Lesson 3 - The United Nations and Peacebuilding

PEACEBUILDING
LESSON
The United Nations and
3 Peacebuilding
“We the Peoples of

the United Nations
determined to save
succeeding generations
from the scourge of
war...”
UN Photo #783549 by Manuel Elias.
In this lesson » Lesson Objectives »
Section 3.1 Introduction to the United • Describe the origins of UN efforts to promote
Nations and Peacebuilding peacebuilding.
Section 3.2 Origins of UN Peacebuilding • Know the agencies involved in the UN Peacebuilding
Section 3.3 UN Peacebuilding Architecture Architecture.
Section 3.4 Other Reports and Studies on • Identify UN efforts to fund peacebuilding endeavours.
UN Peacebuilding
• Appreciate the programmes undertaken in UN
Section 3.5 Lessons Learned in UN peacebuilding.
Peacebuilding
• Understand the process of obtaining funds from the
Section 3.6 Conclusion
Peacebuilding Architecture.
• Describe the lessons learned from UN-designed
peacebuilding programmes.
PEACE OPERATIONS TRAINING INSTITUTE
56
LESSON 3 | The United Nations and Peacebuilding
Title page of the United Nations Charter in English. 16 June 1947. UN Photo #117809 by UN Photo.
Section 3.1 Introduction to the

United Nations and
Peacebuilding
“We the Peoples of the United Nations

determined to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of
war, which twice in our life-time has
brought untold sorrow to mankind,
and to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and
worth of the human person, in the
equal rights of men and women and
of nations large and small, and to
establish conditions under which
justice and respect for the obligation
arising from treaties and other
sources of international law can be
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maintained and to promote social progress and better

standards of life in larger freedoms and for these ends to
practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another
as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain
international peace and security, and to ensure, by acceptance
of principles and the institution of methods, that armed forces
shall not be used, save the common interest, and to employ
international machinery for the promotion of the economic and
social advancement of all peoples[.]”
–Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations
The preamble to the Charter of the United Nations is a good place to begin any analysis of the UN role in
peacebuilding. The first part of the preamble focuses on saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war;
subsequent phrases like “faith in fundamental human rights” and “dignity” of persons stand out. It also talks about
the promotion of social progress and better standards of living for all. This is the essence of peacebuilding: create
better standards of living so armed conflict does not break out.
Other sections of the UN Charter promote peacebuilding without actually mentioning the word. Chapter 1, Article
1 of the UN Charter encourages all Member States to “take collective measures for the prevention and removal
of threats to the peace”. This section further states that Member States of the United Nations should strive “to
achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian
character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for the fundamental freedoms for all
without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion”. This is the essence of peacebuilding.
The UN Charter further articulates peacebuilding ideas in its chapter on “International and Social Co-operation”:
“With a view to the creation of conditions of stability and well-

being which are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations
among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights
and self-determination of peoples, the United Nations shall
promote:
a. higher standards of living, full employment,

and conditions of economic and social progress and
development;
b. solutions of international economic, social, health, and

related problems; and international culture and educational
co-operation; and
c. universal respect for, and observance of, human rights

and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to
race, sex, language or religion.”
–Chapter IX, Article 55 of the Charter of the United Nations
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The term “peacebuilding” entered the UN lexicon when Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali used it in An
Agenda for Peace. In the 1992 document, he wrote:
“I have in mind, for example, projects that bring States

together to develop agriculture, improve transportation or
utilize resources such as water or electricity that they need to
share, or joint programmes through which barriers between
nations are brought down by means of freer travel, cultural
exchanges and mutually beneficial youth and educational
projects. Reducing hostile perceptions through educational
exchange and curriculum reform may be essential to forestall
a re-emergence of cultural and national tensions which could
spark renewed hostilities.”1
After UN attempts at expanded peacekeeping — particularly in the Bosnia, Cambodia, and Somalia missions —
the Secretary-General released Supplement to an Agenda for Peace in 1995. As noted in the last lesson, he wrote:
“The validity of the concept of post-conflict peacebuilding has

received wide recognition. The measures it can use — and
they are many — can also support preventive diplomacy.
Demilitarization, the control of small arms, institutional reform,
improved police and judicial systems, the monitoring of human
rights, electoral reform and social and economic development
can be as valuable in preventing conflict as in healing the
wounds after conflict has occurred.”2
These words sowed the seeds of peacebuilding that both Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali and those within
the UN institution started to explore. Peacekeeping was a natural place to begin thinking about peacebuilding. At
the time An Agenda for Peace came out, UN peacekeepers had already explored and practised this concept in two
missions — the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) from 1960–1964 and UNTAG from 1989–1990.
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of

the United Nations, Boutros Boutros-Ghali,
Secretary-General of the United Nations, holds a
live video conference, originating from the United
Nations television studios at UN Headquarters.
17 November 1995. UN Photo #966 by Milton
Grant.
1) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, An Agenda for Peace: Preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping, A/47/277–S/24111, 17
June 1992, para. 56.
2) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, An Agenda for Peace, para. 47.
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In 2008, after much deliberation about creating a UN doctrine for peacekeeping, DPKO published its first doctrinal
publication, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Principles and Guidelines.3 Also known as the “Capstone
Doctrine”, this publication provided a good definition of peacebuilding:
“Peacebuilding involves a range of measures targeted to reduce

the risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict by strengthening
national capacities at all levels for conflict management, and
to lay the foundations for sustainable peace and development.
Peacebuilding is a complex, long-term process of creating
the necessary conditions for sustainable peace. It works by
addressing the deep-rooted, structural causes of violent conflict
in a comprehensive manner.”4
Section 3.2 Origins of UN Peacebuilding

The origins of peacebuilding are found in the UN Charter and the evolution of UN peacekeeping operations.
William Durch discussed the evolution of UN peacekeeping in his first of three comprehensive books on the subject.
During the Cold War, peacekeeping focused more on monitoring: soldiers deployed to a conflict zone and reported
back to the Security Council on breaches to a peace agreement or ceasefire. For the most part, soldiers from many
nations operating under a Security Council resolution simply observed and reported and did not get involved in
the political aspects of enforcing any agreements. According to Durch, “From 1947 to 1985, the United Nations
undertook thirteen peacekeeping operations of varying scope, duration, and degree of success.”5
One UN peacekeeping mission operating during this period, ONUC, promoted an expanded role for peacekeeping.
This mission took on a more modern focus, including both peace enforcement and, to some extent, helping to build a
country structure. Unlike most early UN missions, ONUC was a large mission with almost 20,000 peacekeepers from
30 different nations. Other UN peacekeeping missions of this era used only a few hundred soldiers or, in some cases,
several thousand. The total number of UN peacekeepers deployed at any time rarely exceeded 10,000 troops. Most
UN peacekeeping missions during this early period were designed to report on violations of ceasefire agreements
between States. Consequently, these missions are considered traditional peacekeeping missions.
At the end of the Cold War, many international scholars started to believe the UN could begin to uphold the
essence of the UN Charter. Peacekeeping was one symbol of the expanded role of the United Nations. Between 1985
and 1992, the Security Council authorized another 13 peacekeeping missions, which equaled the number of missions
passed in the first 40 years of the UN. Unlike many of the traditional missions that focused on conflicts between
States, many of these new peacekeeping missions concerned conflicts within States. According to Durch, the 1989
peacekeeping mission in Namibia included the first true UN peacebuilding mission.6
Figure 3-1 depicts the number of soldiers, military, police, and experts on mission deployed in UN missions
on 31 October of each year from 1991 to 2017. This graph shows the increase in the total number of deployed
peacekeepers after the establishment of the missions in Bosnia, Cambodia, and Somalia. The increase from roughly
10,000 peacekeepers to almost 80,000 in 1994 and 1995 demonstrated a second evolutionary period of UN
3) DPKO became the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) on 1 January 2019. DPKO/DFS, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Principles and
Guidelines (New York: United Nations, 2008).
4) DPKO/DFS, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, 18.
5) William J. Durch, The Evolution of UN Peacekeeping (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993), 7.
6) Durch, The Evolution of UN Peacekeeping.
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peacekeeping. In these three missions, soldiers and police did much more than merely observe and report; they
undertook programmes to alleviate the suffering of those caught up in violent conflicts.
The UN peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Somalia did not go well, and the mission in Cambodia had problems.
Additionally, the Security Council failed to alter a deployed peacekeeping mission in Rwanda in April 1994. As a
result, the world witnessed one of the worst genocides in recent history. There was concern within the UN System
that peacekeepers should return to the observing and reporting role. This led to a contraction period between 1996
and 1999. Secretary-General Kofi Annan felt that expanded peacekeeping was indeed necessary to stem violent
conflict. In March 2000, he commissioned a UN study on peacekeeping. The head of the team was former Special
Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in Haiti, Lakhdar Brahimi. The Brahimi Report was released in
August 2000 and made 56 recommendations to improve UN peacekeeping.
Evolution of UN Peacekeeping
120000 115 125

countries countries
100000 58 countries 95 countries 78 countries 107 countries
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct.
'91 '93 '95 '97 '99 '01 '03 '05 '07 '09 '11 '13 '15 '17
Troops Deployed to UN Peace Operations
Source: DPKO, "Troop and Police Contributors", as of 31 October 2017. Available from: <https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/troop-and-
police-contributors>.
Figure 3-1
Many considered the Brahimi Report to be the most comprehensive review of peacekeeping in modern times.
It stated, “the United Nations will continue to face the prospect of having to assist communities and nations making
the transition from war to peace”.7 It also stated, “Peace-building is a term of more recent origin that, as used in the
present report, defines activities undertaken on the far side of conflict to reassemble the foundations of peace and
provide the tools for building on those foundations something that is more than just the absence of war.”8
7) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, A/55/305–S/2000/809, 21 August 2000, ix.
8) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, 3.
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Secretary-General Kofi Annan addresses

the Council during an open meeting to
discuss the maintenance of peace and
security and post-conflict peacebuilding.
Security Council President Anwarul
Karim Chowdhury (Bangladesh) sits
to his left. 23 March 2000. UN Photo
#303120 by Evan Schneider.
The Brahimi Report made two major recommendations regarding peacebuilding. The first was to recommend that
the Secretary-General develop a plan to strengthen the UN approach to peacebuilding. The second recommendation
focused on planning future peacekeeping missions, suggesting the Secretariat create an Integrated Mission Task
Force from across all UN agencies to develop a comprehensive UN strategy for new missions. The members of the
team, assembled by the Secretary-General, firmly believed that UN peacekeeping missions were becoming more
complex, introducing another evolutionary period for UN peacekeeping.
Secretary-General Annan wanted to make the UN more relevant and fulfil the ideals of the UN Charter. He
recognized the world was changing, and the UN needed to change with it. His predecessor set down a marker in An
Agenda for Peace, and he wanted to continue with the reform of the UN. In March 2000, Secretary-General Annan
released his report We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the Twenty-first Century.9 In this report, he
recommended the creation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a 15-year effort to improve conditions
around the world in eight critical areas. In September 2000, the General Assembly approved a resolution establishing
the MDGs.
Secretary-General Annan continued his quest to improve the UN and make its work more relevant in the
changing nature of world security. The decolonization that occurred after the Second World War created more nations
in the world, yet many of these new nations struggled after independence. The end of the Cold War also birthed
new States with their own opportunities and challenges. To address these issues, the Secretary-General asked 16
eminent and experienced people from across the globe to “suggest how nations can work together to meet this
formidable challenge.”10 The UN released the report A more secure world: our shared responsibility in December
2004. According to the high-level study, “deploying peace enforcement and peacekeeping forces may be essential
in terminating conflicts but are not sufficient for long-term recovery. Serious attention to long-term processes of
peacebuilding in all its multiple dimensions is critical; failure to invest adequately in peacebuilding increases the
odds that a country will relapse into conflict.”11 The group went on to recommend the UN establish both a PBC and a
peacebuilding support office to carry out UN actions in peacebuilding programmes.
9) Kofi A. Annan, We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the Twenty-first Century (New York: United Nations Department of Public Information,
2000).
10) UN General Assembly, A more secure world: our shared responsibility – Report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, A/59/565,
2 December 2004, vii.
11) UN General Assembly, A more secure world, 71.
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Like the Secretary-General, these 16 distinguished individuals saw the gap between peacekeeping and
development. The MDGs were just that — development goals. A nation emerging from violent conflict needed
peacekeepers to stabilize the security situation, but that nation was not ready to answer its most pressing problems:
hunger, medical capabilities, rule of law, governance, and economic reform. Thus, peacekeepers needed to fill the
void before the government, with the help of development agencies, could build a functioning society.
Secretary-General Annan reacted quickly to A more secure world by releasing his own report — In larger
freedom: toward development, security and human rights for all — on 21 March 2005. In it, the Secretary-General
recommended the establishment of the PBC and the Peacebuidling Support Office (PBSO), now part of the Department
of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).12 His report summarized the last 10 years of peacekeeping:
“Our record of success in mediating and implementing peace

agreements is sadly blemished by some devastating failures.
Indeed, several of the most violent and tragic episodes of the
1990s occurred after the negotiation of peace agreements —
for instance in Angola in 1993 and in Rwanda in 1994. Roughly
half of all countries that emerge from war lapse back into
violence within five years. These two points drive home the
message: if we are going to prevent conflict we must ensure
that the peace agreements are implemented in a sustained and
sustainable manner. Yet at this very point there is a gaping hole
in the United Nations institutional machinery: no part of the
United Nations system effectively addresses the challenge of
helping countries with the transition from war to lasting peace.
A Peacebuilding Commission could perform the following

functions: in the immediate aftermath of war, improve United
Nations planning for sustained recovery, focusing on early
efforts to establish the necessary institutions; help to ensure
predictable financing for early recovery activities, in part by
providing an overview of assessed, voluntary and standing
funding mechanisms; improve coordination of many post-
conflict activities of the United Nations funds, programmes and
agencies; provide a forum in which the United Nations, major
bilateral donors, troop contributors, relevant regional actors and
organizations, the international financial institutions and the
nation or transitional Government of the country concerned can
share information about their respective post-conflict strategies,
in the interest of greater coherence; periodically review
progress towards medium-term recovery goals; and extend the
period of political attention to post-conflict recovery.”13
12) UN General Assembly, In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all, Report of the Secretary-General, A/59/2005, 21
March 2005.
13) UN General Assembly, In larger freedom, 31.
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Both the Security Council and the General Assembly endorsed the creation of the PBC, the PBSO, and the
Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) in their resolutions on 20 December 2005 and 30 December 2005, respectively.14 These
two resolutions laid out the organization and purposes of the PBC and its supporting PBSO and PBF.
Section 3.3 UN Peacebuilding Architecture15
Peacebuilding Commission
The passing of both a Security Council resolution and a General Assembly resolution led to the creation of
the UN Peacebuilding Architecture. The key organizations that make up the Peacebuidling Architecture include the
PBC, the PBSO, and the PBF (see Figure 3-2). According to Hugh Dugan, former US Representative to the PBC, the
Commission is the keystone of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture.
UN Peacebuilding Architecture
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding Peacebuilding
Support Office
Commission (PBC) Fund (PBF)
(PBSO)
Figure 3-2
In accordance with relevant resolutions, the PBC serves the following functions:
• Bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategies
for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery;
• Focus attention on the reconstruction and institution-building efforts necessary for recovery from conflict
and to support the development of integrated strategies to lay the foundation for sustainable development;
and
• Provide recommendations and information to improve the coordination of all relevant actors within and
outside the United Nations, develop best practices, help to ensure predictable financing for early recovery
activities, and extend the period of attention given by the international community to post-conflict recovery.
Like other organizations within the UN System, the PBC includes representatives from various Member States.
As outlined in the both the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the PBC draws members from the
following bodies and populations:
• Seven members from the Security Council (the five permanent members plus two others elected annually);
• Seven members from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (regionally balanced);
• Five members from the top providers of assessed and voluntary funds to the UN budgets;
14) UN Security Council, “Resolution 1645 (2005)”, S/RES/1645 (2005), 20 December 2005; UN General Assembly, “60/180. The Peacebuilding
Commission”, resolution 60/180, 30 December 2005.
15) The information in this section is based on the UN Peacebuilding Architecture as of 31 December 2018 and may not be current as of 1 January 2019.
Beginning 1 January 2019, the UN reorganized the Department of Peacekeeping Operations into the Department of Peace Operations. The UN also
reorganized the Department of Political Affairs and the Peacebuilding Support Office into a new Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs,
which oversees the Peacebuilding Architecture. As the reorganization matures, changes may occur.
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• Five members from top providers of military personnel and civilian police to UN peacekeeping missions; and
• Seven members from the General Assembly to ensure geographic balance on the PBC.
In total, the PBC includes representatives from 31 Member States of the United Nations. Table 3-1 provides
the membership of the Commission as of 2018. Additionally, the Secretary-General’s representative for the PBSO
is invited to attend meetings of the PBC. If there is an SRSG from the specific country being discussed, that person
might also attend meetings.
The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other institutional donors are invited to sit in on
meetings. Other institutional donors might include regional organizations such as the EU or the Organization for
Islamic Cooperation.
Table 3-1: 2018 Peacebuilding Commission16
Financial Peacekeeping
Security Council ECOSOC General Assembly
Contributors Contributors
Bolivia Belgium Brazil Bangladesh Colombia
China Ecuador Canada Ethiopia Czech Republic
Côte D’Ivoire Italy Germany India Egypt
France Nigeria Japan Pakistan El Salvador
Russian Federation Republic of Korea Norway Rwanda Kenya
United Kingdom Romania Indonesia
United States South Africa Mexico
Note: Many Member States are committed to the PBC. They remain on the Commission by simply switching their category of
participation from year to year.
In UN Peacebuilding: An Orientation, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Judy Cheng-Hopkins
said, “building peace in countries emerging from conflict is a huge, complex undertaking. It involves a myriad of
different players.”17 This document uses the same definition of peacebuilding used in the Capstone Doctrine. The
paper outlines the essential features — the principles — of UN-designed peacebuilding efforts. These three features
lay the foundation for all UN peacebuilding programmes: national ownership, national capacity, and common strategy.
National ownership is critical to any successful peacebuilding effort. Success requires support from the host
nation’s government and the people of the country. The UN, however, recognizes that countries emerging from
violent conflict often have limited government functions or a transitional government in place. In these cases, the
UNCT works closely with the existing governing structure with the aim of re-establishing government functions. This
is the essence of national capacity-building. Once some semblance of a government exists, the UN works closely
with that organization to get its input on future programmes. Finally, the UN emphasizes a common strategy for all
peacebuilding efforts. Since multiple actors may be working on peacebuilding programmes, this common strategy is
essential to success. The host nation must be involved in developing a national strategy, but UN agencies can help
that nation formulate the strategy.
The meetings of the PBC come in three forms. The first type is an Organizational Committee meeting in which
only the 31 Member States of the Commission participate. This meeting focuses on structures and procedures for the
Commission. It also discusses financial contributions from various organizations and reviews, in a broad sense, the
efforts of the countries on the Peacebuilding Agenda.
16) PBC, “31 Members for 2018”, 2018.

17) PBC, UN Peacebuilding: An Orientation (New York: United Nations, 2010).
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In October 2016, the Organizational Committee held in-depth discussions about lessons learned from past
peacebuilding efforts. This meeting focused on transitions from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. One of the key
lessons about transitions was that “Early and long-term planning, which needs to include a system-wide approach, is
critical to successfully manage transitions.”18
The Organizational Committee must also decide which broad areas the PBF might fund. Table 3-2 outlines some
of these areas. Later in this course, students will find a great deal of similarity between these focused areas and
other ideas about peacebuilding.
The PBC often reviews briefings. It also considers written documents and proposals from civil society
organizations, which includes many NGOs. NGOs play a large role in peacebuilding — there are approximately 15 to
20 global NGOs that assist UN peacebuilding efforts. According to the Organizational Committee’s policy letter, civil
society organizations must be invited to attend meetings of the Peacebuilding Committee.
While the UN conceived the PBC as an advisory body to the Security Council, and it has a reporting responsibility
to that body, it also submits reports to the General Assembly. However, it is the Security Council that oversees the
functions and programmes of the PBC.
The PBC undertakes country-specific meetings as its second type. In these meetings, the Commission may
decide to place a country on the Peacebuilding Agenda or review the progress of on-going peacebuilding programmes.
Decisions made at these meetings direct money from the PBF into various programmes. These meetings also
review the overall peacebuilding process supported by UN agencies. The SRSG often will present updates on the
peacebuilding programmes. Other UN agencies also present their comments and recommendations on the progress
of peacebuilding.19
Table 3-2 provides the priority areas for committing funds to peacebuilding projects. The PBF is more likely to
fund projects that fit into these general categories. Figure 3-3 complements the focused areas and shows how much
funding the PBC put forth to these areas.
Table 3-2: Priority and Focus Areas for UN Peacebuilding Funding1
Priority Area 1: Support the implementation of peace agreements and political dialogue
1.1 Security Sector Reform
1.2 Rule of Law
1.3 Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR)
1.4 Political dialogue
Priority Area 2: Promote coexistence and peaceful resolution of conflict
2.1 National reconciliation
2.2 Democratic governance
2.3 Conflict prevention/management
Priority Area 3: Revitalize the economy and generate immediate peace dividends
3.1 Employment
3.2 Equitable access to social services
Priority Area 4: Re-establish essential administrative services
4.1 Strengthening of essential national State capacities
4.2 Extension of State authority/local administration
4.3 Governance of peacebuilding resources (including JSC/PBF Secretariats)
i) PBF, "What we fund", 5 February 2016.
18) PBC, “Informal expert-level meeting on Good Practices in Peacebuilding – The Challenge of Sustaining Peace: Lessons from Previous Transitions”, 7
October 2016, 3.
19) The PBF section of this lesson will cover more about country-specific issues and topics.
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PBF Funded Projects by Focus Area (2011–2016)

1.1 SSR
1.2 ROL
1.3 DDR
1.4 Political Dialogue
2.1 National Reconciliation
2.2 Democratic Governance
2.3 Conflict Prevention/Management
3.1 Employment
3.2 Equitable Access to Social Services
4.1 Strengthening of Essential National

State Capacity
4.2 Extension of State Authority/Local
Administration
4.3 Governance of Peacebuilding
Resources
$20 $40 $60 $80
Millions
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Source: PBF, "What we fund", 5 February 2016.
Figure 3-3
Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)
The UN established DPPA on 1 January 2019 as a part of its peace and security reform initiative. DPPA
“combine[s] the strategic, political and operational responsibilities of the ... Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and
the peacebuilding responsibilities of the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO).”20 With the implementation of the UN
peace and security reform, the PBSO became a part of DPPA. The newly formed department “provide[s] strategic,
political, operational and management advice, direction and backstopping to all special political missions.”21
The Peacebuilding Support Office
Security Council and General Assembly resolutions established the PBSO in December 2005. The regular budget
of the United Nations funded it. The PBSO functions included providing assistance to the PBC, managing the PBF,
and coordinating peacebuilding efforts among UN agencies.22 There were three branches within the PBSO: the
Peacebuilding Commission Support Branch; the Financing for Peacebuilding Branch; and the Policy, Planning, and
Application Branch.
20) United Nations, “Peace and Security Reform”, accessed 8 January 2019. Available from: <https://reform.un.org/content/peace-and-security-reform>.
21) United Nations, “Peace and Security Reform”.
22) United Nations, “Peace and Security Reform”.
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The PBSO served as a repository of lessons learned from past peacebuilding missions. Its Peacebuilding Resources
website provided a knowledge base for UN agencies, Member States, and others interested in peacebuilding activities.
In this vein, the PBSO held conferences and meetings on these lessons learned. For example, in November 2015 the
PBSO partnered with the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) for a workshop on
peacebuilding. This was the third workshop to bring together practitioners from a variety of countries. This workshop
aimed to enhance the inclusivity and accountability of the PBF. Since many of the countries on the Peacebuilding
Agenda are in Africa, participants from ongoing peacebuilding programmes attended.
The PBSO was instrumental in launching a Peacebuilding Community of Practice in 2008. This community united
800 peacebuilding practitioners from Member States and other UN departments and agencies to share ideas. Many
reports and lessons learned came from this community of practice. Most of this information found its way to the
PBSO website under “Peacebuilding Resources”. The Peacebuilding Community of Practice was an internal tool for UN
practitioners, but it shared the lessons learned with the broader peacebuilding community.
The United Nations and the World Bank have a special relationship, particularly in the field of peacebuilding.
In 2008, the UN and the World Bank formally established the Partnership Framework for Crisis and Post-Crisis
Situations. In 2010, the World Bank and the UN established the Fragility and Conflict Partnership Trust Fund. This
fund, which Switzerland and Norway fund as of 2018, has three objectives: to support joint initiatives or approaches
in fragile and conflict-affected situations, to strengthen capacity in both institutions to work effectively in partnership,
and to collect good cooperation practices and support knowledge sharing. The PBSO and UNDP worked closely
together with the World Bank.
The Peacebuilding Fund
The Secretary-General created the PBF in October 2006 based on resolutions from both the Security Council and
the General Assembly. Voluntary contributions from Member States, other organizations, and the private sector fund
the PBF. Financial contributions to the PBF are the backbone of the Peacebuilding Architecture: “From 2006 to 2017,
the PBF has allocated $772 million to 41 recipient countries.”23 Without funding, the whole idea of peacebuilding
would be difficult to undertake.
The PBF supports peacebuilding projects through two means: the Immediate Response Facility (IRF) and the
Peacebuilding Recovery Facility (PRF). The PBC approves and oversees each of these programmes. A peacebuilding
project that does not have support from the host nation’s government will not be approved.
Projects supported by the PBF must conform to one of the focused areas listed in Table 3-2. Projects that fit
neatly into one of these priority areas are more likely to receive funding either through the IRF or the peacebuilding
recovery facility. The PBSO carefully tracked the amount of money put to each of the focused areas. Figure 3-3
provides an overview of where the funds were allocated between 2011 and 2016. From the chart, it is clear that the
majority of funding from the PBF went to reconciliation and rule of law programmes.
According to the PBF, the IRF “is designed to jumpstart peacebuilding and recovery needs. It is a flexible and fast
funding tool for single or multiple projects up to one year in duration.”24 UN agencies and countries requesting funds
can receive those funds in three weeks. The use of these funds is primarily for short-term projects.
Under the IRF, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support can commit up to $3 million for specific
projects. The Secretary-General, with advice from the PBSO, could increase that amount up to $15 million for a
23) PBC, “UN Peacebuidling: The PBF in Sierra Leone”, 25 April 2018.
24) PBF, “How we fund”, accessed 9 November 2018. Available from: <http://www.unpbf.org/how-we-fund/>.
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group of projects. A project or group of projects is normally supported by one of the many UN agencies, such as
UNDP, the WHO, and the FAO. Once approved, the PBSO and the UN agency signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU), and funds are dispersed.
The PRF has a longer-term focus and “embodies the fundamental concepts of peacebuilding”.25 First, countries
receiving funds from this programme must be on the Peacebuilding Agenda. To get on the agenda, countries must
submit a strategic plan to the PBC. The Commission then reviews the plan and aligns it with the UNCT strategic plan.
After submission of the strategic plan, the PBC votes to place the country on the Peacebuilding Agenda. Once on the
agenda, there is no limit to the amount of funding a country can receive; however, the projects must conform to the
priority areas listed in Table 3-2.
As of 2017, Burundi, the CAR, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Sierra Leone were on the Peacebuilding
Agenda. Each country submitted a strategic plan to the PBC, and projects on that plan receive funding to support
their recovery from conflict. In total, these six countries have received $312 million in funding from 2008 to 2016.26
In 2015, the PBF provided $3 million to increase the presence of civil administration throughout the CAR. UNDP,
the International Labour Organization, and MINUSCA supported this project. A 2015 project implemented by the
International Organization for Migration and MINUSCA provided $3.5 million to support the rehabilitation of ex-
combatants in the CAR.27
In Liberia, the PBF provided $2 million in 2015 through the UNDP to bring together 750 delegates from around
the country to conduct a constitutional review. In Guinea, the PBF partnered with the World Bank to create job
opportunities for 34,000 workers, including 2,400 youth and more than 10,000 women. The project was credited
with reducing youth violence in several of the country’s cities.
Sierra Leone received no funding from the PBF in 2015. The peacebuilding programme was scheduled to end
in the near future. Since becoming the first country on the Peacebuilding Agenda, it received more than $54 million
from the fund. In the case of Sierra Leone, many practitioners and scholars said the transition from peacekeeping
to peacebuilding and finally to total country control was a success. This course uses Sierra Leone as the subject of a
case study and reviews it in some detail in Lessons 6, 7, and 8.
Applying for Funds from the PBF
According to the “Guidelines for Applying to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund”, “the PBF is a flexible
peacebuilding tool that supports the UN’s broader peacebuilding objectives in countries at risk of relapsing into
conflict.”28 The fund is a multi-donor trust fund administered by the PBSO. As such, countries that are eligible for
funding must be at risk of falling back into conflict.
Any UN Member State or UN agency can submit a request to the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding
Support for funding under the IRF. The application must include coordination with the national authorities or entities.
Projects are short-term in duration (less than 18 months) and must address a “dramatic change in the peacebuilding
process such as political or ethnic violence” or aim at solving a problem in the “immediate aftermath of conflict”.29
The first step in the process is a determination by the PBSO that a country is eligible for peacebuilding funds.
The eligibility requirements require a fairly simple test — is the country “emerging from, or at risk of relapsing into,
25) PBF, “Guidelines for Applying to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund”, part 1, October 2009, 3.
26) UN General Assembly, The Peacebuilding Fund, Report of the Secretary-General, A/71/792, 14 February 2017.
27) UN General Assembly, The Peacebuilding Fund, Report of the Secretary-General, A/70/715, 4 February 2016.
28) PBF, “Guidelines for Applying to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund”, 2.
29) PBF, “Guidelines for Applying to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund”.
69
Two men outside an establishment in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. 11 June 2015. UN Photo #634145 by Rick
Bajornas.
violent conflict”?30 Once determined to be eligible, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support submits
a formal approval to the Secretary-General stating that the country may receive peacebuilding funding.31
An application for funding under the IRF must include detailed specifics and an action plan for the project(s).
One of the UN agencies that signed the MOU with the PBSO will distribute the funds. Therefore, support from UN
agencies is essential for any proposed project to obtain funding under the IRF.
The Assistant Secretary-General will review the proposal through the lens of the priority areas for funding (see
Table 3-2). The PBSO evaluates the project(s) based on the following criteria:
• “(Critical Gap) The proposal must identify the funding gap it will fill”;
• “(Strategic) Projects must be of direct and immediate relevance to peacebuilding”;
• “(Catalytic Impact) The project must demonstrate its potential catalytic effect on the engagement of
other stakeholders in the peace process”;
• “(Capacity) The Recipient UN Organizations and implementing partners must have a demonstrated capacity
to implement the projects”;
• “(M&E) Each project must identify key indicators against which its achievements toward the PBF Priority
Areas/outcomes may be measured;
• “(Risk) The proposal must include a summary analysis of risks”; and
• “(Technical Feasibility) The project(s) must be technically sound [with feasible outcomes]”.32
Once deemed acceptable based on the guidelines and the $3 million limit, the appropriate UN agency receives
the funds. This can happen relatively quickly, usually in less than three weeks. The PBSO will then inform the PBC
and the Secretary-General. If there is a group of projects, then the Secretary-General, with the approval of the
PBSO, can approve the distribution of up to $15 million to the appropriate UN agency.
70
Upon receipt of the funds, the responsible UN agency must construct an effective implementation, monitoring,
and evaluation plan. These UN agencies are also responsible for submitting evaluation reports back to the PBSO.
For example, Kyrgyzstan was awarded $3 million in 2012 for projects supporting youth empowerment, women’s
networks, and water users associations. UNDP was involved in a number of projects in the country to prevent conflict.
This eventually evolved into the creation of a UNCT office in Kyrgyzstan. The country team saw an immediate need
to stem violence, particularly among youth, and address the inequality of women in the southern part of the country.
Consequently, “the IRF focused on jump-starting peacebuilding and reconciliation processes by engaging youth,
women, and rural communities (specifically water users) in capacity-building activities in order to prevent a further
escalation of the conflict in the South and to prepare the ground for long-term reconciliation and inter-ethnic co-
existence.”33 The UNCT also worked with several local NGOs to implement this programme and, hopefully, prevent
Kyrgyzstan from spiralling into conflict.
The process for gaining broader support under the PRF is much more detailed, yet the funds distributed can be
significantly greater. The PBC may receive requests for placement on the PRF in one of several ways: referral from
the Security Council, referral from ECOSOC, referral by the General Assembly, or requests from Member States or
from the Secretary-General. This request stimulates a more detailed eligibility test that the PBSO performs. First,
the senior UN representative in the country (often the SRSG) must endorse and support the funding based on the
following criteria:
• The country has critical peacebuilding needs and is either emerging from a recent conflict or is at risk of a
conflict escalating;
• There are critical peacebuilding opportunities, and a strong partnership with UN agencies can address these
critical needs; and
• Funds from the PBF in the focus areas (Figure 3-3) can have a significant impact on preventing further
conflict.34
After this analysis, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support will submit a recommendation to
the Secretary-General that the country is eligible for peacebuilding funding. The PBC then reviews the entire request
for approval.
The final step is for the senior UN representative in the requesting country to assemble a Priority Plan. If
the country’s government is in transition, then the existing government structure must review this Priority Plan.
However, if the country is capable, it can create its Priority Plan, also called a “strategic plan”. Both the senior UN
representative in the country and the existing government organizations must jointly agree with the Priority Plan.
The plan must provide an “outline of the types of interventions foreseen and the indicators that will be used to
measure impact (M&E framework).”35
This jointly prepared plan will be submitted to the PBSO for review before being presented to the PBC. The
Organization Committee of the PBC (all 31 members) conducts this review. Once the Committee determines the
country’s eligibility for funds and the UN senior representative in the country or the country itself presents a good
programme, the Organizational Committee selects a Chair (one of the members of the PBC) and creates a country-
specific configuration to review all projects and funds distributed under the PRF.
33) PBF, “Immediate Response Facility (IRF1): Final Evaluation – Kyrgyzstan, UN Peacebuilding Fund – Immediate Response Facility (IRF), 10 May-30
June 2012”, 16.
35) PBF, “Guidelines for Applying to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund”, part 1, October 2009, 10.
71
In accordance with paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 60/180, other nations and other organizations
attending the meetings of the Commission might attend country-specific meetings.36 For example, if the discussions
in the Commission are about Burundi, a country already on the PBC, other interested Member States might attend
the meetings.
The chair of the country-specific configuration will generate a list of interested parties that will sit in on the
country configuration meetings. These interested parties could be organizations within the UN System, other Member
States, regional organizations, and even nongovernmental organizations. The members of the country-specific
configuration normally will visit the country and meet with the local government and the senior UN representative in
the country. While a country is on the Peacebuilding Agenda, the members of the country configuration serve as a
forum for dialogue on peacebuilding programmes up for approval.
Once a country is placed on the Peacebuilding Agenda, the PBC forms a Joint Steering Committee. This Committee
comprises the senior representative of the country and the chair of the PBC’s country-specific configuration. These
two individuals jointly chair the meetings of the country-specific configurations.
Normally, projects and programmes under consideration by the country configuration follow the guidelines
provided by the PBC. The first four countries on the Peacebuilding Agenda (Burundi, the CAR, Guinea-Bissau, and
Sierra Leone) all developed strategic plans for the use of peacebuilding funds. These strategic plans complement the
Priority Plan developed by the UN senior representative in the country. Priority Plans are continually updated and
refined while a country is on the Agenda.
The Chair of the country-specific configuration will schedule meetings and review programmes underway.
The Chair, with support from the PBSO, will submit annual reports (or more often, if necessary) to the Security
Female construction workers at the Gbarnga Peace Hub, one of five such facilities being built with help from
the PBSO to increase access to justice in Liberia. 28 April 2012. UN Photo #512727 by Emmanuel Tobey.
36) UN General Assembly, “60/180. The Peacebuilding Commission”.
72
Council, the General Assembly, and ECOSOC. ECOSOC takes a special interest in the work of the PBC and often
asks the PBC and the PBSO for briefings on current programmes and lessons learned. ECOSOC often will establish a
Peacebuilding Advisory Council, which links the efforts of peacebuilding with the broader category of development in
various conflict-affected countries — especially those on the Peacebuilding Agenda.
In 2007, Liberia was determined to be eligible for funds from the PBF. It was not until 2010 when Liberia moved
from the IRF to the PRF (more commonly referred to as being “placed on the UN’s Peacebuilding Agenda”). Prince Zeid
Ra’ad Al Hussein of Jordan, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, established and chaired
the country-specific configuration. In 2011, the UN and Liberia completed their jointly developed Peacebuilding
Priority Plan. The Peacebuilding Priority Plan was a roadmap for interventions in Liberia. According to this Plan, the
core priorities for Liberia were rule of law, SSR, and national reconciliation. The initial programme was a three-year
effort. Each of these core areas outlined projects supported by the Plan and the PBF.37
Proposed projects and programmes for the country-specific configuration of the PBC must also include a project
performance management plan. This plan will evaluate how the projects and programmes are conducted with specific
reference to the four Priority Areas listed in Table 3-2. The PBSO recognizes that such evaluation plans are not easy.
They must use both qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate the programme. The PBF highlights this:
“Developing indicators for peacebuilding interventions are often

not easily quantifiable, and so qualitative measures must also
be employed. PBSO encourages an appropriate mix of both
qualitative and quantitative indicators to best capture the range
of likely interventions, although in certain settings a heavier
emphasis on qualitative indicators and process level indicators
will be most realist/useful in order to capture behaviour change.
In many cases, indicators based on surveys of the population’s
perceptions of peace, security, justice and government services
will be useful.”38
Like many other social programmes that attempt to evaluate activities, the PBSO recommends that evaluation of
various programmes use the SMART criteria: S – specific, M – measurable, A – attainable, R – relevant, T – time-bound.
The PBSO also recommends that a baseline study is conducted to determine progress in various programmes. The PBF
website provides some useful templates for conducting monitoring and evaluation for peacebuilding programmes.39
From time to time, the PBC and the PBSO will sponsor an independent study of the peacebuilding efforts in
a particular country. For example, in 2014 the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding conducted an
independent review of the peacebuilding efforts in Burundi. This report conducted a holistic review of the entire UN
peacebuilding process. According to the report, “between 2007 and 2013, the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) allocated
US $44 million from their Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility (PRF) and $5 million from their Immediate Response
Facility (IRF) to help consolidate peace in Burundi. This makes Burundi the top recipient of PBF funds out of the 23
countries that the PBF has supported.”40
37) PBF, “Liberia Overview”, October 2015. Available from: <http://www.unpbf.org/countries/liberia/>.

38) PBF, “7. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of PBF programmes”, accessed 23 August 2018. Available from: <http://www.unpbf.org/application-
guidelines/7-monitoring-and-evaluation-me-reflective-peacebuilding/>.
39) PBF, “7. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of PBF programmes”.
40) Susanna Campbell, Tracy Dexter, Michael Findley, Stephanie Hofmann, Josiah Marineau, and Daniel Walker, “Independent External Evaluation UN
Peacebuilding Fund Project Portfolio in Burundi 2007–2013”, March 2014, 5.
73
The team from the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding visited Burundi, observed programmes
underway, conducted surveys, and interviewed numerous people. The data collected was both qualitative and
quantitative. American academic Susanna Campbell stated:
“Some of the projects that the PBF funded made a crucial

positive contribution to Burundi’s peacebuilding process and
achieved aspects of the Security Council mandate that would
have been difficult to do without PBF funding. It provided crucial
inputs that advanced Burundi’s ongoing political negotiations,
helping to: unblock a deadlock in the Burundian Parliament in
2007; remove the final remaining barrier to the transformation
of the FNL rebel group into a political party in 2009; address
several critical logistical barriers in the organization of the 2010
elections; calm communities in provinces that received a high
number of IDPs and ex-combatants, and had suffered from the
high levels of political violence and instability surrounding the
2010 elections; and it supported dialogue workshops in 2013
that made progress toward breaking another deadlock between
political parties surrounding the preparation for the 2015
elections.”41
The independent report on peacebuilding in Burundi was not all positive, however. According to the researchers,
some projects did not meet expectations: “Only seven out of eighteen projects were both effective at contributing to
their project specific goals and relevant to key peacebuilding priorities in Burundi.”42
Section 3.4 Other Reports and Studies on UN Peacebuilding

The Secretary-General submits a report on the activities of the PBF annually and periodically files a report
called Peacebuilding in the Aftermath of Conflict. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s 2014 report Peacebuilding in the
Aftermath of Conflict stressed the role of United Nations peacebuilding in “creat[ing] the foundations for sustained
peace after conflict.”43 He went on to stress that rebuilding State institutions is a crucial element to sustaining peace.
The report also highlighted the role of the United Nations in ending the civil war in Sierra Leone. Both the UN efforts
in peacekeeping and the PBC were instrumental in bringing a more sustainable peace to the country: “Sierra Leone’s
progress stands in stark contrast to the tragic relapses into violence that we have witnessed in several countries,
despite the presence of United Nations peace operations and extensive international efforts.”44 In the conclusions of
this report, the Secretary-General addressed several areas for improvement in the wider aspects of helping countries
emerge from violent conflict. Key among those recommendations was increased financial support for peacebuilding
activities. The report also stressed increased collaboration with the World Bank and regional organizations when it
comes to peacebuilding.
41) Campbell et al, “Independent External Evaluation”, 5.

42) Campbell et al, “Independent External Evaluation”, 6.
43) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, Peacebuilding in the aftermath of conflict, Report of the Secretary-General, A/69/399–S/2014/694, 23
September 2014.
44) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, Peacebuilding in the aftermath of conflict, para. 13.
74
UNDP launched its pilot projects within

the Integrated Crisis Prevention and
Recovery Programme “Strengthening
national capacities for Early Recovery,
Peace Building and Reconciliation” at
a protection of civilians site in Juba.
As part of the launch, UN Police (the
civilian police branch of UNMISS) also
exhibited training activities implemented
in partnership with women living within
the site. 20 October 2014. UN Photo
#608080 by JC McIlwaine.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s 2016 report on the PBF was not as hopeful as his 2014 report on peacebuilding
in the aftermath of conflict.45 Although the work of the PBC continues to expand, the funding for programmes is
lacking. The PBF allocated $77.9 million to 14 countries, but it only received $53.5 million in contributions. In 2015,
donor contributions were the third lowest since the fund began in 2006.
Despite the low contributions to the PBF, various country programmes were successful. In the CAR, the work
of both the peacekeeping forces and the funds allocated by the PBF provided pivotal support to a successful
constitutional referendum and subsequent elections. Preceding the elections, UN peacekeepers and peacebuilders
brought together 700 representatives from across the country to create a forum for electoral discussions. This led to
a formal agreement signed by political parties and nine armed groups.46 According to the Secretary-General’s report
on the peacekeeping mission in the CAR, “the electoral period was marked throughout the country by generally
peaceful campaigning by candidates and their supporters in accordance with the code of good conduct signed by all
presidential candidates and political parties on 9 and 12 December.”47
The Ebola virus outbreaks in West Africa in 2014 and 2015 impacted a number of countries, including Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone. All three countries were on the Peacebuilding Agenda. To help these countries, the PBF
reallocated funds to stem the spread of the virus. In Guinea, the outbreak caused renewed violence in the midst of
national elections. The fund provided support for crowd management and promoted various media programmes to
keep people informed. The PBF also helped transport over 14,000 political delegates to polling stations across the
country.
Comprehensive Review of UN Peacebuilding Architecture
The Secretary-General can appoint an independent Advisory Group to review and comment on the distribution
of funds under the PRF. The Advisory Group includes 10 experienced peacebuilders, appointed by the Secretary-
General, each of whom serves a two-year term and provides advice and counsel to the Secretary-General.48
45) UN General Assembly, The Peacebuilding Fund, Report of the Secretary-General, A/70/716, 4 February 2016; UN General Assembly and UN Security
Council, Peacebuilding in the aftermath of conflict.
46) UN General Assembly, The Peacebuilding Fund.
47) UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in the Central African Republic, S/2016/305, 1 April 2016, 1.
48) PBF, “Terms of Reference for the Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group”, 6 September 2007.
75
In June 2015, at the request of both the Security Council and the General Assembly, the UN released a
comprehensive review of peacebuilding. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used his Advisory Group of senior
international diplomats to review peacebuilding. (In the same month, the Secretary-General also requested a
complementary study on peacekeeping, “The High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations”.)
The head of the Advisory Group, Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala, released the report The Challenge of Sustaining
Peace: Report of the Advisory Group of Experts for the 2015 review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture.
The report was not complimentary of various aspects of the Peacebuilding Architecture.
The Advisory Group saw that a review of UN peacebuilding should not be limited to the PBC, the PBSO, and
the PBF. Peacebuilding has a much broader application, which includes not only the United Nations, but also Bretton
Woods Institutions, namely the World Bank, regional organizations, individual Member States, and civil society
organizations (including NGOs). According to the Advisory Group, all of these groups play a role. The executive
summary states, “for many UN Member States and the UN Organization entities alike, peacebuilding is left as an
afterthought: under-prioritized, under-resourced and undertaken only after the guns fall silent.”49 The panel firmly
believed peacebuilding should be a core task outlined in the UN Charter.
The Advisory Group also saw that peacebuilding faces increasing challenges. Conflicts within countries declined
throughout the 1990s, but “major civil wars have almost tripled from four in 2007 to eleven in 2014”.50 Conflicts
are becoming more intractable due to the influence of violent extremism, illicit markets, organized crime, and the
proliferation of light weapons. Weak leadership and bad governance have also added to the increase in the number
of societal wars.
Subsequent sections of this lesson will discuss a few of the comments and proposals made by the Advisory
Group, but the overall tone of the report was negative, and the UN and the entire international community have
much to do to improve peacebuilding. One of the key comments of the panel was the UN concern for post-conflict
peacebuilding. Scholars have argued many times that peacebuilding should not be conducted only in the aftermath
of conflict because it has great utility for preventing conflict. This report argued that expanding peacebuilding to
include prevention of conflict is more cost-effective regarding both people and money. The Advisory Group certainly
understood that a country emerging from conflict needs special attention, as most have lagged in achieving the
MDGs. The Advisory Group strongly recommended revising the term “peacebuilding” to “sustaining peace”, stating,
“Peacebuilding … needs to be liberated from the strict limitation to post-conflict contexts.”51
Several concerns and recommendations of the panel of experts are summarized as follows:
• The United Nations does not comprehensively address peacebuilding. The UN organizations and
subsequent funding are too isolated. UN agencies do not work well together in many conflict-prone countries.
Even when the Secretary-General appoints an SRSG, not all UN agencies take direction from this key
leadership position. The panel recommended that the Secretary-General name the lead for each country,
and all UN agencies should work for that individual. According to the report, “From the UN’s perspective,
the triangular relationship between peace, development and human rights demands that the Organization’s
three respective pillars work closely together.”52
49) United Nations, The Challenge of Sustaining Peace: Report of the Advisory Group of Experts for the 2015 review of the United Nations peacebuilding
architecture, 29 June 2015, 7.
50) United Nations, The Challenge of Sustaining Peace, 17, para. 26.
76
Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson (left)

addresses the annual Peacebuilding Fund
Stakeholders meeting. At his side is Oscar
Fernández-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General
for Peacebuilding Support. 24 June 2015. UN
Photo #635674 by Evan Schneider.
• The focus of peacebuilding is too short. Currently, the UN states that its efforts in peacebuilding should
run for five to 10 years. The Advisory Group recommends extending this period to 15 to 25 years. One
aspect of this idea is the rush to elections. Elections are a critical element of gaining national reconciliation
in conflict-torn nations. Constitutional revision and elections should engage all parties to the conflict, not
just the most visible. This means every person should have a say in the process and elections, perhaps from
the bottom up rather than the top down.
• The term “national ownership” should be redefined because it is too loose. The UN often will
negotiate and coordinate peacebuilding programmes with those in power; however, like the earlier
recommendation, those in power may not represent all citizens. The term should be expanded to “inclusive
national ownership”.
• The Peacebuilding Architecture is too narrow. Currently, it encompasses only the PBC, the PBSO, and
the PBF. The term “peacebuilding architecture” should be expanded to include global organizations like the
World Bank, regional organizations, individual Member States, and civil society organizations. The report
commended the relationship between the World Bank and the PBC, but it also recommended expanding this
partnership. The report also highlighted the successful integration of the UN and the EU into peacebuilding.
• Funding for peacebuilding is totally inadequate. It does not meet the needs of preventing conflict or
preventing relapses back into conflict. Donations to the PBF are also inadequate. The experts recommended
that peacekeeping funding should adjust to encompass peacebuilding tasks and assessed contributions
from Member States should include larger peacebuilding programmes under the PBF.
• Social media is expanding globally, and even in fragile countries, citizens have access to the
internet and social media. The UN should better utilize social media to gather support and opinions from
citizens in conflict-affected countries.
• The Advisory Group also made recommendations for the PBC and the PBSO. The PBC should expand
its focus beyond just UN organizations. The PBC should do more strategic thinking and be more of a
repository and meeting place for interested parties. The country-specific configurations are too large. The
PBC makes decisions by consensus, and it is too hard to achieve agreements on programmes and policies.
The experts recommend that country-specific bodies be smaller and more closely resemble a “group of
friends” role. As for the PBSO, the experts recommend expanding the office to more than 15 personnel. A
small office cannot perform the scope of work for peacebuilding.
77
These were only the highlights of the concerns and recommendations of the Advisory Group of Experts on the
Peacebuilding Architecture. The 63-page report went into more detail on all these topics and more.
The report was not entirely derogatory, however. One positive comment remarked on the success of the
peacebuilding efforts in Sierra Leone. In its highlight of these efforts, the report stated, “Sierra Leone has made
important progress in its transition from an extraordinarily violent internal conflict to peace that shows increasing
promise of sustainability. National leadership and civil society — in particular women’s organizations — played
a critical role in building peace, as did progress in the Truth and Reconciliation Process.”53 The report was also
complimentary on the link between peacekeeping and peacebuilding, stating, “In the initial phases, the UN focus
was on peacekeeping, with a deliberate shift to peacebuilding in 2008[.] … Two salient features stand out: a strong
(and unusual) collaboration between the Security Council and the PBC; and the UN’s ability to ‘deliver as one’ on the
ground, in coordination with other stakeholders.”54
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon promoted peacebuilding within the UN System. The Peacebuilding Commission
and its supporting architecture only came into being shortly before his election, and Secretary-General Ban’s support
for the Commission, the Fund, and the Peacebuilding Support Office was critical to keep the UN focused on this
important concept — helping nations recover from war. As ideas about peacebuilding came together, however, it
became apparent that peacebuilding could also prevent war in the first place.
In its first few years of existence, the Peacebuilding Architecture developed programmes and procedures for
helping nations in crisis. Programmes in peacebuilding require significant funding to support the various ideas on
how to avert or end a war and bring a country back to stability. The Peacebuilding Fund was slow to grow and
became a point of concern within the UN System, but Ban’s efforts as Secretary-General kept the focus on financially
supporting peacebuilding programmes. By 2016, however, it became clear that programmes initiated within the
Peacebuilding Architecture were outpacing the funds accumulated.
The High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations identified some shortfalls within the UN System. Its
report, known as the HIPPO report, stated, “With few exceptions, there are serious shortfalls in donor funding for
most of the countries where UN peace operations are working, and particularly for priorities critical to sustaining
peace. If the trend of risk aversion among donors continues, the risks to peace will mount.” It went on to say,
“Despite many commitments to work differently, UN and other international support to conflict-affected countries
remains short-term, uncoordinated, and piecemeal, linked to multiple funding frameworks. These challenges are
particularly prominent in the security sector, which is of critical importance to sustaining peace.” With ideas in mind,
the HIPPO report recommended, “The Secretary-General, with the support of Member States, should make a focused
effort to bring together all parts of the system to ensure a system-wide response to the emerging needs of the
country in conflict.”55
When Secretary-General António Guterres assumed office in January 2017, he already had in mind some ideas on
reforming the peace and security pillar of the UN System. In October 2017, Secretary-General Guterres submitted his
report Restructuring of the United Nations peace and security pillar to the General Assembly and the Security Council.
The report called for a reorganization of the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations. The Department of Political Affairs would become the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
(DPPA). Under his plan, DPPA would absorb the Peacebuilding Support Office, but the Peacebuilding Commission
53) United Nations, The Challenge of Sustaining Peace, 27.

54) United Nations, The Challenge of Sustaining Peace, 27–28.
55) UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, Report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations on uniting our strengths for peace:
politics, partnership and people, A/70/95-S/2015/446, 17 June 2015.
78
and Peacebuilding Fund would remain under the supervision of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. The
Department of Peacekeeping Operations would become the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). Included in
these moves was a consolidation of regional offices previously overseen by the two departments.
The General Assembly approved the reforms in July 2018, and they took effect on 1 January 2019. Figure 3-4
visually depicts this change. As seen in this diagram, the two Under-Secretaries-General (USGs) work together to
help nations either prevent war or recover from it. The USGs of these two organizations and other interested USGs
comprise the Principles Group, which advises the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.
Before these reforms, each department had regional divisions to follow and manage crises around the globe. The
reforms created three Assistant Secretaries-General (ASG) to help both DPPA and DPO manage and report on crises
around the world. According to the October 2017 Report of the Secretary-General, “the shared capacity would be
responsible for the entire range of political and operational engagements on peace and security issues, including the
provision of strategic, political and operational guidance, analysis and direction and integrated operational support
for prevention and sustaining peace, as well as crisis monitoring and response.”56
This reorganization is relatively new, and policies and procedures on peacebuilding may change in the future.
Right now, however, this is a step in the right direction to streamline peace and security within the UN System.
Figure 3-4
56) UN General Assembly, Restructuring of the United Nations peace and security pillar, A/72/525, 13 October 2017.
79
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with representatives of civil society in Freetown, Sierra
Leone. 5 March 2014. UN Photo #581873 by Eskinder Debebe.
Section 3.5 Lessons Learned in UN Peacebuilding

This lesson covered the first three main bodies of the PBC, the Organizational Committee, and the Country-
Specific Configuration. The PBC Working Group on Lessons Learned was established by the 2005 Security Council
and General Assembly resolutions on the PBC. The identical resolutions called for the PBC to develop “best practices”
for peacebuilding and the Commission.
The PBC Working Group held its first meeting in January 2007 during which it established guidelines for the
collection of best practices. The meetings are open “to all Member States, including countries that have experienced
post-conflict recovery, United Nations operational entities, institutional donors, national experts, academics and
representatives of civil society”.57 The purpose of the Working Group is to “share lessons learned from past and
present peacebuilding experiences.”58
Since its inception, the Working Group on Lessons Learned generally meets at least once every two months.
In one of the early sessions of the Working Group, the PBC established several key principles, including national
ownership of the peacebuilding process and a mutual accountability between the host government, its citizens,
and international partners. The Working Group also noted that sustained engagement is a key principle. The
PBC stated, “peacebuilding is a long-term process requiring sustained and predictable engagement from all
stakeholders.”59
The PBC Working Group on Lessons Learned approached each session based on the principles outlined
earlier and critical lessons learned from various aspects of peacebuilding. Themes of meetings were announced
in advance and usually involved panel discussions by experts in the field. Additional papers and documents often
were prepared and distributed to the Working Group members. Several meetings focused on “recurring and specific
57) PBC, “Emerging Lessons and Practices in Peacebuilding, 2007–2009”, Report of the Working Group on Lessons Learned of the Peacebuilding
Commission, May 2010, 5.
58) PBC, “Emerging Lessons and Practices in Peacebuilding”, 5.
80
peacebuilding challenges”.60 These included elections; local governance; transitional justice; IDPs; budget support;
environment and natural resources; rule of law assistance; national capacity development; regional approaches to
disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration; and coordination with regional and sub-regional organizations.61
Table 3-3 provides the meeting dates and thematic approaches from a few of the meetings.
In 2009, the Working Group on Lessons Learned, with support from the PBSO, released a summary called
“Emerging Lessons and Practices in Peacebuilding, 2007–2009”. The summary stated:
“it is generally agreed that post-conflict peacebuilding is

multifaceted in nature. It encompasses security, political,
humanitarian, human rights, and socio-economic dimensions.
An integrated and coherent approach to addressing these
dimensions is fundamental to post-conflict peacebuilding
efforts, which should be anchored in building national capacities
to sustain peace and lay the foundations for sustainable
development.”62
A preliminary report summarizes past sessions, but also made an important point: “One consistent conclusion
that emerged from comparative experiences is that each post-conflict country is unique: there are no ‘one-size-fits
all’ models in peacebuilding.”63
It is not feasible in this section to discuss all the lessons learned by the PBC Working Group. Such an effort would
be too lengthy. However, several critical themes on peacebuilding have emerged over the years, including the following:
• Peacebuilding requires national will, ownership, and capacity to solve the many problems in post-conflict
scenarios.
• Peacebuilding is a long-term process that needs continued commitment from all involved.
• A common strategy must be developed, and this strategy should address the root causes of the conflict.
• Accurate knowledge and sound analysis are required before undergoing any peacebuilding effort.
• Predictable and sustained financial and non-financial resources are essential for success in any peacebuilding
effort.
The Security Council unanimously adopts

resolution 2150 (2014), calling upon States to
recommit to prevent and fight against genocide,
and underscoring the importance of taking into
account lessons learned from the 1994 genocide
against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutu
and others who opposed the genocide were also
killed. 16 April 2014. UN Photo #585862 by
Devra Berkowitz.

61) PBC, “Emerging Lessons and Practices in Peacebuilding”.
63) PBC, “Working Group on Lessons Learned Special Session, 12 June 2008”, June 2008, 1.
81
Secretary-General António Guterres meets with former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at One
UN New York Millennium Hotel. 2 January 2017. UN Photo #710862 by Mark Garten.
Table 3-3 demonstrates some of the specific issues addressed by the PBC Working Group. Each of these issue-
specific meetings resulted in a short but relevant issue paper released by the PBC. For example, the 3 April 2014
entry was the first of three sessions (April, May, and June 2014) that focused on transitions from UN peacekeeping
missions supported by UNCT peacebuilding efforts. The discussions were based on reviewing what could be learned
when the UN peacekeeping missions closed in Sierra Leone and Burundi and subsequently transitioned into UN-
sponsored peacebuilding efforts. The lessons from these transitions could be helpful when the UN peacekeeping
mission transitions to a peacebuilding mission.
Table 3-3: Peacebuilding Commission’s Working Group on Lessons Learned Sessions64
Date Themes of PBC Working Groups on Lessons Learned

20 February 2007 Elections and Risk Reduction
8 June 2007 Regional Approaches to Peacebuilding`
13 December 2007 Local Governance and Decentralization
29 January 2008 Gender in Peacebuilding
28 February 2008 Justice in Times of Transition
8 May 2008 Role of Natural Resources and Environment
14 October 2009 National Dialogue in Post-Conflict Situations
14 July 2010 Issues of Youth Employment
3 July 2012 Resource Mobilization and Mapping Relevant Actors
11 December 2013 Gender Responsiveness in National Reconciliation
3 April 2014 Transition of UN Missions
20 Oct 2015 Institution Building
7 Oct 2016 Challenge of Sustaining Peace: Lessons from Previous Transitions
64) This information was collected from the Peacebuilding Commission’s Working Group website. This does not include all meetings of this working group.
The website is not kept up to date and only some documents are posted. This provides a sample of the meetings held since the Working Group’s
inception.
82
According to the final report of the PBC Working Group on Lessons Learned, “Transitions of UN Missions”, the
withdrawal of Security Council-mandated UN peacekeeping missions can be economically and politically destabilizing.
With the drawdown of large UN peacekeeping troops that are financially supported under the peacekeeping support
account, the transition to a peacebuilding mission does not come with the same financial and political securities.
Peacekeeping forces are funded through assessed contributions from Member States, while peacebuilding funding
is purely voluntary. The report uses the term “financial cliff” to articulate the effect transition to peacebuilding may
have on the host nation. Therefore, “a key lesson drawn from the experiences of countries that have undergone UN
mission transitions is the need for partners to step up and target their financial and technical support to peacebuilding-
related priorities and activities”.65 There is also a political gap. Thus, it is essential that “the UN presence in support of
political processes is crucial to sustain the focus on outstanding and continuing democratic processes in the countries
concerned.”66
Both the transitions in Burundi and Sierra Leone were considered good models. As the United Nations Mission
in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) started to draw down, a number of quick impact projects (QIPs) supported by the
peacekeepers assisted the peacebuilding process. Among these were programmes to employ youths and the
construction of schools. The annual peacekeeping budget for this mission was approximately $250 million. This
funding ended in December 2005, yet the country was still fragile.
Recognizing this, the Security Council created an interim peacebuilding mission, the United Nations Integrated
Office for Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL). Security Council resolution 1620 (2005) directed the Secretary-General to establish
UNIOSIL in January 2006 for one year with the purpose of supporting a number of peacebuilding programmes,
including building State institutions; constructing a national action plan for human rights; conducting free and fair
elections in 2007; strengthening the rule of law; and supporting a culture of peace, dialogue, and participation. A
senior international civil servant named by the Secretary-General was to lead the mission. A number of countries
continued to support peacebuilding efforts by funding and supporting both police and military personnel during
this transition period. Funding for the peacebuilding mission was entirely voluntary, but many UN agencies and
Member States contributed to the peacebuilding efforts in Sierra Leone. It was not until 2007 that the PBF kicked
in and helped the Government of Sierra Leone work towards a more sustainable peace. According to the Secretary-
General’s first report on UNIOSIL, “the transition from [UNAMSIL (the peacekeeping portion)] to UNIOSIL was well
planned and carried out without any major obstacles.”67
UNIOSIL under the leadership of UNCT Director Victor Da Silva Angelo of Portugal worked with the Government
of Sierra Leone to develop the initial Priority Plan for peacebuilding in the country. The PBC was established in 2006,
and when it began accepting country applications in 2007, Sierra Leone was ready. Since 2007, Sierra Leone has
received $52.2 million in funds from the PBC (PRF allocation: $43,711,757; IRF allocation: $8,457,979).68
The UN peacekeeping missions in Burundi and Liberia used some of the lessons learned in planning their
transitions from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. The Government of Sierra Leone faced a financial cliff when the
peacekeepers departed. Thanks to the help and donations of many Member States and UN agencies, Sierra Leone
was able to bridge this gap until funds from the PBF kicked in, but those funds were slow to come in initially.
Funding will always be a concern for peacebuilders. Depending on the crises around the globe, peacebuilders cannot
65) PBC, “Final Report of the PBC Working Group on Lessons Learned, ‘Transition of UN Missions: What Role for the PBC?’”, December 2014, 3.
66) PBC, “Final Report of the Working Group on Lessons Learned”, 3.
67) UN Security Council, First report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone, S/2006/269, 28 April 2006, 1.
68) PBF, “Sierra Leone Overview”, October 2015. Available from: <http://www.unpbf.org/countries/sierra-leone/>.
83
always rely on the generous contributions of many nations and organizations. Lessons, however, often stress the
importance of reliable, steady funding streams to keep projects on track. This will continue to be the Achilles heel of
peacebuilding.
Much like peacebuilding, the lessons from the Working Group on Lessons Learned are multifaceted. The
Working Group has been diligent in conducting its meetings and drawing out some good lessons; however, summary
reports compiling the lessons from PBC meetings are few and far between. Consequently, there are no consolidated
groups of lessons for practitioners to learn from. Anyone who wants to understand lessons on a particular topic on
peacebuilding will find the PBC’s Lessoned Learned website hard to use; but with some diligence, it can be done.
Section 3.6 Conclusion

It should be clear from this lesson that UN peacebuilding evolved from expanded requirements in UN peacekeeping.
Many studies on peacekeeping, including An Agenda for Peace and the Brahimi Report, strongly recommended that
peacebuilding become a core mission of the United Nations. That became a reality under Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continued that work. Hopefully, Secretary-General António Guterres will
pick up the peacebuilding baton where his predecessors left off. His previous position as the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees certainly opened his eyes to many of the world’s problems. When he was selected to lead
the Secretariat, Guterres stated:
“Over the last 10 years, I have witnessed, first hand, the

suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth. I have visited
war zones and refugee camps where one might legitimately
ask: what has happened to the dignity and worth of the human
person’?
What has made us immune to the plight of those most socially

and economically underprivileged? All this makes me feel the
acute responsibility to make human dignity the core of my
work — and I trust the core of our common work.”69
This kind of attitude should lead to an increased focus on UN peacebuilding.
The recent review of peacebuilding by the Secretary-General’s Advisory Group in 2015 demonstrated that a
great deal of work remains to fully help nations recovering from violent conflict or to prevent violent conflict. The UN
focuses mostly on post-conflict peacebuilding, yet there is an equal need for pre-conflict peacebuilding. The focus on
post-conflict peacebuilding needs to change, but the resources are not yet there. The United Nations does what it can
to help countries recover from violent conflict and puts efforts into preventing conflict where it can.
The work of the PBC, PBSO, and PBF is progressing in the right direction, but change — particularly in the UN —
takes time. More improvements and in-depth studies need to be done to find the right mix of organizations to move
peacebuilding forward. More importantly, funding for peacebuilding programmes needs a boost. Peacebuilding is
people- and money-intensive, but the benefits are real.
69) António Guterres, “Statement by Mr. António Guterres on his appointment by the General Assembly to the position of Secretary-General of the United
Nations”, 13 October 2016.
84
All too often, the news media cover stories about atrocities committed in some distant country. These are usually
fragile nations dealing with deep-rooted issues. If peacebuilding is to be truly effective, all agencies involved in
peacebuilding need to devote more attention and efforts to the process of stemming the spread of violent conflict.
Over the last two decades, much has been learned in the field of peacebuilding, and many good practices are
in place. The ideas behind peacebuilding are beginning to solidify. You will explore these ideas in the lessons ahead.
New organizations devoted to peacebuilding have formed as well, and many governments now look to support
peacebuilding on a global scale.
85
End-of-Lesson Quiz »
1. What UN document originally mentioned 5. What are the Peacebuilding

the concept of peacebuilding for the UN? Commission’s (PBC) sources of funding?
A. The Brahimi Report A. The Millennium Development Fund and the
B. Security Council resolution 1645 (2005) United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
C. General Assembly resolution 60/180 B. The Fragility and Conflict Partnership Fund
and the Post-Conflict Recovery Fund
D. An Agenda for Peace
C. The Immediate Response Facility (IRF) and
2. Which peacekeeping mission(s) the Peacebuilding Recovery Facility (PRF)
stimulated Secretary-General Boutros D. None of the above
Boutros-Ghali to rethink his first version
of An Agenda for Peace? 6. Which country has experienced the most
A. UNAMIR (Rwanda) success in UN peacebuilding efforts?
B. UNTAC (Cambodia) A. Liberia
C. UNTAG (Namibia) B. Sierra Leone
D. ONUC (Congo) C. Namibia
E. A and B D. Guinea
F. B and C
7. The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)
G. None of the above
was created by _____.
3. Under the Immediate Response Facility A. a Security Council resolution and a General
(IRF), the Assistant Secretary-General Assembly resolution
for Peacebuilding Support can award
B. an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
_____ for specific projects.
recommendation
A. up to $3 million
C. funding from 12 NGOs
B. no less than $10 million
D. a mandate of the Secretary-General
C. up to $15 million
D. an unlimited amount 8. As of 2018, which of the following
was NOT part of the UN Peacebuilding
4. Which Secretary-General initiated Architecture?
the request for the Peacebuilding A. The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)
Commission (PBC), Peacebuilding
B. The Secretariat
Support Office (PBSO), and
Peacebuilding Fund (PBF)? C. The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF)
D. The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO)
A. Boutros Boutros-Ghali
B. Kofi Annan
9. TRUE or FALSE: Peacebuilding faces
C. Ban Ki-moon challenges because the number of intra-
D. Dag Hammarskjöld State wars has declined over the past 10
years.
A. True
B. False
Answer Key provided on the next page.
86
End-of-Lesson Quiz »
10. Which report did Kofi Annan write in

response to A More Secure World?
A. The Challenge of Sustaining Peace
B. The Brahimi Report
C. In Larger Freedom
D. Supplement to an Agenda for Peace
Answer Key »
1. D
2. E
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. B
10. C
87

Lesson 3 - The United Nations and Peacebuilding

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PEACEBUILDING

“We the Peoples of

UN Photo #783549 by Manuel Elias.

In this lesson » Lesson Objectives »

Section 3.3 UN Peacebuilding Architecture Architecture.

• Describe the lessons learned from UN-designed

PEACE OPERATIONS TRAINING INSTITUTE

Section 3.1 Introduction to the

“We the Peoples of the United Nations

maintained and to promote social progress and better

–Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations

better standards of living so armed conflict does not break out.

“With a view to the creation of conditions of stability and well-

a. higher standards of living, full employment,

b. solutions of international economic, social, health, and

c. universal respect for, and observance of, human rights

–Chapter IX, Article 55 of the Charter of the United Nations

Agenda for Peace. In the 1992 document, he wrote:

“I have in mind, for example, projects that bring States

“The validity of the concept of post-conflict peacebuilding has

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of

Doctrine”, this publication provided a good definition of peacebuilding:

“Peacebuilding involves a range of measures targeted to reduce

Section 3.2 Origins of UN Peacebuilding

peacekeeping mission in Namibia included the first true UN peacebuilding mission.6

undertook programmes to alleviate the suffering of those caught up in violent conflicts.

August 2000 and made 56 recommendations to improve UN peacekeeping.

120000 115 125

100000 58 countries 95 countries 78 countries 107 countries

Troops Deployed to UN Peace Operations

Secretary-General Kofi Annan addresses

complex, introducing another evolutionary period for UN peacekeeping.

peacebuilding support office to carry out UN actions in peacebuilding programmes.

“Our record of success in mediating and implementing peace

A Peacebuilding Commission could perform the following

Section 3.3 UN Peacebuilding Architecture15

Commission is the keystone of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture.

for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery;

following bodies and populations:

might also attend meetings.

Table 3-1: 2018 Peacebuilding Commission16

In UN Peacebuilding: An Orientation, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Judy Cheng-Hopkins

that nation formulate the strategy.

efforts of the countries on the Peacebuilding Agenda.

16) PBC, “31 Members for 2018”, 2018.

critical to successfully manage transitions.”18

other ideas about peacebuilding.

society organizations must be invited to attend meetings of the Peacebuilding Committee.

functions and programmes of the PBC.

funding the PBC put forth to these areas.

Table 3-2: Priority and Focus Areas for UN Peacebuilding Funding1

PBF Funded Projects by Focus Area (2011–2016)

1.4 Political Dialogue

2.1 National Reconciliation

2.2 Democratic Governance

2.3 Conflict Prevention/Management

3.2 Equitable Access to Social Services

4.1 Strengthening of Essential National

Source: PBF, "What we fund", 5 February 2016.