This Week in DPPAis a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
Security Council
SRSG Perthes briefs Council on political framework agreement in Sudan
On 7 December, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes briefed the Security Council on recent developments on the ground. The dynamics in the country over the past couple of weeks, including the signing of the political framework agreement on 5 December, are a sign that Sudan may find a way out of the crisis and embark on a more sustainable transitional phase, he said. He also warned that the situation remains precarious, with thousands displaced by violence this year and many having suffered the impacts of floods and inflation.
Read his full remarks here.
Security Council recalls importance of UNOCA and preventive diplomacy
Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) Abdou Abarry briefed the Security Council on 8 December. The Special Representative reported on the political and security challenges facing the Central Africa sub-region, including the effects of climate change, maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, the activities of armed and terrorist groups, the conflicts linked to transhumance, as well as opportunities for the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law around elections.
Read more here.
Libya
Security Working Group convenes in Tunis
On 8 December, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily co-chaired a plenary session of the Security Working Group meeting in Tunis. Participants included the Chief of Staff for the Libyan Army General Mohamed Al Haddad and members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC), as well as representatives of the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Italy, and the African Union, and other Berlin Process Member States. The discussion focused on ceasefire agreement implementation, the reunification of Libya’s military institutions, and elections security. In his opening remarks, SRSG Bathily called on the participants “to stand unanimously behind the Libyan authorities and institutions who are willing to lead their country to a better and more stable future by putting aside personal agendas in favour of the good of the nation and of its population.”
Read more here.
West Africa and the Sahel
UNOWAS discusses women’s empowerment in security sector
On 7 December, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) organized a two-day regional round table discussion on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the security sector. The meeting discussed the recommendations from workshops held in The Gambia in July. In his remarks, UNOWAS Director for Political Affairs Moudjib Djinadou noted that coordinated and regular interactions between defense and security forces and parliamentarians on the importance of gender will aid awareness raising on improving the status of women.
Southeast Asia
ASEAN and UN hold workshop on advancing the youth, peace and security agenda
From 7-8 December, youth experts and senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, together with high-level representatives from the UN and other regional partners, met to discuss the role of youth in peacebuilding. Participants included Laos Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Thongphane Savanhphet, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community Michael Tene and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations of the UN Khaled Khiari. The ASG noted that, “We have an opportunity to focus on youth as agents of peace in an increasingly complex world, and how we can further advance the YPS Agenda in ASEAN so that youth can further contribute to peace and security in the region.”
Read more here.
Afghanistan
Special Representative Otunbayeva meets de facto minister to discuss drug ban
On 4 December, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva met with the de facto Deputy Interior Minister for Counter Narcotics, Haji Abdul Haq Akhund. They discussed the drug ban, as well as encouraging efforts with regard to treatment, crop eradication, awareness, and livelihoods.
Lebanon
Special Coordinator Wronecka joins roundtable discussions on women’s political participation
Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General Joanna Wronecka and members of the diplomatic community, Lebanese representatives and civil society groups engaged in two separate focused debates this week on how to promote women’s participation in tackling the country’s challenges. The Special Coordinator co-hosted a roundtable discussion on women’s empowerment, as well as opportunities to move towards a gender quota in the Lebanese municipal and parliamentary elections. At a meeting organized by non-governmental organization FiftyFifty and the Dutch Embassy, the Special Coordinator underlined the need for increased gender-balance in decision-making processes, as well as the need to provide women with resources and support in order for them to participate in the electoral process.
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