Discurso do Representante Permanente, Embaixador Sérgio França Danese, por ocasião da Presidência Brasileira da Comissão de Consolidação da Paz das Nações Unidas (PBC) - 2 de fevereiro de 2024 (texto em inglês)

Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, as the new Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)
February 2nd, 2024

Excellencies, dear colleagues,

Let me start by praising the outstanding work carried out by Ambassador Ivan Simonovic and his team during Croatia's intense Chairship of the Peacebuilding Commission, in 2023.

I also commend Germany and Bangladesh for their vice-chairships during the last year.

They also did an outstanding job and laid the ground for the continuous improvement of the role that the PBC can and must play as a main instrument of the UN commitment to peace.

I would also like to express my appreciation for the professional work of the Peacebuilding Support Office in assisting this Commission and for Assistant Secretary-General Elizabeth Spehar’s leadership in steering the PBSO and assisting the Chair and the whole Commission.

I know I can speak on behalf of the whole Commission in thanking you all.

Colleagues,

It is with great satisfaction that Brazil takes on the Chairship of the PBC, for the second time since its creation.

As we have been witnessing, geopolitical tensions and growing rivalry among major powers narrow the space for diplomacy and peaceful solutions. Polarization and division are prevailing over cooperation and multilateralism.

This trend is also overshadowing critical debates on global issues related to peace and sustainable development.

From the very outset of the PBC's establishment, Brazil remained committed to the cause of elevating and placing peacebuilding at the intersection of the UN security and development policy, so much needed in these times of crisis.

As a diplomatic platform that brings together key regional and global actors, the PBC is well placed to improve our collective efforts towards conflict prevention and response to post-conflict challenges, aiming at long-lasting peace.

With this perspective in mind, Brazil intends to coordinate the work of this Commission with an open mind and a strong sense of responsibility, commitment and dedication.

The Brazilian mission in New York will be fully committed to this task.

Our extended diplomatic network all around the world will join us in that same effort.

Our friendly relationship with the entire community of nations will certainly add value to this commitment.

And we will need help. Of each and every member of the PBC. And of all countries that are voluntarily working with us as partners in their national peace and development strategies.

Among our main priorities are:

- the strengthening of the PBC by broadening its positive impact;

- fostering the dialogue on conflict prevention;

- reinforcing the nexus between strong institutions, sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security;

- strengthening the collaboration with the Security Council, so that the PBC’s voice can play a more constructive role in advancing that body’s agenda; and

- promoting inclusivity as a central pillar for stable and peaceful societies.

We will strongly promote the sharing of success stories and of good practices.

This will not only help suggest the path to countries with similar challenges, but also consolidate what we achieve through a wider recognition of efforts made and results obtained.

We shall encourage countries all over the world to participate in this exercise of promoting peace through example.

And we shall always emphasize the voluntary character and national ownership of countries’ relationship with the PBC.

After all, the PBC is an instrument that can be useful for all Member States in their respective actions to promote sustainable peace.

We will highlight cooperation in all its forms and dimensions to show that not everything depends on more financial resources.

Existing bilateral, triangular and multilateral cooperation may be a potent instrument to comply with our mandate and produce tangible results in countries that so intensely need them.

The Commission can also further enable South-South and triangular cooperation, a strategy that we hope to better explore during our chairship.

Colleagues,

These are no small tasks, and we, along with the co-chairs, are ready to engage with States, international organizations, international financial institutions, especially regional development banks, private sector and civil society partners willing to invest in sustainable peace, stability, justice, and sustainable development.

To achieve these goals, we count on the close cooperation with the Peacebuilding Fund as a vital instrument to finance initiatives that will translate our efforts into palpable and powerful realities in our partner countries.

We will keep counting on some key multilateral financial partners that can make a real difference in our common objective of promoting peace and sustainable development throughout the world.

And we will seek new partners to join our efforts.

The countries that choose to reach out to the PBC should find in this body the adequate environment to discuss effective solutions to their social, economic and security challenges, with full national ownership and a genuine attention to their priorities and needs.

Colleagues, and I am about to conclude,

As we prepare for the Summit of the Future and the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review, the chair of the PBC must also be committed to strengthening the role of the Commission as a convener of discussions on cross-pillar issues that affect peace and security.

To that effect, we should broaden the way we approach sustainable development, as it has become increasingly evident that peace, security, and development are only sustainable if well connected with due regard to environmental justice, inclusivity and gender equality.

As Chair of the PBC, Brazil will continue to engage constructively with Member States to promote the fundamental and distinct contribution given by women to lasting peace throughout the world and implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

A wide network of women peacebuilders is essential to the success of any process toward sustainable peace and for social reconciliation, development, and stability.

Let us work in that direction.

As an institution that seeks to connect the dots between the UN bodies, the PBC is well positioned to bring together the agendas of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council.

We hope to work closely with these bodies and to improve the level of dialogue and contribution of the PBC to their respective discussions.

We count on the support of the PBC members and partners on that front, as well as in all the other endeavors of this Commission.

Finally, I want to assure you of Brazil's enthusiasm for chairing the PBC in 2024.

 We appreciate the support of all the UN members so that we can work constructively to collaborate with so many peoples in need of peace, security and a sense of future.

Thank you.