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This Week in DPPA: 5 - 11 November 2022

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

Central Asia

Central Asian Women Leaders’ Caucus visits UN Headquarters 

On 10-11 November, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) organized the visit of members of the Central Asian Women Leaders’ Caucus (CAWLC) and civil society representatives from Central Asia to the UN Headquarters in New York. The visit included participation in the dedicated, first-ever session of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on the Central Asia region, a preceding side event, as well as the meetings with high-level UN officials, including Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo.

Read more here

Iraq

Deputy Special Representative discusses issues of migration and displacement with new minister 

On 9 November, Deputy Special Representative, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Ghulam Isaczai met with the new Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement, Evan Gabro. He congratulated her on her appointment and discussed how the United Nations could further strengthen coordination and engagement on internally displaced persons (IDPs).

UNAMI publishes latest newsletter, highlighting recent Security Council briefing on Iraq 

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq issues the latest edition of its e-newsletter, UNAMI Herald, this week. It highlights news and activities of the United Nations in Iraq between September through October 2022. 

Read more here

Lebanon

Special Coordinator Wronecka underlines Women’s political participation in Lebanon 

On 10 November, at an event on the inclusion of women in the upcoming municipal elections in Lebanon, Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General Joanna Wronecka underlined the importance of women’s representation. At the event, which was organized by UN-Women and local NGO FiftyFifty, discussions focused on the challenges facing potential women candidates and the opportunities that can be used to encourage participation. The Special Coordinator also hosted a separate roundtable discussion with women parliamentarians on the role of Parliament in the advancement of women’s empowerment in Lebanon, including on gender quotas, legislative priorities, and technical support on gender related issues. 

Special Coordinator joins 33rd Commemoration of Lebanon’s Taef Accord 

On 5 November, on the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Taef Accord, Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka attended a conference organized by the embassy of Saudi Arabia. The event highlighted both the importance of the agreement and the need for its full implementation. The Accord, which was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, “was not merely a means for ending Lebanon’s civil war (1975-1990) but set a framework for ending sectarianism and reinforcing peaceful coexistence,” the Special Coordinator said in her remarks.

Security Council

October Security Council in Review out now 

DPPA's Security Council Affairs Division has released the "United Nations Security Council in Review" for the month of October. The newsletter offers an overview of the work of the Security Council under the presidency of Gabon.

Read the latest newsletter here 

The newsletter and other research tools and information products on the Council are available here

Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox here

Electoral Assistance

DPPA Electoral Series  

In the third installment of the DPPA Electoral Series — interviews with senior United Nations officials on electoral support and its connection to broader conflict prevention efforts — Ian Martin, former Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission (Libya, Nepal, Timor-Leste) highlights the importance of working with election winners and losers to lower the stakes and enable the peaceful acceptance of results. 

Read more here

Innovation

At COP27, DPPA hosts virtual reality exhibition on climate resilience  

This week at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, DPPA and the Pacific Islands Forum hosted a virtual reality (VR) exhibition. Participants were invited to join a virtual trip to the Pacific Islands through the Sea of Islands, a cinematic 360° virtual reality experience featuring Pacific Islanders' stories of resilience in the face of climate change. 

Download the VR film here

Virtual reality film “Pathways Colombia” highlights peace agreement’s reintegration and reconciliation work 

On November 11, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia presented Pathways Colombia, a virtual reality experience on the Peace Agreement. The film was presented by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, and three protagonists featured in the documentary: Mariela Lopez, a rural teacher; Jhon Taborda, a former combatant; and Mirla Yolima Pestaña, a member of the project La Rancha de mi Pueblo. SRSG Massieu said that the project sought to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities of peacebuilding, including reintegration, security and reconciliation efforts.  

Podcast: “She Stands For Peace” 

New episode of “She Stands for Peace” podcast focuses on protection of women peacebuilders 

The latest episode of the podcast “She Stands for Peace” features Rita Lopidia, the Executive Director and Co-founder of the Eve Organization for Women Development in Juba, South Sudan, and coordinator of the South Sudan Women’s Coalition for Peace. In this episode, she talks about the experiences of women peacebuilders when executing their roles and work, as well as new ways to think about how women’s peacebuilding organizations are supported.  

Listen to the episode here

Peacebuilding

Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support’s visit to Japan and Republic of Korea 

From 7 to 12 November, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Elizabeth Spehar visited Japan and the Republic of Korea. Meeting with the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoshimasa Hayashi, she expressed the UN’s appreciation for Japan’s active engagement in the Peacebuilding Commission and its contribution to the Peacebuilding Fund. She also met with government officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as parliamentarians, members of civil society and academia. The ASG highlighted opportunities presented by Japan's upcoming tenure at the Security Council and the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima to strengthen the UN's work in peacebuilding. In the Republic of Korea, ASG Spehar met with the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs, Oh Youngju, and expressed the Organization’s appreciation of the Member State’s support of the UN’s peacebuilding work. 
 

Next Week

On 14 November from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) will hold an ambassadorial-level meeting on the Liberia Configuration (for background on the “configuration” and the PBC generally, please visit here). Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and Chair of the Liberia Configuration of the PBC, will convene the meeting on preparations for the 2023 legislative and presidential elections in Liberia. The meeting will be telecast live on UN WebTV. 

On 15 November, the Security Council will meet to discuss the situation in Libya.

 

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