President Bio Joined World Leaders to Raise US$500M in Support of Peacebuilding*
President Julius Maada Bio yesterday joined world leaders to mobilize resources for the maintenance of peace and stability across the world.
During the High-Level Replenishment Conference virtually held in New York, UN Member States recalled the importance of sustaining peace in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and capitalized the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund with US$500 million
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres Co-Chaired a High-Level Replenishment Conference for the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund together with His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; H.E. Abdalla Hamdok, Prime Minister of the Republic of Sudan; H.E. Marc Garneau, Foreign Minister of Canada, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission; and H.E. Heiko Maas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. The conference also featured Ms. Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, Nobel Peace Laureate; H.E. Annika Söder of Sweden, Independent Eminent Persons for the UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review, as well as other peacebuilding leaders from various countries.
In the all-important meeting Co-Chaired by President Bio, Member States reiterating the importance of investing in peace, especially now as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates conflict risks worldwide. Including funds received for 2020, many Member States contributed or pledged the sum of US$500 million dollars for peacebuilding in support of the Fund’s 2020-2024.
The commitment by world leaders sent a strong sign of multilateral solidarity at a critical moment and a firm vote of confidence in the role of the United Nations and its partners to support nationally-led peacebuilding efforts around the globe.
A joint communique on the conference stated that “The Conference took place at a time of unprecedented need. As the world contends with the tragic immediate effects of the pandemic, we can already witness the alarming medium to long-term impacts. The unprecedented economic shocks and inadequate response strategies are entrenching social and economic inequalities and increasing risks for crisis, eroding peace and development gains along the way.”
The Co-Chairs were united in the conviction that the time for concerted action is now if they were to build back better and prevent a reversal of the seminal achievements made over the past years.
“Building back better requires us to invest in peace, and to give everyone an opportunity to contribute to peace, particularly through advancing gender equality and creating opportunities for youth. We know that prevention and peacebuilding work, save lives and are cost-effective, but they also require national leadership and political will, including financial support,” the communique further noted, adding that the Peacebuilding Fund is uniquely placed to help link responses across the pillars of the UN: development, human rights, and peace and security.
“Peacebuilding is not just about the absence of violence. It is about the often long and difficult process to foster more inclusive and just societies, as recognized in the Sustainable Development Goals. To succeed, peacebuilding has to be nationally driven but often requires sustained support and solidarity from the international community; it has to acknowledge the important role of local actors and build broad partnerships; and it has to significantly involve women and young people as agents for peaceful change,” the communique concluded.
By Mohamed Massaquoi
Information Attache
Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Tel:.+19172940331
Email:[email protected]
