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Assembly Considers Report of Peacebuilding Commission - part 1
Sixty-ninth Session, 85th Meeting (AM)
Speakers Urge Honest and Critical Review Process
Acclaiming peacebuilding as central to the international community’s collective efforts to build sustained international stability, speakers at the General Assembly today urged the ongoing review of the topic to explore ways of maximizing the potential of the Peacebuilding Commission.
Opening a joint debate on the annual reports of the Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund, Sam Kutesa, President of the General Assembly, said conflict-affected countries and communities suffered severe and agonizing losses that might take decades of dedicated attention to overcome. Limiting the risk of relapse into conflict was among the most difficult and perplexing challenges facing the international community.
The need for sustained engagement in post-conflict areas was evident following the outbreak of the Ebola virus this past year, he said. Hard fought peace gains in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea were suddenly and unexpectedly put at risk due to the unprecedented epidemic. In a matter of months, important progress that had been made in critical areas, including security, governance, political stability, social cohesion and economic recovery was put in jeopardy.
He said that the Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund had made significant strides in 2014, including valuable contributions beyond the six countries on the Commission’s agenda. In the year ahead, he added, the peacebuilding architecture would undergo a comprehensive review, a major undertaking some 10 years after its establishment. Member States would consider the findings through an intergovernmental process that should be concluded by a concurrent decision by the Council and the Assembly before the end of the year.
Presenting the Commission’ report, Antonio De Aguiar Patriota of Brazil, former Chair of the body, said it reflected the range of cross-cutting and country-specific work undertaken in 2014. The Commission had confirmed its potential as a platform leveraging the political weight of its members in support of peace consolidation, a potential that should be further realized.
The gender dimension of peacebuilding deserved continuing attention and unwavering commitment as well, he said, adding that defining and improving the nature and scope of its advisory function to the Security Council and General Assembly continued to be one of the body’s major goals.
Olof Skoog of Sweden, current Chair of the Commission, said the original vision of more effectively helping countries transition from war to lasting peace and filling the related institutional gap in the United Nations system remained today. The review of peacebuilding, Ebola recovery, financing and support for and coordination with regional organizations would be the main priorities of 2015.
In the ensuing debate, speakers highlighted the Commission’s successes and pointed to areas that needed improvement. Thomas Mayr-Harting, Head of the European Union Delegation said the Commission must respond better to challenges identified by Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, Regional Coordinators and other actors. In so doing, it could significantly contribute to the “One UN” vision.
