Thank you, Madame Chair.

As we advance consultations in preparation of the Commission’s engagements in 2022, we receive clear messages both from Permanent Missions and our United Nations representatives in the field, who are asking us to take a hard look at the efficacy of international support in contexts where peacebuilding gains remain fragile and where peace dividends take too long to translate to livelihood opportunities, especially for younger generations. 

We cannot ignore these messages. As the Secretary-General recently put it, we cannot just catalogue our challenges. We must do something about them. Our discussion on Monday helped to start shaping a roadmap for action which, as Ambassador Fatima also just brought to our attention, contains the following interlinked elements:  

• Focus on impact
• Emphasis on inclusivity
• Attention to United Nations coherence
• Effective partnerships
• Advocacy for peacebuilding financing
• Enhanced bridging and advisory role, and  
• Emphasis on accountability

These will steer our support to the PBC programme of work in 2022. We are also looking forward to your inputs and contributions today, which will guide its implementation.  

In his report on peacebuilding and sustaining peace that we just shared with you, the Secretary-General emphasized the linkages among peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, development and humanitarian action, which – to use his words - are integral and mutually reinforcing. There is a need for more effective collective responses to address major risks by making the triple cross pillar nexus a reality. This requires additional funding across the peace continuum.

You have asked us to bring to your attention examples of what works in the peacebuilding arena. Allow me to mention four areas of action that have yielded results in countries that engage with the Commission:

• Building local peacebuilding capacities. Competition for natural resources compounded by climate change drives violent intercommunal conflicts in different parts of the world. In CAR, MINUSCA has recently supported local religious platforms and transhumance committees, resulting in the peaceful resolution of many community conflicts. Along the Chad-Niger border, WFP and FAO contributed to reducing transhumance related conflicts by marking transhumance corridors to reduce the destruction of fields by livestock. It is important to scale up such successful initiatives, including by enhancing the capacity of local government authorities and grass root actors. 

• Including youth in prevention and peacebuilding initiatives. In Colombia, UNICEF has recently supported over 32,000 community initiatives involving youth that shaped territorial development plans in 170 municipalities most affected by violence in support of the peace agreement implementation. We know that peacebuilding initiatives involving youth have greater chances of success because they bring to the table a real commitment for a better future. The PBF’s Gender and Youth Promotion Initiative (GYPI) is the largest funding source for the youth, peace and security agenda and the PBC is uniquely placed to support efforts to empower young peacebuilders, especially since the adoption of its Action Plan.

• Investing in gender equality and women peacebuilders. In Guinea-Bissau, WFP, UNFPA and UN Women trained over 2,000 rural women in trade and leadership skills, enabling them to increase their economic and political participation and advocate for their needs to local authorities and legislative representatives. In Sierra Leone, UNDP has been supporting increased participation of women in political processes. We know that investing in local women peacebuilders and grassroots organizations is key for peacebuilding. The PBC and the PBF are well placed to supporting these efforts.

• Applying regional and cross-border approaches. COVID-19, non-state armed groups and climate-related security issues transcend boundaries, stressing the need for cross-border and regional approaches. The Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region has already shared with the Commission his activities in coordination with the SRSG of MONUSCO in support of regional efforts to address root causes of instability and conflict through the implementation of non-military measures.

We hope that these and many other examples that you will have a chance to consider throughout the year will inspire additional investments in smart, scalable solutions to stabilize fragile communities and solve complex development challenges.

For this effort to be successful, we count on the Commission’s continued advocacy for adequate, predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding, including by encouraging specific announcements on commitments at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly.

Thank you.