Feb 27Cyprus Political Mission Demonstrates the Power of Sport as a Peacebuilding ToolThe Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus is working to help build and nurture connections and interactions across the island, bringing together Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. The island of Cyprus, which lies in the Mediterranean Sea to the east of Greece and south of…3 min read3 min read
Published in We The Peoples·Feb 23“Even at this Late Hour”: One Year On, a Look Back at the Security Council and General Assembly’s Response to the Invasion of UkraineThe General Assembly resumed on 22 February 2023 an emergency special session to discuss the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the Security Council has hosted the most visible, and perhaps heated discussions of the incursion, only the Assembly, the UN’s main deliberative body, has been able to adopt…United Nations8 min readUnited Nations8 min read
Feb 7Youth Explore the Future of Peacebuilding in Northeast AsiaThrough DPPA’s “Futuring Peace” initiative, young people are finding new ways to share their vision of a peaceful northeast Asian region. As is the case in much of the world, in Northeast Asia young people have traditionally had few, if any, opportunities to contribute to substantive policy discussions. Khishigjargal (Khishi)…3 min read3 min read
Published in We The Peoples·Jan 31“Diplomacy for Peace”: New Exhibit Highlights 75 years of Special Political MissionsThis year, the United Nations marks the 75th anniversary of what is considered the first special political mission, which was established in 1948 to mediate the conflict in Palestine. To commemorate the occasion, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs has launched a new exhibit that sheds light on the…United Nations3 min readUnited Nations3 min read
Jan 30DPPA’s Strategic Plan 2023–2026: Adapting to the Peace and Security Challenges of the FutureThe Department’s newly released plan, which covers the next four years, focuses on goals that will frame its work preventing and resolving conflict in a more complex and crisis-driven context. The Global Context The multiple threats to peace and security plaguing our world have converged in an unprecedented and devastating…United Nations5 min readUnited Nations5 min read
Published in We The Peoples·Jan 26“The Absolutely Indispensable Man”: Ralph Bunche and the UN’s first special political missionAs the UN marks the 75th anniversary of its “special political missions”, Politically Speaking talks to Kal Raustiala about his new book on the life and work of Ralph Bunche, who broke fresh ground as a mediator in Palestine in the late 1940s, establishing the credentials of the nascent Organization…United Nations8 min readUnited Nations8 min read
Published in Politically Speaking·Dec 30, 20222022: A Look BackAfter a year marked by the invasion of Ukraine and its consequences, we review some situations around the globe on which the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs is active, from agreements in Ethiopia and Sudan to United Nations sanctions to curb violence in Haiti and growing restrictions…10 min read10 min read
Published in Politically Speaking·Dec 29, 2022Remembering Francesc VendrellFrancesc Vendrell, the veteran peacemaker who died on 27 November this year at the age of 82, will be remembered by many for his patient, discreet and effective brokering of some of the world’s knottiest conflicts. …United Nations3 min readUnited Nations3 min read
Published in Politically Speaking·Dec 5, 2022Cooling Tensions as the Temperature Rises: The Implications of Climate Change for Mediation and Peace ProcessesAn increasing body of evidence shows the effects of climate change can exacerbate existing risks of violence and insecurity. Mediators need to consider its implications for their work. The climate crisis we are experiencing is complex and dynamic, and its effects on peacemaking efforts can be profound. The majority of…2 min read2 min read
Published in Politically Speaking·Nov 30, 2022“All Necessary Measures?” New Book by Former Libya Mission Head Examines 2011 Uprising and International InterventionPolitically Speaking talks to Ian Martin, former Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Libya, and author of a new book that looks back on the situation immediately before and after the fall of the government in Tripoli in 2011. “Was there an alternative course of action that could have halted…United Nations7 min readUnited Nations7 min read
