United Nations opens inaugural Peacebuilding Week, urges action on prevention and implementation

The United Nations on 22 June opened its inaugural Peacebuilding Week, bringing together the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Fund and UN peacebuilding officials to mark 20 years since the commission’s first meeting and to call for greater investment in conflict prevention and implementation of the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review.

Assistant Secretary‑General Elizabeth Spehar, who opened the program, said the week’s theme—"UN Peacebuilding at 20: Partnerships for Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact"—is intended to push the work from rhetoric to results. "It is absolutely critical, and it's not optional. It is essential," she said, arguing that prevention is the most cost‑effective approach to instability. Citing an IMF estimate, she added that "for every dollar invested in prevention, you can save many, many more dollars; you can save up to 103, according to the IMF."

Spehar outlined a program of events across the week in New York—three official meetings at UN headquarters, anchor events led by the Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office, a civil society‑UN dialogue, sessions with private‑sector partners, and a screening of an impact spotlight on The Gambia—and encouraged participation in side events organized by member states and partners around the globe.

Ambassador Omar Hilale of Morocco, who chairs the Peacebuilding Commission this year, said the week should shine a light on peacebuilding efforts that “are so often carried out far from the headlines.” He previewed a 23 June Security Council briefing on the Central African Republic, a regional event with the African Union on 24 June and the PBC annual session on 25 June, which he said will be attended by Secretary‑General António Guterres. Hilale also pointed to Morocco’s long record of contributions to UN peace operations and said Morocco has helped build trust with countries the PBC engages.

Ambassador Ihab Mustafa Awad Mustafa of Egypt and Ambassador Samuel Žbogar of Slovenia reiterated the emphasis on national ownership, financing and partnerships with international financial institutions and regional organizations. Mustafa described Egypt’s side event on peace infrastructures and stressed African‑led approaches to prevention and reconstruction.

Spehar said the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review’s twin resolutions direct the UN system and member states to focus on implementation and measurable impact, not only declarations. The week, she said, is meant to build momentum for practical cooperation among governments, civil society, regional organizations and private partners to translate commitments into results on the ground.

The briefing closed with a call for member states to treat the week as the start of an annual, action‑oriented process that elevates prevention, financing and measurable impact for peacebuilding efforts worldwide.