UN Security Council : High-level Open Debate on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace
The Security Council holds an open debate on “A New Agenda for Peace–Addressing Global, Regional and National Aspects of Conflict Prevention” under the “Peacebuilding and sustaining peace” agenda item. Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba, is expected to chair the meeting, which is one of the signature events of Sierra Leone’s August Council presidency. The anticipated briefers are Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Elizabeth Spehar, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye, Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion of Sierra Leone Hawa Sally Samai, and a civil society representative.
Sierra Leone has circulated a concept note ahead of tomorrow’s open debate, which says that the meeting aims to facilitate a broader reflection on A New Agenda for Peace (NAfP) and how it can help promote conflict prevention at the national, regional, and global levels. The NAfP, a July 2023 policy brief outlining the Secretary-General’s vision for the future of multilateralism and the UN’s work on peace and security in a changing world, urges the prioritisation of conflict prevention, consistent with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.1, which calls on states to reduce significantly all forms of violence. The policy brief further emphasises that preventive tools contained in Article 33 of the UN Charter have been underutilised.
Sierra Leone says in its concept note that the open debate will provide an opportunity for member states to share their experiences in developing national prevention strategies, including through successful institutional interventions resulting in the effective provision of public services. It notes that lessons learned and best practices shared at tomorrow’s open debate could feed into the ongoing negotiations on the Pact for the Future—the outcome document expected to be adopted at the Summit of the Future in September—particularly regarding language on conflict prevention.
Samai is likely to describe Sierra Leone’s national experience of conflict prevention by highlighting the role of its Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion, a body established through an act signed by Sierra Leone’s Parliament in December 2020. The commission has a mandate to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts, as well as to promote and sustain peace and advise the Sierra Leonean government on all aspects of conflict resolution. Sierra Leone experienced electoral violence in June 2023, followed by attacks on military barracks in November 2023, which the government described as an “attempted coup”. Samai may elaborate on the commission’s role in fostering national reconciliation in the aftermath of these events.
