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UN makes strides in peacebuilding efforts, but challenges remain: Ban

20 December 2012 22:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United Nations has made significant strides in advancing peacebuilding efforts in post- conflict countries, but key challenges still remain, Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday while addressing an open debate, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Referring to a 2009 report calling for an improved action plan to assist peacebuilding efforts, Ban said "The United Nations has made significant progress in advancing this agenda."

He said UN missions and country teams are working more closely together, more senior leaders and experts are being deployed to the field and the UN has strengthened its partnerships with organizations like the World Bank and other regional actors.

"The outcome of these various efforts has been a more coherent, timely and effective response to immediate post-conflict priorities," said Ban. However, challenges still remain in the efforts to aid post-conflict countries in their peacebuilding efforts.

Many countries continue to experience instability years after the end of armed conflict, with high levels of relapse into violence, due to "a deficit of trust in the wake of conflict -- between different political parties and social groups, between state and society, and between the state and its international partners," Ban said.

The first two years after a conflict ends is the most critical window of time to build sustainable peace, he noted.

He named inclusivity, institution-building, and sustained international support as critical factors to prevent relapse into violence, adding "Building institutions and other peacebuilding tasks can take a generation."

"This highlights the need for sustained international political and financial support," he said. "It also underscores the importance of mutual accountability over the long term, which creates a more balanced partnership between donors and recipient governments," said Ban.