EU Statement – UN Peacebuilding Commission: Ministerial Meeting
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as, Andorra align themselves with this statement.
Chair,
On Sunday, we agreed on the “Pact for the Future”. Let us now agree to make the absolute most out of the opportunity offered by the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review. Let us turn the promises of both the “Pact for the Future” and the New Agenda for Peace into action with concrete impact on the ground.
Chair,
In this context, allow me to highlight three key priorities:
First; the universal responsibility of conflict prevention and the importance of nationally led and owned prevention strategies. No country is immune to conflict, and peace is much more than simply ending war. Locally owned and people-centred conflict prevention strategies provide crucial entry points for systematic engagement with both the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund.
The review process is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of our collective commitments to key cross-cutting priorities such as the interlinkages between climate, peace and security, and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Women’s participation in the prevention and solution of conflicts is a proven effective means that contribute to peacebuilding.
Chair,
It is essential that next year’s review includes concrete proposals on how to meet and finance these challenges.
This leads me to my second point. Conflict prevention saves lives, safeguards development gains, and is cost effective. Still, it is disturbingly underfunded. From the Fund’s inception to date, the EU and its Member States have provided more than 65 percent of the funding to the Peacebuilding Fund. This is an investment in peace and national ownership and we encourage more UN member states to step up our collective support to global peace and security.
Third and finally, the interaction and complementarity between the PBC and the Security Council has intensified in the recent past, even as we continue to see scope for enhancing this relationship. A more consistent and smooth interaction between the PBC and the Security Council would ensure the relevance of the PBC’s advice and a stronger attention to programmatic activities in UN field based missions and peace operations. As resources are scarce, it is essential to make the most effective and efficient use of them. Timely advice between the Council and the PBC is therefore important.
Thank you.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.