Secretary-General, in Message to African Meeting on Post-Conflict Peacebuilding,

Calls for `Better Partnerships’ to Meet Goals

 

This is the text of a message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, delivered on his behalf by Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, to a high-level event on post-conflict peacebuilding held in Kigali, Rwanda, 8-9 November:

I thank Paul Kagame of Rwanda and the African Development Bank (ADB) for hosting this important event on post-conflict peacebuilding.

Peacebuilding involves addressing some of the most sensitive issues facing a given society — issues that have previously proved so charged and intractable that they led to violent conflict.  The peacebuilding efforts of the United Nations are an essential tool in preventing the recurrence of large-scale violence.  We carry out this work in sustained and in-depth fashion.  And we focus on all the cornerstones of enduring peace, from the restoration of security to the delivery of essential services, from effective, accountable governance to respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The venue for today’s discussion speaks volumes.  Rwanda suffered one of the most violent conflicts of the twentieth century, yet has since become one of the world’s top 20 performers in progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.  Since the 1990s, infant mortality has been halved, and primary school enrolment has increased from 68 per cent to over 96 per cent.  These achievements are the result of a combination of strong national ownership, local solutions, constructive ties with donors, and the empowerment of talented individuals to implement priority poverty reduction programmes.   Rwanda’s representation of women in government is also noteworthy.  Rwanda’s major gains, as well as the significant challenges the country still faces, can offer valuable lessons for other post-conflict societies engaged in peacebuilding and state-building.  The United Nations will continue to be Rwanda’s partner as the country continues along this path.

The engagement of the United Nations in peacebuilding efforts around the world continues to deepen and grow.  I wish to congratulate Ambassador Eugène-Richard Gasana, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on a productive year as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, and thank him for initiating this high-level event today.

The Commission has a clear goal:  to help countries emerging from conflict make an irreversible transition from war to peace.  To do this, we seek to bring all relevant national and international stakeholders to the table.  In Africa, such international partners routinely include ADB, the African Union, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the full range of United Nations peacekeeping operations, political missions, agencies, funds and programmes.

I welcome ADB’s agreement on a finance facility.  The World Development Report issued earlier this year on the links between conflict, security and development has prompted lively and useful discussions.  I have also been encouraged by the formation of the “G7+” group of fragile and conflict-affected States.  This initiative has the potential to push forward necessary reforms that can improve donor coordination and aid effectiveness, and I urge Rwanda and other countries to support it.

Looking ahead, we must do more to strengthen the impact of peacebuilding.  This means better partnerships; greater agility; decisive support for peace processes, and empowering women.  We must also ensure adequate financial assistance, including through the Peacebuilding Fund.  Let us all do our utmost to translate global commitment to peacebuilding into life-enhancing reality on the ground.  Let us work with all partners to help countries put violence behind them, once and for all.

I reiterate my gratitude to President Kagame for hosting us, and I wish the participants every success.

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For information media • not an official record