Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships Branch

The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) serves as a facilitator to enhance coherence and collaboration across the peace and security pillar and the wider UN system in support of efforts to build and sustain peace, drawing together expertise to advance coherent system-wide action, policies and guidance and an integrated approach to prevention and sustaining peace.

PBSO’s policy work is guided by the ground-breaking 2016 General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on the review of the peacebuilding architecture (A/RES/70/262 and S/RES/2282(2016)), and the recent report of the Secretary-General on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace (A/72/707-S/2018/43).

PBSO chairs the Peacebuilding Strategy Group and Peacebuilding Contact Group, bringing together UN entities engaged in peacebuilding activities; and participates in key cross-pillar mechanisms including the Executive Committee and the UN Sustainable Development Group.

As part of its engagement in support of peacebuilding policy, strategy and partnerships, PBSO is working in follow-up to Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) and the recent progress study on youth, peace and security, and is seeking to advance the partnership between the United Nations and the World Bank, including by hosting the dedicated partnership advisory capacity. 

What does "sustaining peace" mean?

UN Community Engagement Guidelines on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace

In order to promote meaningful inclusion through broader partnerships, the 2018 Secretary-General’s report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace (A/72/707-S/2018/43) called for strengthened and systematized engagement with civil society, including women and youth groups and local communities at large.  He asked for the development, in consultation with civil society, of “guidelines on system-wide engagement with civil society for sustaining peace” (para. 61).  In response to the Secretary-General’s request, DPPA/PBSO has led a joint United Nations-Civil Society working group to develop the UN system-wide Community Engagement Guidelines on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace through an innovative, inclusive and consultative process since 2018. This working group included the Policy Planning Unit (PPU) of DPPA, the Policy, Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) of the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), OHCHR, UNDP, UN Women, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO). This process included an online survey completed by more than 300 UN and civil society actors working in peacebuilding contexts; 42 video consultations in six focus countries; and a three-day global online consultation with more than 400 participants, mostly local peacebuilders.

Watch the virtual launch event of the UNCEG here.