Latest news with #PactfortheFuture
Scoop
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Peacebuilding Commission ‘more Needed Than Ever' Amid Rising Conflict
20 June 2025 They shared their experiences at an event this week at UN Headquarters to mark 20 years of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The intergovernmental advisory body supports countries emerging from conflict in areas such as governance, justice, reconciliation, institution-building and sustainable development. Pain and promise ' Liberia's story is one of pain, but also of promise,' Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf said in a video message. 'A nation once brought to its knees by protracted conflict now stands as a testimony to what is possible when national will is matched by international solidarity.' In August 2003, the Liberian Government, two rebel groups and several political parties signed a peace accord in Accra, Ghana, after 14 years of civil war. Building a new Liberia 'Knowing that Liberia could not return to what it was, we had to construct a new nation based on new governance structures of inclusion, transparency, justice and hope,' said the former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Critical institutions such as the Central Bank, the judiciary, the anti-corruption commission, and even civil society organizations, had to be restructured or built from the ground up. And women played a central role in peace efforts by leading advocacy, mediation and community rebuilding. 'Importantly, also, Liberia's path to peace could not be walked alone,' she said. Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf pointed to the essential role played by the international community through the UN and its peacekeeping Mission UNMIL, regional bloc ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, and other entities. 'A work in progress' She also expressed gratitude to multilateral and bilateral partners – including the PBC – whose technical, financial and moral support laid the foundations for the peace enjoyed today. 'Liberia's peace remains a work in progress,' she said. 'We still face challenges -economic fragility, governance bottlenecks and the aspirations of a youthful population seeking opportunity. But we have also come a long way.' The PBC has backed peacebuilding efforts in more than 30 countries and regions, for example supporting democratic transition in The Gambia and collaborating with Timor Leste to advance stability. Its 'intervention and decisiveness at a critical juncture is not only manifestly historic but serves as a cardinal reference point for preventive diplomacy and international solidarity,' said Gambia's Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara. Conflicts on the rise Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, remarked that the event was being held at a time when conflicts are becoming more numerous, more protracted and more complex, and as negotiated settlements are becoming even harder to achieve. ' Against this backdrop, the role of the Peacebuilding Commission remains critical and more needed than ever,' she said. She highlighted the Pact for the Future, adopted by UN Member States last September, which recognizes the central role of civil society, women and youth, and the value of UN partnerships with regional organizations and international financial institutions. 'Crucially, the Pact decided on the strengthening of the Peacebuilding Commission,' she said. 'Our task is to translate this ambition into practical progress.' Still relevant today Ms. DiCarlo said the PBC 'should be equipped, strengthened and empowered to assist interested Member States to develop and implement national strategies for prevention and peace building.' It should also have more systematic and robust links to other UN bodies and processes, such as the Security Council, and engage more deeply with regional organizations, international financial institutions and other key partners. 'The Commission is no longer a new institution, but its relevance and potential are undiminished at a time of increasing need. We must equip it to invest to deliver fully on its mandate.'
Morocco World
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco's Bouayach Meets UN Chief to Call for Rights-Based Global Reform
Rabat – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Amina Bouayach, head of Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and current president of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), to discuss how national institutions could claim a stronger voice in shaping the global agenda. The meeting, held yesterday at the UN headquarters in New York, reflects a growing push from Bouayach and the GANHRI network to ensure that institutions rooted in local realities help guide international decisions, especially as the world confronts overlapping crises. Bouayach spoke on behalf of more than 120 national institutions across the globe. She thanked Guterres for placing rights at the core of the UN's work and called his 'Call to Action' and the 'Pact for the Future' crucial reference points for those working to defend dignity on the ground. 'Human rights are not a decorative element of global diplomacy,' she said. 'They form the very core of justice. National institutions speak with the voices of those who often go unheard, victims, citizens, activists, and carry their realities from the field to decision-making halls.' During the meeting, Bouayach laid out two key proposals to Guterres. First, she called for national institutions to be granted formal participation in key UN platforms held in New York, such as the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). These forums shape the UN's long-term goals, and Bouayach argued that national institutions, with their direct knowledge of conditions on the ground, would bring valuable contributions. Second, she urged for a greater role for GANHRI in the upcoming 'UN80' initiative, a UN-wide reflection ahead of its 80th anniversary. With growing mistrust in global systems and widening gaps between people and power, Bouayach urged the UN to restore the balance between its three founding pillars: peace and security, development, and human rights. 'This moment calls for courage,' she said. 'Rights must return to the center of international reform.' Bouayach also pointed to the existing partnership between GANHRI, the UN Human Rights Office, and UNDP as a model of collaboration that supports national institutions in bolstering their work and independence. This tripartite effort held its annual gathering in New York earlier this week, just before she met with Guterres. 'The challenges we face today are not abstract. They touch lives,' Bouayach lamented. 'GANHRI will remain fully engaged in defending rights across borders. We ask the United Nations to stand with us, so that every country has an institution that protects the dignity of its people, with independence and real impact,' she added. Bouayach was elected president of GANHRI by unanimous vote in March. The election followed strong backing from the African regional group, NANHRI, which officially nominated Bouayach in January 2025. Tags: Amina BouayachCNDHGuterreshuman rightsMorocco
Malaysian Reserve
16-06-2025
- General
- Malaysian Reserve
Education Cannot Wait for the Children of Africa
International Day of the African Child Statement by ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif NEW YORK, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As we commemorate International Day of the African Child, we honor the courage, resilience and dreams of millions of children and youth across Africa. Their potential is limitless, their right to a quality education is non-negotiable. There is clear evidence highlighting the value of education in building strong economies and ensuring peace and stability across the continent. Foundational learning has the potential to double the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050, according to the World Bank. Additional analysis indicates that every US$1 invested in tripling pre-primary education enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa can generate up to US$33 in returns. With just a small investment in education for all of Africa's children, we could transform a continent, open vast untapped markets, and deliver on the promises outlined in the Pact for the Future and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, too many children are being left behind. About half of the world's 234 million crisis-impacted school-aged children reside in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Education Cannot Wait (ECW). Learning poverty is further exacerbating cycles of poverty, displacement and crises. Did you know that four out of five African children cannot read or understand a simple text by age 10? To address these challenges, we must invest in quality education for the youngest and fastest-growing continent in the world. Across Africa, ECW investments have already reached over 7.4 million girls and boys, with a focus on foundational learning, gender equality, teacher training and psychosocial support – a whole-of-child learning approach. Today – expanding on the African Union's 'Year of Education 2024' efforts to build resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa – we call on world leaders, donors and the private sector to fund education in emergencies through proven multilateral funds like Education Cannot Wait. We can and we must keep hope alive for the children of Africa. Photo – Logo – View original content:
The Star
03-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Former German Foreign Minister Baerbock elected UNGA president
Annalena Baerbock of Germany addresses the United Nations General Assembly after she was elected as president of the 80th session of the body, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) HAMILTON (BERNAMA-ANADOLU): Former foreign minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock was elected on Monday (June 2) as president of the 80th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, which will begin in September, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. Baerbock conveyed her gratitude for the "overwhelming support" from member states for her election. The current president of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang, wholeheartedly congratulated Baerbock on her election. "I warmly congratulate Her Excellency, Annalena Baerbock, on her election as the next president of the United Nations General Assembly. "It is fitting that in this milestone 80th year of the General Assembly, leadership should fall to someone whose career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to multilateralism," Yang said. Arguing that the "challenges of our time are enormous," Yang said Baerbock's pledge to serve as an honest broker - to listen, build trust, and foster dialogue across different divides - is precisely what this Assembly needs. "Our priorities align powerfully with the aspirations of our global community," he said, expressing his "full support" for Baerbock. In her remarks, Baerbock expressed her commitment to serving all and said: "My door will always be open to everyone - better together." "My first key objective will be to support member states to renew, to refocus, and to make our organisation fit for purpose - fit for the 21st century," she said. As her second priority, Baerbock emphasised the importance of "the Pact for the Future." "It is key to further strengthen the role of the General Assembly with regard to peace and security matters, in close cooperation with the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission," she said, adding that her third priority "is a United Nations that embraces everyone." - Bernama-Anadolu
IOL News
02-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
SA wants bold financial reforms to end Africa's debt crisis ahead of UN financing conference
Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, said that debt must be sustainable and international development finance needs to be reimagined so that 'no school, clinic or innovator's dream is sacrificed on the altar of debt or indifference'. Image: Katlholo Maifadi / DIRCO News South Africa is calling for the upcoming 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) to be a catalyst for change in how international development finance is structured so that no African nation suffers crippling aid debt. Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, said that debt must be sustainable and international development finance needs to be reimagined so that 'no school, clinic or innovator's dream is sacrificed on the altar of debt or indifference'. FfD4, to be held in Seville, Spain between June 30 and July 3, 'must close the financial divide, attack inequality at its root and operationalise the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact,' said Botes. FfD4, to be held under the auspices of the United Nations, seeks to address the urgent need to fully implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support reform of the international financial architecture. Speaking at an event on illicit financial flows, mobilising domestic resources, and financing for development, hosted at SGN Grant Thornton's offices towards the end of last week, Botes also said that the global financing landscape is in disrepair. 'The G20 Common Framework has stalled, multilateral development banks deliver net negative flows, and unsustainable debt crowds out SDG spending,' the Deputy Minister said. South Africa, currently Presiding over the G20 until it hands the baton to the United States at the end of November, is ready to champion developing nations when it comes to their economic plight and unsustainable debt, said Botes. He noted that 43 of the world's 47 emerging nations are in Africa. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'The age of incrementalism has ended; the era of decisive, equitable and bold action begins now. South Africa is ready to lead, to support and to walk alongside every partner committed to justice, equity and shared progress,' Botes said. South Africa aims to use its Presidency to have the G20's Common Framework overhauled some five years after its creation during the COVID-19 pandemic as a mechanism to help relieve the economic impact caused by the plague. 'South Africa chairs this G20 year resolved to turn analysis into action and global consensus into ground-level change,' said Botes. Current international development financial frameworks are throttling emerging countries, which end up with unsustainable debt that 'crowds out' SDG spending, said Botes. He added that emerging markets need to 'participate equally in global decisions'. Botes also called for multilateral development banks to honour country ownership, credit rating agencies to reflect each country's fundamentals in their assessments and not prejudice them, and for developed economies to finally meet their Overseas Development Assistance and climate-finance commitments.
