New York, 4 January 2022 (TDI): As states focus on recovering from COVID-19, the Deputy Secretary-General calls for more extensive collaboration between the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed‘s remarks at a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission on “Promoting COVID-19 Recovery and Durable Peace and Sustainable Development” took place today in New York.
“I am pleased to be here today for this joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. His Excellency Callen Vixen Kelapile, President of the Economic and Social Council, and His Excellency Osama Abdelkhalek, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, deserve recognition for their leadership in facilitating collaboration between the two bodies.” – Amina Mohammed
At present, the world, as well as the United Nations, is facing a series of compounding crises. Several major challenges are threatening our ability to deliver on the promise of an excellent life for humans and a healthy planet, as set forth in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These include the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, rising poverty and hunger, and persistent conflicts.
Despite this multifaceted challenge, today’s theme reflects the integrated response required to encounter it. Aid to national efforts to develop resilience, reduce vulnerabilities, and accelerate recovery must be risk-informed. Amina Mohammed urged to draw on capabilities, leadership, coordination, and partnerships across the UN system, with the 2030 Agenda as the guiding principle.
Without an emphasis on preventing crises and vulnerabilities and a joint commitment to a significantly alternative approach to transitions in crisis and post-crisis settings, sustainable recovery from the pandemic and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will remain elusive.
The success of the political and peace missions depends on the ability to increase investment in development because this is one of the primary structural causes of many global crises. In light of the recent events in Afghanistan, it is crucial that the development, humanitarian, and political sectors work in close cooperation.
The saving of lives and the saving of livelihoods remain two sides of the same coin. Both the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission carry out vital roles to promote this coherence.
“By advocating for a concerted effort to stimulate COVID-19 recovery and global solidarity in pursuit of vaccine equity for all, you have demonstrated leadership this year. In addition, we emphasize that our Common Agenda reinforces that the Sustainable Development Goals are our ultimate prevention tool while looking toward the future on key issues that require collective action.” – Amina Mohammed
This article emphasizes the need for a new agenda for peace as well as identifying and adapting to new risks by developing a forward-looking strategy oriented towards root causes, reducing strategic risks, and strengthening international foresight.
Ultimately, the world needs are political resolve and strengthened solidarity in order to take responsibility for the effects of policy decisions made today on future generations and to make bold changes. Here are three points Amina Mohammed highlighted.
- Firstly, in order to ensure effective recovery from the pandemic, efforts must be accelerated to implement the 2030 Agenda, the roadmap for sustainable development and lasting peace.
- These two goals are interrelated. The application of sustainable development offers a viable means of ending crises and instabilities by addressing the underlying causes of conflict and accelerating the transition out of the crisis.
- By promoting a greater understanding of the underlying risks that undermine development, exacerbate grievances and drive conflict, the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission are critical partners in this effort.
The Resident Coordinator offices throughout the United Nations system are collaborating more effectively across humanitarian, development, and peace efforts. As a result, a larger number of United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks have been transformed into responses that are prevention-focused and conflict-sensitive.
“Further, we seek to transform every UN presence on the ground into a centre of expertise on prevention—not just for conflict prevention but more broadly, for natural disasters, epidemics, and other vulnerabilities. The only way to achieve this is to strengthen national and local systems as well as build the capacities and resilience of national and local actors.” – Amina Mohammed
During a crisis, all hands must be on deck in order to achieve a transition that will, in the end, put countries on the road to sustainable development. A transition to peace, she urged. For example, the exit from COVID-19 or the climate transition. This should be perceived as an opportunity to chart a future of peace, prosperity, and sustainability.
- Finance is the second concern. The meeting highlighted the commitment to breaking down silos. It will allow providing an integrated response to the actual challenges people face. Prevention and transitions are in need of financial support. Many private projects are fragmented, heavily earmarked, productized, and fragmented funding remains.
To increase collaboration and impact at scale, we must shift to a funding structure that incentivizes collaboration. In terms of the human and financial costs recovered, such investments pay for themselves many times over.
In order to design sustainable financing solutions, it will be crucial to understand and shape an ecosystem of financing for development that embeds a peace dimension.
This translates into a whole new level of pooled funding for the United Nations. There appear to be three key mechanisms within the organization. As the Secretary-general has consistently stated, the Peacebuilding Fund requires a “quantum leap”.
In that regard, Joint [Sustainable Development Goals] Fund will be established as the main funding mechanism to drive collective action by the United Nations development system to accelerate the transformation required by the 2030 Agenda. Finally, the Central Emergency Response Fund is the main source of humanitarian aid.
As a whole, these three funds form a strong ecosystem that will enable the “nexus” to be a reality. They can be used effectively and synergistically if used strategically. Resident Coordinators on the ground in countries are in a position to assist governments in mobilizing the right instruments at the right time for an integrated response.
“At the UN, we must strengthen our engagement with women peacebuilders and women leaders, enhancing their voices through mediation and mainstreaming gender considerations throughout all of our activities.” – Amina Mohammed
To ensure women’s equal participation in all decision-making, it is necessary to reevaluate core assumptions, such as how peace and security are defined, negotiated, and maintained.
Both the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission have made great strides in putting women at the center of their work.
The Common Agenda offers many chances for progress. The 2030 Agenda is due for implementation in the next eight years. Putting emphasis on a new agenda for peace, the Agenda envisages an expanded role for the Commission in integrating peacebuilding into recovery efforts and reshaping United Nations responses to multidimensional threats, development, and peace and security.
As part of its efforts to coordinate multilateral responses to sustainable development, it also places optimistic expectations on the work of the Economic and Social Council. To meet the expectations of member states and stakeholders on the front lines, there will need to be greater opportunities for collaboration between your two organizations. The collaboration will also be paramount to a COVID-19 recovery that promotes sustainable development and durable peace—a recovery that leaves no one behind.
