Norway elected to UN Peacebuilding Commission

Norway will be a member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission again for the period 2017-2018. The purpose of the Commission is to promote sustainable peace in countries emerging from violent conflict.

‘Political solutions are essential for ensuring lasting peace. It is vital that that the work to achieve sustainable peace through national reconciliation and build a common vision for the future is led by actors at the national level. Having said this, Norway will support the peacebuilding processes in its capacity as member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and in cooperation with others,’ said Mr Brende.  

The UN Peacebuilding Commission is an intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in various ways in countries emerging from conflict, particularly during the transitional phase. The Commission brings together a range of actors to discuss possible solutions for a country, generates support and resources for peacebuilding processes, gives advice, and proposes integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery. It also seeks to ensure continued focus on countries in a post-conflict reconstruction phase, with a view to preventing the recurrence of conflicts.  

‘Peace and security are essential for sustainable development. In order to build lasting peace, we need to take a broad and long-term approach, and focus on conflict prevention, peacekeeping operations, mediation and reconciliation processes, and post-conflict reconstruction. This will be Norway’s approach now that we are becoming a member of the Peacebuilding Commission again,’ said Mr Brende.  

Background:

Norway was last a member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission in 2013. The Commission was established in 2005 by then Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The UN Peacebuilding Fund was established at the same time, to ensure rapid support for conflict-affected areas, particularly countries outside the media spotlight. The new peacebuilding architecture was established to bridge the gap between UN peacekeeping operations and long-term efforts to promote peace and development. From the outset, Norway has been a strong supporter of the fund, and we played a key role in the work of the Commission. For a number of years Norway led the Commission’s peacebuilding efforts in Burundi, together with the Burundian authorities, civil society groups and a number of other actors.