The case for including youth in efforts to build peace and pave the way to development is obvious. We spoke with two trailblazers from Kenya and Indonesia, to learn about their work to ensure the voices of young people are heard. Christine Achieng Odera grew up in Riruta, a low-income…

When we think of peace talks, we often picture dispassionate, impassive go-betweens calmly trying to bring often hot-headed adversaries together. But the work of mediation often takes a real toll on peacemakers themselves. “Terribly lonely” — that’s how Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara…

Elections are sovereign and deeply political processes that distribute power and legitimize the authority to govern. Accepting defeat is critical in averting violence. Elections are an important part of the work of the United Nations, and specifically of its Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). These processes are fundamental…

Across the globe, young people are devising creative ways to prevent violence and consolidate peace. Against existing barriers and new challenges in recent years, they have acted as front-line responders to the COVID-19 pandemic, combated the spread of misinformation in Myanmar, and reached out to marginalized communities in Guatemala. Six…

Most of us feel the effects of climate change most directly through water: when there’s not enough of it or too much, or when it is unsafe to use. Competition over access to water, and the politics surrounding it, can compound the risk of conflict. The Department of Political and…

In May, with the United States presiding over the Security Council, food security and conflict, technology and security, and protection of civilians in armed conflict were in focus. Council members also discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, non-proliferation and the activities of the G5 Sahel force. The situation in…

The peace agreement reached in Colombia in 2016 put an end to the long armed conflict between the Government and the FARC-EP guerrillas. For 13,000 former combatants, the accord meant starting a new life. In Colombia, the number of former combatants who are participating in collective and individual productive projects…

The devastating effects of climate change are increasingly obvious. Recent trends point to sustained and possibly irreversible consequences that could undermine security and development gains and endanger the livelihoods of millions of people. Peacebuilding efforts are already becoming more challenging due to climate-change-induced risks. Climate disruption across regions in Sub-Saharan…

The war in Ukraine is shaking the foundations of the international system. Geopolitical divisions and the increased regionalization and fragmentation of conflicts are challenging traditional tools of conflict resolution. The complexity of today’s crises requires resilience, innovation and flexibility of response. That means that the funding of the response must…