PRESS RELEASE

 

 

  Brian James Williams assumes role as Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch,
  Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs

27 September 2021, New York: Mr. Brian James Williams has been welcomed back as the Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, in the Peacebuilding Support Office, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. 

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco welcomed Mr. Williams in his new role, emphasizing what a critical time it is for financing for peacebuilding and the role of the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, as a key vehicle to support resilience and prevention. Mr. Fernandez-Taranco stated, “The Fund is recognized as a central instrument for the UN system, doubling the number of countries being supported in just a few years and working with a much larger set of agencies, funds and programmes since its inception in 2006. To meet the escalating demand, the Fund needs adequate, sustained and predictable financing for peacebuilding, as underscored by the Secretary-General recently in Our Common Agenda and by the Member States in the renewed twin resolutions on the 2020 review of the peacebuilding architecture agreed in December.” 

Mr. Williams stated, “As the Organization’s instrument of first resort to respond to and prevent violent conflict, the Fund has made a substantial impact in furthering the engagement of women and youth in peacebuilding processes, greater emphasis on facilitating transitions as well as expanding its support for cross-border and regional approaches.”

From 2006 to 2020, the Fund approved a total of nearly USD 1.47 billion to 62 recipient countries. Since its inception, 60 member states have contributed to the Fund, and 42 have made commitments and pledges for the 2020-2024 strategy. 

Mr. Williams comes with 30 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding and humanitarian response. Most recently, he served as the ad interim Chief of Policy and Programming in the United Nations Development Coordination Office Headquarters. Prior to this position, he was the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Albania from 2015 to 2020. He served as the Chief of Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, from 2010 to 2015. From 2001 to 2008, he worked on the global HIV crisis, as UNAIDS Coordinator in Myanmar and in Geneva headquarters. 

Since 1990, Mr. Williams has lived in and worked on humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. Before joining the United Nations, he worked with USAID, CARE International, and the International Rescue Committee.  
Mr. Williams has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Harvard University and a Master of Science from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He is married and has two children. 
 

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