The PBCan intergovernmental advisory body established in 2006, plays a crucial role in supporting peace efforts in conflict-affected countries.
Consisting of 31 Member States elected by the General Assembly, the Security Counciland the Economic and Social Council, it brings together the main donors and troop-contributing countries.
Croatian Ambassador Ivan Šimonović, Chair of the Commission, citing the UN Secretary-General’s recent report, stated that “the security situation in the Sahel continues to be characterized by terrorism and violent extremist groups.” They often target border areas.” The situation has only gotten worse this year.
Actively engaged
The PBC has been active in improving conditions across the Sahel, including in countries such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger and Senegal.
It supports regional peacebuilding priorities and helps implement them UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) and its support plan. Previous PBC meetings have focused on building climate resilience and addressing climate degradation issues.
Given the concerns about institutional fragility, weak governance, poverty, border security, population growth, mass migration and climate change, the Commission also focuses on these issues Prevention and resolution of conflicts, violent extremism and organized crime.
Significant Threat
In conflict-affected regions like the Sahel Transnational organized crime poses a significant threatT. Illegal activities there range from arms sales and drug production to migrant smuggling human trafficking.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) appreciates that illegal economic activities generate billions of dollars annually therewhile much of the population lives on less than $2 a day.
Mar Dieye, head of UNISS, told UN News in a previous interview that fighting human trafficking and organized crime are issues that have been overlooked until recently.
“Using the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) threat assessments of transnational organized crime, we discovered one huge economy that was in the blind spot between national actors and international partners,” he said.
peace funding
The primary vehicle for investment in peacebuilding is the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund. “The The Sahel is a high priority region for the Peacebuilding Fund“In 2022, 35 percent of the funding will go to the region,” said Elizabeth Spehar, deputy secretary-general for peacebuilding.
She highlighted important results achieved by the fund, such as cross-border initiatives support national security cooperation and operations to eliminate transnational criminal gangs – between Gambia and Senegal and between Mali and Guinea – as well as a project in Burkina Faso to fight organized crime and illegal trafficking.
Peacebuilding Day
The meeting took place on the annual Peacebuilding Day on June 23rd. In a video message, Ms. Spehar spoke of the urgent need to step up efforts Address the root causes of conflict And invest in peacebuilding.
She underscored the importance of the United Nations peace-building architecture and highlighted the Secretary-General’s proposal New Agenda for Peacecurrently under development as an excellent opportunity to prioritize prevention and peacebuilding.
