New York – 23 June 2015

Your Excellency Margot Wallström, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden,
Your Excellency Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, Permanent Representative of Malaysia and President of the Security Council for the month of June,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to address this Second Annual Session of the Peacebuilding Commission. The theme chosen for this year’s session – predictable financing for peacebuilding – is timely and indeed of critical importance for countries emerging from conflict.

One of the core mandates of the Peacebuilding Commission is to bring together all relevant actors to mobilize resources, advise on and propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery.

As we know, countries emerging from conflict have numerous challenges and needs, including provision of basic services, law and order, and rebuilding of institutions. The political and security situation in post-conflict countries is often fragile. In this context, providing peace dividends in terms of relief and improved livelihoods for displaced persons or demobilized soldiers is critical.
In cases where this has been done, the chances of consolidating the peace gains are greater, while the possibility of relapse into conflict is higher if dividends are not realised or delayed.

Supporting peacebuilding in post-conflict countries requires inclusive approaches and partnerships to mobilize the necessary resources.
It entails active involvement of national governments, development partners, the United Nations system, regional and sub-regional organisations, international financial institutions, civil society and the business sector, among other actors.

The peacebuilding Fund (PBF) remains an important component for supporting peacebuilding activities, which directly contribute to post-conflict stabilization and strengthening the capacity of governments and institutions at national level. It is essential to mobilize more contributions and financial resources to the PBF.

Excellencies,

I was requested to reflect on the theme of predictable financing for peacebuilding from the point of view of the policy-making role of the General Assembly. Today’s focused exchanges and substantive interventions have hopefully brought greater clarity and concrete ideas on how to move forward on the important issue.

The theme for this Session is of particular relevance in view of the specific needs and requirements of post-conflict countries. We continue to witness worrisome trends, including migration challenges, whose root causes can partly be traced to conflict, unemployment and lack of opportunities in countries of origin.

The theme is also timely, as the international community works toward a number of important milestones this year, particularly the formulation of an ambitious and transformative post-2015 development agenda.

The proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose core objective is to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development in its social, economic and environmental dimensions, holds great promise for addressing the challenges faced by countries in post-conflict situations.
It is therefore critical to ensure that adequate resources are mobilized for implementation of the new development agenda. These major engagements will not only seek to address some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity, but will also contribute to finding solutions for the silos and the fragmentation we see in the field of peacebuilding.

For the United Nations system, it is critically important to ensure coordinated efforts by all agencies funds and programmes, both in planning and implementation, with a view to optimizing resources and achieving maximum impact at the national level. It is equally important to ensure that, wherever appropriate, human and financial resources are consolidated and harmonised for peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction and development.

Excellencies,

The 10-year review of peacebuilding currently underway is a unique opportunity for the General Assembly to consider some of the fundamental policy questions we are faced with today, with regard to ensuring durable peace after conflicts. We look forward to receiving the report and the recommendations of the Advisory Group of Experts before the end of this month.

Working closely together with the Security Council, we should take stock of the peacebuilding architecture, taking into account the successes and challenges. We should focus on what we have to do to further strengthen our collective approach to peacebuilding, including with regard to predictable financing.

At the same time, Member States and stakeholders will also consider the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations as well as the forthcoming Global Study on Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security.
Together, these three major reviews should provide us with a significant base for looking at the United Nations role in and contribution to peacebuilding.

I encourage Member States and other stakeholders to constructively engage in the next phase of the 10-year review of peacebuilding, which should be completed by the end of 2015.

I thank you.