Peacebuilding key element of UN post-conflict assistance: Security Council

The UN Security Council declared on Wednesday that peacebuilding is of "critical importance" as the foundation for sustainable peace and development in countries emerging from conflict.

In a presidential statement adopted here at a meeting on peacebuilding, the Security Council reaffirmed that sustainable peace and security requires "an integrated sustained approach based on coherence among political, security and developmental approaches."

"The Security Council underlines that the primary responsibility for successful peacebuilding lies with national governments and relevant local actors, including civil society, in countries emerging from conflict," the statement said.

The 15-nation body underscored that peacebuilding, in particular, institution building, the extension of state authority and the re-establishment of core public administration functions, requires "sustained international and national attention, and financial and technical support" in order to effectively build and sustain peace.

The Security Council also called on the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to make further efforts in promoting improved coherence and alignment of partner's policies around national peacebuilding strategies and priorities, and ensure regional and international support and effective response through engagement and establishing partnerships with international financial institutions, neighboring countries and regional and subregional organizations.

The PBC, an intergovernmental advisory body created in 2005 with a mandate to support peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict, plays a unique role in UN peacebuilding efforts.

Addressing the Security Council members, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, chair of the PBC, pointed to the vast swathe of crisis afflicting nations around the globe as indicative of the need for "further sharpening the tools at the disposal of the United Nations with a view to preventing relapse into violent conflict."

"Attention and support to nationally-owned and inclusive political, socio-economic development and institution-building processes should be prioritized," he said.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Council that peacebuilding is most effective when political, security and development actors support a common, comprehensive and clear strategy for consolidating peace.

Strong and well-functioning institutions that are central to peacebuilding must be based on effective and inclusive political agreements, he added. Endite