Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary A. DiCarlo
Remarks at the event “From Geneva to New York: Taking Stock of the CSO-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding”
New York, 25 June 2026
Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
It is a pleasure to address you today during this inaugural Peacebuilding Week. This occasion provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on two decades of United Nations Peacebuilding efforts while generating renewed momentum for the work that lies ahead.
At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our colleagues from civil society organizations. Throughout this week, your contributions have been central: shaping discussions on prevention, women’s inclusion, financing and the role of AI.
The networks you represent are among the United Nations’ most critical partners in peacebuilding, driving the innovation, inclusion and impact our work needs.
Today, we take stock of the CSO-UN Dialogue initiative, now entering its fourth year.
The presence of all seventeen members of the Dialogue’s organizing Core Group reflects both your dedication and the value of this platform.
I also thank the Government of Switzerland for its continued support to the Dialogue and to civil society engagement.
Excellencies, colleagues,
Since our last meeting in Geneva six months ago, the global context has become more challenging.
We continue to witness rising geopolitical tensions, protracted conflicts, growing polarization and shrinking civic space. At the same time, multilateral cooperation is under strain, and resources for peacebuilding and prevention are under pressure.
In this context, partnership between civil society and United Nations is critical. As demands increase and resources diminish, we must work together more effectively.
In Geneva, discussions converged on four priorities:
- Strengthening civil society as strategic partners and protecting civic space;
- Enhancing system-wide coherence; including through engagement with women and youth-led actors;
- Advancing inclusive and locally led approaches, including Women, Peace and Security and Youth, Peace and Security;
- Improving financing for peacebuilding.
A clear message also emerged: the need to move beyond dialogue toward stronger partnerships, joint advocacy and collective action for impact.
Today’s meeting reflects our shared commitment to sustained follow-up on these priorities.
I hope Peacebuilding Week can serve annually as a moment for reflection, while also feeding the Dialogue’s outcomes into key processes at UNHQ, including the Peacebuilding Fund’s next strategy.
Excellencies, colleagues,
As we are here primarily to hear from civil society, I will be brief and highlight one good practice, and offer two suggestions.
First, it is encouraging to see the momentum behind regional CSO-UN Dialogues which translate global priorities into actionable outcomes.
Over the past year, nine regional dialogues have taken place across diverse contexts.
Recent meetings in Dakar and in Bangkok brought together civil society, UN colleagues and partners to deepen regional analysis and generate practical recommendations.
This model strengthens the link between field realities and policy. We welcome these insights and encourage you to share them with colleagues across the United Nations system during your time in New York.
Second, I encourage future Dialogues to further engage with nationally owned prevention strategies. As discussed this week, these are gaining importance as risks intensify.
From Mauritania to Papua New Guinea, promising practices show how civil society networks can support both prioritization and implementation of preventive action.
These strategies also provide an entry point to advance key priorities, including women’s and youth engagement and financing.
At DPPA, we are supporting prevention approaches that are nationally owned, locally grounded and internationally supported.
Civil society networks play a critical role in sharing good practice and informing global debates.
Finally, I wish to reiterate the importance of engagement with the Peacebuilding Commission.
The 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review calls for stronger interaction with civil society, including local, women-led and youth-led organizations.
The Commission’s monitoring framework offers a useful avenue for the Dialogue to inform intergovernmental deliberations, and I encourage your continued engagement.
In today’s context, none of us can act alone.
Civil society, Member States and the United Nations Secretariat must move forward together to strengthen peacebuilding for the challenges ahead. My Department remains fully committed to this partnership.
Thank you.
Watch on UN WebTV: Taking Stock of the CSO-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding | UN Web TV