What challenges lie ahead for peacebuilding and sustaining peace in the new decade, and which challenges are the United Nations (UN) ready to address? 15 years ago, the UN devised ambitious plans for a Peacebuilding Architecture (UNPBA) that could respond to post-Cold War peace and security challenges. Since then, the UN’s peacebuilding approach has steadily evolved from building peace after war, to preventing armed conflict through a coherent approach that involves the peace and security, development and human rights pillars of the UN system.
However, is the “sustaining peace” agenda the right response to the increasingly complex challenges of preventing armed conflict? Are the UN and its partners well equipped to enter a decade that will be shaped by the climate crisis, rising populism, and democratic backsliding? In a global context characterized by a crisis of multilateralism and a resurgence of nationalism, is the “sustaining peace” agenda ambitious enough - or even too ambitious? What further changes are needed, and what changes are realistic?
You are invited to the public Closing Event of the Geneva Thematic Consultations, for the 2020 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture. The Thematic Consultations are co-organized by the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and Switzerland, and will be held on 18-19 February 2020. They bring together high-level representatives and experts from Geneva organizations working on peace, security, human rights, development, humanitarian affairs and disarmament.
The Closing Event will feature a Keynote speech by one of the intellectual masterminds of the Sustaining Peace Agenda, Gert Rosenthal*. The roundtable will provide a summary of key insights from the closed-door technical consultations, held at the Maison de la Paix, and will be followed by a Q&A session.
*Gert Rosenthal is a member of the Independent Eminent Persons on the 2020 review of the UN peacebuilding architecture. He has held senior positions in the Guatemalan Government and with the United Nations. He has also been Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the United Nations twice (1999-2004, 2008-2014), heading his delegation in the Security Council during 2012 and 2013.
Welcome Remarks
Scott Weber, Director-General, Interpeace, on behalf of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform.
Keynote Speaker
Gert Rosenthal, Eminent Person, Member of the Independent Eminent Persons on the 2020 Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture.
Roundtable
This roundtable will discuss the most important insights from the technical sessions of the Geneva Thematic Consultations for the 2020 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture.
Questions & Answers
All participants will be invited to ask questions to the roundtable participants.
Closing Remarks
Felix Baumann, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament, Deputy Permanent Representative to UNOG.
