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This Week in DPPA: 2 - 7 July 2022

This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world. 

Security Council

Special Representative and head of UNOWAS briefs Security Council on the situation in the region 

Special Representative of the Secretary-General Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh presented the latest report of the Secretary-General on developments in West Africa and the Sahel to the Security Council on 7 July. He said the region continues to evolve at different paces: on the one hand, citizens freely exercising their right to vote for their leaders, and on the other, the military seeking to dominate the political space. He went on to underscore that national dialogues are underway in many countries to consolidate democratic governance at a time when, in large parts of the Sahel, men and women are fleeing for their safety. 

Watch his briefing here 

Listen to his interview with the UN News Centre here 

Lebanon

UN Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka completes official trip to Iran 

The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, carried out her first visit to Tehran on 4 and 5 July. Her discussions with Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdolahian and other senior officials at the Iranian Foreign Ministry focused on the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability in Lebanon, including in the context of regional developments.  They also discussed the importance of accelerating the formation of a government in Lebanon, the implementation of urgent reforms and respect for constitutional timelines, including for the election of a new President later in 2022. The visit to Tehran is part of the Special Coordinator’s consultations with key regional stakeholders on Lebanon's stability and security. 

Iraq

Discussions held on electoral assistance for Iraq’s Kurdistan Region  

On 2 July, the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, met with the Head of the Commission for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Ahmed Hadi Banieh, Director-General of the Department of Labour and Vocational Training, Raid Jabaar Bahad, and Director of Social Protection Department, Thikra Abdel Raheem. They discussed support for the reintegration of displaced populations. They were joined by the International Labour Organization's Country Coordinator, Maha Kattaa, and World Food Programme Representative and Country Director in Iraq Ally-Raza Qureshi. 

Vojáčková-Sollorano meets with Governor of Anbar province to discuss development projects 

On 4 July 2022, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq/Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, met in Anbar with the Governor of Anbar, Ali Farhan Al-Dulaimi. The discussion focused on the development and stabilization projects and the restoration of essential services in the province.

Electoral assistance discussed for upcoming Kurdistan region parliamentary elections 

Aamir Arain, Director, UN Integrated Electoral Assistance and UN Principal Electoral Advisor, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), was received Wednesday in Erbil by the Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament, Dr. Rewaz Faeq. They discussed re-activation of Kurdistan Electoral Commission and the ongoing efforts to hold elections in the Kurdistan Region. In addition, the Head of UNAMI’s Regional Office in the Kurdistan Region, Ricardo Rodriguez, met on 3 July in Erbil with Hemin Hawrami, the Kurdistan Parliament’s Deputy Speaker. Their discussion focused on preparations for the upcoming Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections, as well as outstanding issues with Baghdad.

UNAMI workshop focuses on international criminal law and prosecution methods 

On 4 July, at a UNAMI Human Rights Office workshop on international criminal law with the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) in Ninewa, participants discussed how and where such crimes can be prosecuted, including those violating human rights. 

Afghanistan

New UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan arrives in Kabul 

Markus Potzel, the new Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan arrived in Kabul to take up his post on 3 July 2022. He brings over 27 years of professional experience in diplomacy and international cooperation to the role, including eight years of professional experience working on Afghanistan. He served as the Ambassador of Germany to Afghanistan from 2014-2016. 

Read more here  

Central Asia

UNRCCA co-organizes regional training course on enhancing information sharing on foreign terrorist fighters 

The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), in partnership with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) organized a training course from 4 – 7 July on enhancing information sharing on foreign terrorist fighters.  It took place in Dushanbe under the framework of the UNRCCA and UNOCT multi-year efforts to support the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia. Participants were acquainted with the latest methodologies used by INTERPOL to identify, track and disrupt foreign terrorist fighters’ mobility.  

Read more here 

The UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization agree on benefits of increased cooperation 

On 6 July, Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča spoke with new Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary General Zhang Ming. They agreed on strengthened cooperation between the two organizations, including through UNRCCA, and discussed the Secretary-General's report Our Common Agenda, which aims to accelerate multilateral agreements.  

Western Sahara

The Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara meets with Moroccan Foreign Minister to discuss political progress in the region 

On 5 July in Rabat, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, had a useful meeting with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita of Morocco, in the context of the political process on Western Sahara. The Personal Envoy has decided not to proceed with a visit to Western Sahara during this trip. He looks forward to doing so during his upcoming visits to the region, aimed at advancing the process.  

Great Lakes region

Special Envoy meets with representatives from regional organizations to discuss progress 

On 6 July, Huang Xia, UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, chaired a meeting of the Guarantor institutions of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSC Framework) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region. Participants included representatives from the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. 

Technical Support Committee meets to discuss political and security issues 

On 7 July, members of the Technical Support Committee of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region met in Nairobi today to review the latest political and security developments in the Great Lakes Region. Particular attention was paid to the situation in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Somalia

Special Representative James Swan meets with Uganda’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs  

On 7 July in Kampala, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, met with Oryem Henry Okello, Uganda’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, to pay tribute to the Uganda People’s Defence Force serving in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). They also discussed the need for continued regional and international support for Somalia. 

Peacebuilding

Countering hate speech and incitement to violence ahead of the Kenya 2022 elections through the PBF-supported UWIANO platform 

The Peacebuilding Fund provides financial support to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Officer for the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), in consultation with the Peace and Development Team (RCO), to support the Uwiano (which means ‘cohesion’ in Kiswahili) peace platform project, which aims to counter hate speech ahead of upcoming elections. On 5 July, Uwiano held a televised and radio-broadcast press briefing to share early warning information collected from its UN-supported Early Warning mechanism. It discussed localized political tensions, increasing hate speech and the rise in mis-and-disinformation, as well as the proliferation of organized criminal gangs as triggers of violence. Additionally, 100 youth social media influencers are disseminating peace messages that have been developed by the Uwiano team. 

Peacebuilding Commission Chair addresses the Security Council on West Africa and the Sahel 

Briefing the Security Council on West Africa and the Sahel on 7 July, the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission expressed concerns over the deteriorating security and political environment, highlighting the resurgence of coups d'état and the expansion of terrorism in the region, as well as maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.  She highlighted the importance of addressing socio-economic and humanitarian challenges and urged increased cooperation between partners, including through the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) and the Regional Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience of Boko Haram-affected areas of the Lake Chad Basin. Drawing on its country specific engagements, the Chair also encouraged The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone to pursue their peacebuilding efforts and welcomed the upcoming PBC meeting on Burkina Faso.  

Next Week

The Security Council will be briefed on the situation in Yemen on 11 July and developments in Colombia on 14 July.

On 15 July, the Peacebuilding Commission will hold an ambassadorial-level meeting on Burkina Faso in the UN HQ Conference room 3.   

 

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