Tackling More Complex and Dynamic Conflicts.
Many violent conflicts today are characterized by their intractability and durability. The are also taking place in an international environment characterized by greater polarization. These factors combined render peacemaking much more difficult.
The United Nations continues to adapt and refine its tools to better address the complexity of today’s conflicts. The UN’s work in mediation is one example. The Secretary-General and other UN officials use mediation in seeking to prevent, manage or resolve violent conflict. Much of this work is done through or by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).
Conflict prevention involves a range of UN entities working in distinct but mutually reinforcing ways to address both the immediate and deeper causes of violent conflict.
Mediation is one of the main ways to settle disputes peacefully. The Secretary-General and other UN officials use mediation in seeking to prevent, manage or resolve violent conflict. The UN has developed robust institutional capacities for mediation, personified in the Secretary-General, but including the deployment of special envoys and other missions. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is the main operational arm for the exercise of the Secretary-General’s good offices and the United Nations’ mediation work.
Regional organizations, individual countries and non-governmental organizations are also active in mediation. This makes coordination and collaboration more important than ever.
While strengthening its work in support of mediation processes, the United Nations has also enhanced its tools to help Member States prevent conflict from breaking out in the first place. For example, the UN system has placed a greater emphasis on the links between political and development work, particularly in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, to address long-term stress factors such as inequalities and exclusion. DPPA has expanded the scope of its analysis and engagements in order to address the peace and security implication of emerging phenomena, such as climate change or hate speech. The Department has also made prevention more operational – expanding its network of field presences in order to develop closer relationships with Member States, regional partners, and civil society. These allow the UN to engage more rapidly and effectively when a crisis emerges, and to offer more sustainable support to our counterparts on the ground.