This Week in DPPAis a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
USG DiCarlo travels to Ethiopia
Under-Secretary-General (USG) Rosemary DiCarlo accompanied Secretary-General António Guterres to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the sixth session of the African Union-United Nations annual conference. On 30 November, in her meeting with African Union member states and partners, USG DiCarlo reaffirmed the UN’s continued support to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia in its efforts to transfer full security responsibility to the Government of Somalia.
Security Council
Conflict in the occupied West Bank and Israel reaches boiling point, says Special Coordinator Wennesland
Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council on 28 November. He reported that high levels of violence in the occupied West Bank and Israel in recent months - including attacks against Israeli and Palestinian civilians, increased use of arms, and settler-related violence - have caused grave human suffering. "After decades of persistent violence, illegal settlement expansion, dormant negotiations and deepening occupation, the conflict is again reaching a boiling point," he said.
Read his full remarks here
Special Envoy Pedersen briefs Security Council on escalatory dynamics taking place in Syria
Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, briefed the Security Council on 29 November. Warning of the dangers of military escalation in Syria, he said: “I am troubled by the thought of a major military operation resuming after three years of relative calm. I fear what this would mean for Syrian civilians, and also for wider regional security.” He called on all parties to reject the path of deeper suffering and instability, and instead find ways to cooperate towards a more constructive way forward.
Read his full remarks here
Special Coordinator Wronecka reports urgency of prioritizing the election of a new President to end the political vacuum in Lebanon
The Security Council met on 29 November to discuss the implementation of Resolution 1701. Briefing the Council members in closed consultations, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, commended Lebanon and Israel for putting an end to their maritime boundary dispute and establishing a permanent maritime boundary on 27 October. While welcoming this progress, she said more needed to be done internally in Lebanon to address a multitude of accumulating political and socio-economic crises. She noted in particular the urgency of prioritizing the election of a new President to end the political vacuum in Lebanon and the formation of a fully functional government.
Read more here
Mozambique
Mozambique continues its process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
In a statement on 1 December, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Mozambique Mirko Manzoni commended the continued collaboration and commitment to dialogue demonstrated by the Government and Renamo in the ongoing implementation of the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation. The Personal Envoy also called on both parties and all stakeholders to remain focused and to do their part in advancing definitive peace in Mozambique. He reiterated the UN’s commitment to support the remaining combatants on their reintegration journey.
Read full statement here
West and Central Africa
UNOCA and UNOWAS Joint interregional visit on farmer-pastoralist dynamics in West and Central Africa
From 24-26 November, the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Office of the Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel (OSCDS), carried out a joint inter-regional visit to Cotonou, Benin, to discuss farmer-herder dynamics in West and Central Africa. Representatives of Beninese herders' associations, as well as the Mayor of Banikoara and the Prefect of Borgou, briefed on the existing opportunities and challenges of implementing sedentarization policies at the local level. They noted efforts to strengthen social cohesion, the need for economic support to improve productivity, as well as increased efforts to support education for the younger generation.
Read more here
Special Representatives and Envoys discuss UN engagement in Central Africa
UNOCA organized a high-level meeting of Special Representatives (SRSG) and Envoys of the Secretary-General working in Central Africa from 30 November to 1 December in Luanda, Angola. The meeting was attended by SRSG for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA Abdou Abarry; SRSG for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) Bintou Keita; SRSG for the Central African Republic and Head of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) Valentine Rugwabiza; and Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia. The meeting allowed for in-depth reflection on the paths to follow for a coherent and concerted response by the United Nations to common challenges. In addition, “Women, peace and security”, “Youth, peace and security” and on the issue of natural resources were also discussed as possible areas of synergy.
Read more here
General Assembly adopts draft resolution on the Division for Palestinian Rights
On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November), the General Assembly adopted on 1 December a draft resolution on the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat. The Assembly acknowledges that the Secretariat continues to make a constructive and positive contribution to raising international awareness of the question of Palestine and of the urgency of a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine in all its aspects on the basis of international law and United Nations resolutions. The resolution requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Division with the necessary resources to effectively carry out its programme of work, in consultation with the Committee and under its guidance.
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