New York, 27 November 2017 - In the morning of the 27 November 2017, the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, briefed the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) at the United Nations headquarters in New York with a view to strengthening policy coherence between peace, security and development efforts, and generating interest in support for the cross-border peacebuilding priorities identified under the Great Lakes Regional Strategic Framework.

The Great Lakes Regional Strategic Framework (“Regional Strategic Framework”), endorsed by the United Nations Security Council in March 2016, reflects the United Nations development approach to the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region (“PSC Framework”). It aims at aligning efforts of UN presences across the region in support of the implementation of the international commitments under the PSC Framework.

The Regional Strategic Framework is organized in six thematic pillars, including Sustainable Natural Resource Management; Economic Integration, Cross-Border Trade and Food and Nutrition Security; Mobility; Youth and Adolescents; Gender and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence; and Justice and Conflict Prevention.

The purpose of the meeting was to raise awareness of the importance of a regional integrated peace and security, humanitarian and development approach to address the root causes of conflict in the Great Lakes region, including through ongoing efforts to implement the Regional Strategic Framework. The meeting also aimed at raising awareness for international engagement in the Great Lakes region, including through promoting additional support for the Cross-Border Multi-Partner Trust Fund, building on initial investments such as from the Peacebuilding Fund.

Following its endorsement by the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations entities cooperating under the Regional Strategic Framework met in Kampala in October 2016, and identified cross-border priorities and implementation modalities to operationalize the Regional Strategic Framework. They also decided to set up a dedicated Cross-Border Multi-Partner Trust Fund to ensure coherence, transparency and accountability in the Framework’s implementation. The Trust Fund is also used as a tool for resource mobilization in a coordinated, comprehensive and coherent manner, ensuring that the UN is working in synergy and avoiding duplication of efforts.

In the afternoon, Mr. Djinnit, in collaboration with the Peacebuilding Support Office, conveyed a panel discussion to take stock of the main policy issues emerging from the meeting, and to further explore the programmatic and funding opportunities in support for the Cross-Border Multi-Partner Trust Fund.