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The relationship between land and conflict and why it’s important to protect women’s land rights for conflict prevention, mitigation and recovery. Interview with Ombretta Tempra, Human Settlements Officer in the Land and Global Land Tool Network Unit of UN-Habitat, leading the Land and Conflict portfolio.

How, how much and with whom to interact in mediating complex armed conflicts? Read more on how mediators walk this tightrope.

"The Peace and Development Advisors play a key role in working closely with national counterparts & are some of our best joint assets to encourage collaboration & coherence of action", Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo says in this interview with Politically Speaking.

Recent successes in Colombia and the Southern Philippines, as well as the resolution of the name issue between Greece and North Macedonia, are evidence that the settlement of conflicts is possible even in an increasingly complex world. So writes Teresa Whitfield, Director of the Policy and Mediation Division of the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs in a contribution to the 2019 Oslo Forum, co-hosted by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But, Ms. Whitfield points out, divisive geopolitics, the resurgence of populism and the increased regional and international involvement in civil wars are hampering peacemaking efforts in many other places. So, how are mediators confronting these challenging circumstances? In the first installment of a series reproducing Ms. Whitfield’s paper for the Oslo Forum, we take a look at the current conflict and mediation landscape, before examining issues such as orchestration and inclusion; the design of mediation processes, and innovation.

Keep reading: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/mediation-and-peacemaking-in-an-increasingly-complex-world

UN peace operations are not meant to last forever (long-standing missions like UNFICYP and UNMOGIP notwithstanding). A peace operation’s legacy in a country emerging from conflict depends in part on how and whether it has made it possible for local actors and remaining international partners to succeed in consolidating any gains made during the UN’s mission presence. The transition away from a UN mission, or from one type of UN mission to another, therefore, is much more than an administrative or logistical operation. It’s often a critical moment in the “peace continuum”. That explains the attention focused on transitions – or rather on ensuring successful transitions – during the ongoing reform of the UN’s peace and security work.

Keep reading: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/peace-operation-transitions-as-key-steps-in-ensuring-peace-gains

“Youth, Peace and Security: Perspectives for Dialogues in Northeast Asia” Regional Workshop

The importance of including young people in discussions of issues of peace and security – and even in peace negotiations – is now beyond question. On 3 and 4 June, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, the UN team in Mongolia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) brought together young people from all around Northeast Asia to discuss the youth, peace and security agenda and perspectives for dialogues in the region. Khishigjargal Enkhbayar, a former Coordinator at the UN Youth Advisory Panel in Mongolia, wrote about the experience: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/beyond-just-the-men-in-suits

On the Importance of Inclusivity in Mediation and Peacebuilding

There is broad agreement within the United Nations and among peacemakers generally that lasting peace is not possible without the participation of those affected by conflict in the search for a solution. Inclusivity is key to building legitimate governments in a post-conflict setting. But is there such a thing as too much inclusivity? During a recent visit to New York, where he spoke at a meeting hosted by DPPA’s Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), Dr. Daisaku Higashi, Professor at the Sophia University of Tokyo in Japan, sat down with Politically Speaking to explore that and other questions. Dr. Higashi has written extensively on inclusivity in peace and peacebuilding processes. Based on his field research in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan and East Timor, he argues that there needs to be a differentiated understanding of inclusivity in different phases of peace processes.

Keep reading: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/nothing-about-us-without-us

Annual Debate on Security Council Working Methods

The Security Council, the UN’s most powerful body, deals continuously with issues of war and peace. It also devotes a full day each year to discussing its methods of work. Compared to the conflicts in Syria, Yemen or Mali, that subject may sound mundane. It is anything but.

Keep reading: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/the-sometimes-thin-line-between-process-and-substance

The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs plays a leading role in the work of the United Nations to help countries hold credible, transparent and inclusive elections. Since 1992, the United Nations has assisted more than 100 of its Member States with electoral support.

2019 Security Council Election

Making Best Use of Standing Mechanisms for Preventive Diplomacy

The wars in Syria, Yemen and the Central African Republic, among other countries in crisis, can be seen as examples of failed attempts to prevent violent conflict. These confrontations are justly the subject of global attention, even if the level of international engagement they elicit is not always equal to the suffering they cause. Less well covered by the media are instances in which conflict prevention has been successful. Politically Speaking recently sat down with Professor Laurie Nathan, Director of the Mediation Program and Professor of the Practice of Mediation at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, to hear more about his research on standing mechanisms for operational conflict prevention. As Prof Nathan said, “[W]e need to understand the reasons for success in order to reproduce it.”

Keep reading: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/learning-from-success-

360° video on the work of the UN in Iraq, filmed by DPPA's Pauline Gourlet and Daanish Masood in Baghdad, Mosul, Erbil and a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Salamyiah, Iraq.SHOW MORE

DPPA Tests Use of VR to Brief Policy Makers

Harnessing the Full Potential of Data Visualization

A Snapshot of Recent DPPA Prevention and Peacebuilding Projects

The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs funds a substantial part of its work via voluntary contributions from UN member States. This support allows DPPA to implement prevention and mediation initiatives, but also to respond rapidly and with flexibility to crises or unexpected developments. Much of this work takes place with little fanfare, so we thought we’d bring you some recent examples illustrating what the support from our partners makes possible.

Keep reading: https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/low-profile-high-impact

Interview with Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on Madagascar

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