The Mid-Year Report on DPPA’s Multi-Year Appeal: A Vital Lifeline for Global Peace Efforts
Mid-year achievements include 144 deployments for mediation and conflict prevention assistance, six technical electoral missions, and continued support for Special Envoys, Resident Coordinators, and UN Country Teams.
This year, with the Department’s rollout of its 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, the recently released mid-year report on the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) offers insights into how this roadmap is shaping the department’s peace and security efforts.
The mid-year report keeps donors informed about how their voluntary funding critically bolsters the UN regular programme budget in helping DPPA carry out nearly half of its work. Coming in the wake of the presentation of the Secretary-General’s A New Agenda for Peace, and as the Department reinvigorates efforts for dealing with violent conflict and building sustainable peace, this edition is also uniquely forward-looking.
The report recalls that although it is up to UN Member States to determine, at next year’s Summit of the Future, which elements of A New Agenda for Peace they wish to take forward as policy, the vision that informed that seminal initiative will continue to shape DPPA’s work, alongside our new Strategic Plan. Thus, DPPA will reinforce long-standing prevention priorities and intensify efforts to promote inclusion of women and youth in political processes.
Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo has underscored that “A New Agenda for Peace is the fruit of a deep and broad reflection on how Member States can arrest deepening divisions and find avenues for cooperation and collective action. Our goal is to present a unifying vision for peace and security — one that is clear-eyed about the magnitude of today’s challenges, and which addresses the concerns and priorities of different constituencies.”
The mid-year report details recent efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, as well as to bolster early warning capacities; convene parties for inclusive peace processes; and facilitate peaceful and credible elections.
Mid-Year achievements
From the beginning of January to the end of June 2023, DPPA has undertaken 144 deployments for mediation and conflict prevention assistance and six technical electoral missions; it has also provided support for the Secretary-General’s Special Envoys, as well as Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams. DPPA maintains its strong commitment to women, peace, and security, invests in climate security, and explores innovative approaches. As the review indicates, DPPA remains on course to meet — or exceed — its targets under the Strategic Plan Results Framework. The MYA continues to be the lifeblood that ensures the effectiveness and impact of DPPA’s global peace and security efforts.
With MYA funding, the Department led the drafting of A New Agenda for Peace. DPPA will continue to accompany and support the intergovernmental negotiations around the policy document in 2023 and 2024.
DPPA also has a substantial role in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding worldwide, work that is funded by the MYA. Here are some examples:
— In Colombia, the UN Verification Mission supports peace consolidation following the historic 2016 Final Peace Agreement. Political and operational backstopping is funded through the MYA, with additional staffing capacity at Headquarters and technical support from DPPA’s Mediation Support Unit and the Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers. This helped prepare peace delegations between the Government and the ELN before the start of the third round of negotiations in Havana in May.
— As Afghanistan grapples with overlapping political, humanitarian, and developmental issues, support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) through MYA funds has enabled continued outreach to Afghan youth and women, including from marginalized communities, in a context of severe gender-based discrimination.
— In Libya, MYA resources continue to support the United Nations Support Mission in Libya’s (UNSMIL) efforts to create an enabling environment for elections and break the ongoing political stalemate. MYA funds were used to enable the creation of a database tracking foreign forces and armed groups, in order to shed light on the factors contributing to the presence and movements of such groups.
— In Yemen, a six-month truce from April-October 2022 reduced casualties by 60 per cent and offered hope for ending the eight-year conflict. Appeal financing plays a crucial role in facilitating the regional engagements of the Special Envoy, and supporting dialogue with political actors. It also strengthened the backstopping capacity to the Office of the Special Envoy, to provide strategic guidance and contribute to scenario planning.
— Syria continues to face an ongoing humanitarian crisis, compounded by recent earthquakes. Through the MYA, DPPA coordinates UN efforts, promotes cross-border humanitarian access, and supports efforts to address factors driving displacement, including violence and protection concerns. The funding supports continued backstopping for the Office of Special Envoy, as well as support for senior leadership through surge staffing.
The Appeal also supports DPPA’s Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers (SBT) engagements in UN mediation efforts which continue to be highly sought after.
In the first half of 2023, MYA funding played a critical role in coordinating UN electoral assistance across more than 35 projects in 50 Member States. It also funded six technical electoral missions, including needs assessment missions (NAMs) to Burkina Faso, Chad, Papua New Guinea, Lesotho and Libya, as well as an advisory mission to Somalia. The approach is prevention-oriented, combining technical support and political engagement to ensure peaceful elections.
DPPA remains committed to promoting the meaningful participation of women in peacemaking and conflict prevention. Appeal funding is instrumental in advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, ensuring gender considerations are integrated throughout project management. The Department held High-Level Strategy Sessions in Libya to help ensure women are involved as equal partners in peace and political processes. In Bolivia, it provided training on women’s political rights to help bolster Departmental Electoral Courts.
The Department’s climate, peace, and security initiatives, in partnership with the Climate Security Mechanism, receive MYA funding to build evidence on climate risks, enhance peacebuilding and climate action, and bolster partner capacity. In Iraq, DPPA published a report on the links between climate change, peace and security in the country, which noted opportunities for climate action and peacebuilding.
DPPA is also actively exploring innovative technologies to enhance its conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding efforts, closely monitoring technology trends in 2023. The Department participates in a UN Generative AI Practice Group, focusing on ChatGPT and Large Language Models, and on using foresight tools to anticipate future risks and opportunities.
Faced with these crises and limited resources, the MYA is pivotal in ensuring DPPA’s capability to address diverse priorities. The Department remains committed to maintaining peace and security around the world. Its Strategic Plan, along with A New Agenda for Peace, have set the course for DPPA’s efforts to prevent conflicts, promote inclusivity, and address global challenges. As the Mid-Year Report makes clear, the Appeal serves as a lifeline, providing the necessary resources to make these goals a reality, as DPPA works collaboratively with partners and uses innovative approaches to ensure a more peaceful world.
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