As prepared for delivery.
 

Excellencies,
Madam Deputy Secretary-General,
Your excellency Khemaies Jhinaoui (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia),
Rosemary (DiCarlo),
Colleagues and friends,

I am honored to be here today and very pleased to see the deep and sustained interest in our signature joint initiative that began in 2004: the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention (the Joint Programme for short).

As UNDP Administrator, I am proud of the contribution we have all made together to the national priorities for prevention through this programme, not only in terms of numbers or Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs), but also in the quality of engagement. I am sure that Rosemary also feels the same at DPPA.

I was inspired listening to his excellency Khemaies Jhinaoui’s presentation of the successful case of peaceful transition to democracy in Tunisia – a case that should not remain unique, isolated or singular. Rather, let us learn from the peaceful nature of this transition; from its focus on truth, dignity, justice and reconciliation; from its recognition of the role of civic engagement, inclusion and equity; and of course from the recognition that all this takes place in a development setting, which if strengthened and sustaining, can have a prevention and peacebuilding dividend.

I am excited to hear from the different member states present here today on the successes in their countries, and about the opportunities for further work together to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves – sustainable development and peaceful societies. But should also recognize the depth of the challenges we face.

Conflict, injustice, inequality, exclusion, institutional fragility and community vulnerability, climate-related risks – all these are now becoming universal, interconnected development and political challenges that are tearing us apart.  Those who are the most vulnerable, will be most affected. According to the 2018 OECD States of Fragility Report, by 2030 more than 80% of the world’s extreme poor will live in countries affected by fragility and high levels of violence unless global action is taken to prevent violent conflict from erupting, continuing.

Last week and this week we have been hearing from countries on their engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals since their adoption, including SDG 16 on just, peaceful and inclusive societies. Complementing other goals, SDG16’s centrality for peace, through justice and inclusion, resonates well with the theme of our meeting today: preventing violent conflict and promoting peace through national capacities is a critical pathway for sustainable development.

Through our presence in 170 countries, as members of UN Country teams, integrated missions and alongside national stakeholders, we are committed to accompanying the global community to achieve Goal 16 through enabler and accelerator programmes for prevention and peacebuilding. Simply put, and in support of national aspirations toward the 2030 Agenda, UNDP is committed – a key peacebuilding organization – to this Joint Programme and its role essential role in this process.

In a world of interconnected challenges that are not limited by borders, we need to constantly innovate and think of integrated solutions to problems facing us.

This programme is well-known for preceding the Secretary-General’s reform agenda, and the Peace and Development Advisors and Teams (PDAs and PDTs) that the programme deploys to Resident Coordinator’s Offices are the embodiment of integration and coherence. PDAs have a catalytic role within UN Country Teams as they help the UN translate analysis into more strategic UN action on prevention. Here are some examples:

Starting with early warning, PDAs in the Republic of the Congo, El Salvador, Moldova and Sierra Leone together with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau worked to set up country-specific UN-wide Crisis Risk Dashboards. The dashboards provide a mechanism to systematically assess contextual risks in a multidimensional fashion, and to encourage evidence-based action.

Over the last year, 90% of PDAs provided support to UN Country Teams in making their programme portfolios more conflict sensitive; more than half engaged in supporting PBF programme design and a third engaged in UNDAF processes. Looking ahead, PDAs will provide critical support to the UN Strategic Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the new generation UNDAF, development at the country level by feeding into the country/conflict analysis and ensuring a prevention lens is clear the pillars of these Cooperation Frameworks.

One third of the PDAs have been engaged in supporting cross-border initiatives for addressing conflict. In Nigeria, the peace and development team – national and international colleagues – supported the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission in developing the regional stabilization strategy for the Lake Chad region. As a result, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have a strategic framework for tackling the regional dimensions of the crisis, and a platform that promotes closer collaboration to help change the trajectory of this crisis for the sub-region in the years to come.

84% of PDAs reported supporting the participation of women and youth in conflict prevention. In partnership with the Esquipulas Foundation, the PDA in Guatemala established spaces for dialogue for young leaders to help them articulate their vision for Guatemala’s future through a narrative of the 2030 agenda and the SDGs.
In Chad, the PDA acted as a catalyst to align the Government priorities to PBF programming and supported the development of projects that focus on preventing radicalization and extremism, promoting inclusion, and reducing inter-communal tensions.
In all the above, excellent innovation, national ownership, and conflict-sensitivity are at the core.

Together with DPPA, I would also like to take the opportunity to thank our donor partners, including the governments of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom; and the European Union. I also recognize the contribution of the PBF to the Joint Programme as part of the peacebuilding architecture.

To make the Joint Programme live up to its full potential, we need additional partners to join this exciting partnership.  
We have an ambition to expand this flagship initiative given its proven effectiveness.

We sincerely hope that you will all be inspired to join us in this effort and that we can work together in strengthening those national capacities that we have seen are key in sustaining peace.

Thank you.