 June, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Gender Unit, in collaboration with the Women Empowerment Directorate held a roundtable discussion in Dhi-Qar on women’s participation in political processes, with the participation of local governorate officials and civil society activists. The discussions are in support of the implementation of the National Action Plan on UN Security Council resolution 1325 and the National Strategy for Iraqi Women (2023-2030).
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UNAMI Human Rights Office holds training for women media workers
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On 23 and 24 June, the Human Rights Office of UNAMI, in collaboration with the Iraqi Female Journalist Forum, conducted a two-day capacity-building training in Basra for 23 Iraqi female journalists from Basra governorate. This training helped equip Iraqi female journalists with necessary strategies and tools to integrate human rights and gender perspectives into their journalistic reporting. This training was conducted as part of a series of five similar trainings set to take place in five governorates under the Global Drive for Media Freedom, Access to Information and the Safety of Journalists.
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UNAMI Human Rights Office holds roundtable on ensuring accountability for domestic violence
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On 26 June in Dohuk, UNAMI Human Rights Office convened its third roundtable discussion on strengthening coordination between key government institutions to address accountability for domestic violence. Some 20 Participants, including 7 women, from the Directorate of Combating Violence against Women, the police, the general prosecutor’s office, and the judiciary attended the discussion. During the discussions participants identified factors that hindered the successful prosecution of criminal violence against women. They also discussed strategies to enhance coordination efforts among all relevant government and judicial bodies to improve accountability for perpetrators of these crimes.
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Ex-Combatants take place in rafting for peace in Valtellina, Italy
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On 28 June, the International Rafting Festival began in Valtellina, Italy, with the participation of ex-combatants from the department of Caquetá and its neighbouring communities as part of the team #RemandoPorLaPaz, representing Colombia. The UN Verification Mission in Colombia sponsors the team representation, integrated by men and women who, with effort and perseverance, have become examples of the Reintegration process and entrepreneurial leaders of Tourism for Peace.
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Mission attends truth acknowledgment hearing in Dabeiba
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On 27 and 29 June, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia attended the public hearing for the acknowledgment of former members of the public security forces before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), victims of the conflict and society of war crimes and against humanity, in the macro-case of extrajudicial executions. It was held in the municipality of Dabeiba, in the department of Antioquia. Truth and acknowledgment of responsibility are central to progress in peacebuilding. The Mission also participated in the Special Jurisdiction for Peace's restorative dialogue meeting with the participation of victims and witnesses.
Watch the video here
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