The year 2023 marked a new beginning for the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs with the launch of the Strategic Plan for 2023-2026. In the coming four years, DPPA will have a crucial role to play in helping shape how the UN adapts its work to this new global environment and in supporting the Secretary-General and the wider system to chart the path through this transition. This document was updated in March 2024.
For the past 75 years, special political missions have been instrumental in advancing preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and sustaining peace. The activities and achievements of special political missions demonstrate the vital contribution they make, even as they face a more volatile operating environment.
The study draws on a review of publicly available literature and over 20 interviews conducted with UNAMI, members of the UN Country Team, researchers, and civil society organizations. To situate the effects of climate change in the Iraqi context, the study analyzes factors determining the exposure and vulnerability of the State and communities, including conflict history, capacity and resources of public institutions, patterns of human mobility, and levels of gender equality.
Futuring peace in Northeast Asia, an initiative by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, is dedicated to strengthening opportunities for Northeast Asian youth to share their unique observations for regional peace and security with policymakers, as a step towards broader representation of youth in high-level policy fora.
The Annual Report highlights key accomplishments that the Joint Programme enabled our partners to achieve across the world in 2021. This work was undertaken by an expanding cadre of 1191 peace and development experts based in over 67 countries, comprised of international and national Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs), UN Volunteers and secondees, as well as six Regional Programme Specialists.
This brief report compiles the recommendations during a joint side event organized by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 13 September 2022, “South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development and sustaining peace”, at the margins of the 11th Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo 2022).
The determination to Leave No One Behind (LNOB) is inscribed at the heart of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, which member states unanimously adopted in 2015. This assessment aims to identify LNOB groups in Kenya, generate insights into the factors that contribute to their marginalization and understand the intersectional risks and vulnerabilities that impact the lives of those most left behind or at risk of being left behind.
DPPA initiated an independent Mid-Term Review of its 2020-22 Strategic Plan to assess its progress towards achieving the goals outlined in the Plan and the extent to which the Plan has been central to its planning processes. The review puts forth ten recommendations covering areas related to strategic planning, results framework and funding instruments associated with DPPA. These recommendations will inform both the implementation of the current Plan and the development of DPPA’s new Plan.
In 2020, an expanding cadre of 106 peace and development experts based in 64 countries, comprised of international and national Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs), UN Volunteers (UNVs) and secondees, as well as six Regional Programme Specialists, provide expertise to United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) and national partners in reinforcing local capacities for conflict prevention, dialogue and sustaining peace.
The report presents an overview of the progress made by the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) in its efforts to analyze and address climate-related security risks. It outlines priority areas, identifies lessons learned, and describes the partnerships and approaches that were critical for success.
Inclusive peacemaking must involve the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts. In the face of persistent and complex violent conflicts and a rising backlash against women’s rights, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is committed to keeping the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda at the core of its work.
In the current report, the evolving nature of armed conflict and violence is highlighted and seven major trends related to global peace and security today are examined. Areas of progress and areas in which solutions are still wanting are noted in the report, along with opportunities and persistent challenges faced by the international community.
The Conceptual Approach provides a systematic way to understanding and addressing the linkages between climate change, peace and security. It was developed by the Climate Security Mechanism in collaboration with partners from across and beyond the UN system. It is meant to foster a shared approach to the analysis of climate-related security risks in the UN system and shape integrated and timely responses.
The Colombian peace process and its 2016 Final Peace Agreement are widely held to be an international model for gender-sensitivity and the inclusion of women’s rights. The United Nations played an active role, along with others in the international community, first in encouraging and advising key actors to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda during the peace negotiations (2012-2016) and then through the establishment of two consecutive special political missions (SPMs) in Colombia to verify specific provisions of the Agreement.
The new report – Gender, Climate & Security: Sustaining Inclusive Peace on the Frontlines of Climate Change – by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Women, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UNDPPA) reveals the close links between gender, climate, and security, and shows that women on the frontlines of climate action are playing a vital role in conflict prevention and sustainable, inclusive peace.
This Handbook is intended to serve as a practical guide to support the implementation of the CRSV mandate by United Nations Field Missions, including Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions. It serves both as a guidance for civilians, military, and police personnel deployed to United Nations Field Missions and as a pre-deployment orientation tool for future Mission personnel.
In the face of the pandemic, DPPA, at UN headquarters and in the field, has adapted its operations in order to continue providing support to Member States and partners. The Department is closely watching the impact of Covid-19 and government responses in individual countries, especially those hosting our Special Political Missions (SPMs).
In the face of persistent and comple x violent conflict and a rising backlash against women’s rights, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is committed to keeping the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda at the core of its work.
Learning, transparency and accountability principles drive the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices in DPPA. The Department draws on both qualitative and quantitative
assessments to build a body of evidence for its work in conflict prevention and sustaining peace.
The Mediation Support Unit (MSU) in the Policy and Mediation Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is the system-wide service provider on dialogue and mediation assistance providing comparative analysis, support in developing mediation strategies and direct operational and mediation assistance.
Providing electoral assistance to Member States is one of the key functions of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).
DPPA's Strategic Plan 2020-2022 is the basis upon which the Department will prioritize its engagements to prevent conflict and sustain peace over the coming three years.
DPPA's Year in Review 2019 looks back at some achievements, and some difficult moment in 2019 - in Sudan, Madagascar, Bolivia, North Macedonia, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan and more.
In the present report, the Secretary-General discusses developments in the field of United Nations electoral assistance since the issuance of his previous report (A/72/260). During the reporting period, from 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2019, the United Nations assisted, at their request or on the basis of a Security Council mandate, more than 50 Member States.
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Organized by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States, and hosted by the Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations, some 50 participants from national governments, the UN and academia took part on 6 May 2019 in a workshop on Climate Change, Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace: Perspectives from the Pacific. The aim of the workshop was to better understand the climate-security nexus in the Pacific, share country and regional experiences, review efforts to develop a toolkit for climate-security risk assessment frameworks, and explore how the United Nations system can respond to climate-security challenges threatening the Pacific. This document contains a summary of and the recommendations from the workshop.
Examples of the UN's conflict prevention and mediation work in Africa.
Photo tour of DPA's work around the world.
An overview of the role, approach and tools of the United Nations and its partners in preventing violent conflict
DPA’s Strategic Plan is also accompanied by a Results Framework to assist in the monitoring and evaluation of DPA’s performance in the period 2016-2019. A biennial Results Framework with the expected accomplishments and indicators was defined for the first two years (2016-2017). Following a mid-term review, the second (2018-2019) biennial Results Framework was developed for the remaining two years of the Strategic Plan.
The objectives of the Results Framework are to: 1) Operationalize the priorities of the Strategic Plan (SP) into concrete and achievable results; 2) Support integrated planning across Divisions of the Department; 3) Support better and more regular monitoring and reporting of achievements; 4) Form the basis for the Annual Work Plans (AWPs) of the Divisions and Offices of the Department.
The end of year publication features some of the highlights of our online magazine Politically Speaking in 2017.
This UN DPA guidance seeks to inform mediators and their teams, as well as conflict parties, about the principles and strategies for the effective inclusion of women, as well as a gendered perspective, in mediation processes. The guidance addresses mediation preparation, process design, and substantive issues including security arrangements, participation, constitutions, language and the implementation of peace agreements through a gender lens.
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The end of year 'Politically Speaking - Year in Review 2016' publication features some of the highlights of our online magazine Politically Speaking.
This Strategic Plan sets out a vision for DPA that is centered on the need to promote inclusive political solutions as the key to preventing, managing or resolving conflicts and acts of political violence, while ensuring long lasting solutions that reduce human suffering and make peace sustainable. The Strategic Plan complements and integrates many aspects of the GA approved biennial Strategic Frameworks 2016/17 and 2018/19, and comprises three goals involving eight strategic objectives.
The guide aims to inform mediators and stakeholders addressing conflicts over natural resources - whether those disagreements are violent, have the potential to turn violent, or are part of a larger political struggle, including within a peace process. It draws on the field experiences of mediators and mediation experts.
The Secretary General developed the United Nations Guidance for Effective Mediation in response to a request from the General Assembly (A/RES/65/283). The Guidance identifies a number of key fundamentals that should be considered in mediation processes: preparedness; consent; impartiality; inclusivity; national ownership; international law and normative frameworks; coherence; coordination and complementarity of the mediation effort; and quality peace agreements. The Guidance explains each fundamental, outlines some potential challenges and dilemmas facing mediators and offers some guidance.
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The United Nations requires its mediators to address conflict-related sexual violence. This guidance offers mediators and their teams principles and strategies for including this critical peacebuilding and security concern in ceasefire and peace agreements.
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The main purpose of this manual is to familiarize new UN mediators with the range of skills used by their predecessors to carry out third-party mediation. The manual describes the current context in which UN mediation and “good offices” is carried out, offers advice and lessons from previous representatives and envoys, and suggests how the UN’s Mediation Support Unit can help to support the work of UN mediators. The manual is based on the UNITAR Programme for Briefing and Debriefing Special and Personal Representatives of the Secretary-General, which involved extensive interviews with UN representatives and envoys to determine lessons learned and best practices from their work.
