As Conflicts Rage, Humanitarian Budgets Shrink, Peacebuilding Commission, Fund More Critical than Ever, Speakers Tell General Assembly

As Conflicts Rage, Humanitarian Budgets Shrink, Peacebuilding Commission, Fund More Critical than Ever, Speakers Tell General Assembly

In a world of raging conflicts and shrinking humanitarian budgets, the UN Peacebuilding Commission - and the related, catalytic Peacebuilding Fund - are more critical now than ever, the General Assembly heard today, as it considered the two bodies' latest annual reports.

During a meeting timed to coincide with the UN's first-ever Peacebuilding Week, the 193-member Assembly considered the report of the Peacebuilding Commission, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025 (document A/80/651), and the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Peacebuilding Fund at its nineteenth session (document A/80/617).

In separate action, the 193-member Assembly also voted to elect Bahamas to serve a three-year term on the Economic and Social Council and proclaimed the period 2027-2036 as the "International Decade of Strengthening of Peace for Future Generations".

"Peace does not occur automatically," said Annalena Baerbock (Germany), President of the Assembly's eightieth session. "It is built through persistent diplomacy, collective action and political will." Eight decades after the UN's founding, she warned, "we should be alarmed at our trajectory". The number of active armed conflicts reached a record high in 2025. Meanwhile, between 2024 and 2025 alone, global humanitarian funding collapsed by 40 per cent.

Citing cynicism about the UN's ability to end the devastating conflicts that capture news headlines, she stressed: "Wars that never happen because of peacebuilding, conflict-prevention or sustainable-development efforts rarely make headlines." Success stories - such as the peaceful resolution of transboundary water disputes in Central Asia and women's political participation in post-conflict Liberia - merit more attention.

In the 2024 Pact for the Future, she said, States agreed to bolster preventive diplomacy and dialogue and decided to give the Peacebuilding Commission a more strategic role. The 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review also builds on 20 years of experience to further strengthen peacebuilding.

Peacebuilding Only Possible When Properly Resourced

"Yet, like everything else, peacebuilding is only possible when properly resourced," she cautioned. Since 2006, the Peacebuilding Fund has supported 75 countries and territories with more than $2 billion, sustained by the voluntary generosity of more than 60 Member States. National ownership in peacebuilding must continue to exist side by side with critical external support, she said.

Germany's representative, speaking in his capacity as former Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission at its nineteenth session, said the body pursued a range of dynamic priorities in 2025. It supported the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Uzbekistan and many other countries in work ranging from elections to transitional justice to peaceful border settlement.

One key achievement of 2025 was the significant strengthening of the Commission's advisory role, he said. It provided written advice to the Security Council on such critical issues as adaptability in peace operations, electoral processes, and women, peace and security. It also increased its engagement with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, "demonstrating its growing role as a bridge across the United Nations".

Strategic Partnerships Key to Success

The representative of Morocco, the Commission's current Chair, said his country has been guided by a conviction that the Peacebuilding Commission "must remain strategic, relevant and must achieve results in its work". Emphasizing the centrality of national ownership over peacebuilding efforts, he also underlined the importance of the Commission's continued visits to countries which it supports. Recent visits to Syria and Liberia were opportunities for direct dialogue, as well as to measure progress made and difficulties encountered.

He echoed his predecessor on the importance of partnerships, including with the African Union's Security Council and the Peacebuilding Fund, spotlighting the role of "catalytic financing". "Over the last 20 years, we have promised that no post-conflict country will be left in the lurch," he said, describing Peacebuilding Week as an opportunity to reaffirm that promise.

Many delegates took the floor to welcome the concrete work carried out by the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as financing from the Peacebuilding Fund, in support of national efforts. Many also praised their expanding geographic scope and deepening relationships with regional organizations, international financial institutions and other crucial partners.

"The European Union was built on the ashes of war, forged from the belief that peace is not inevitable but a choice we must make every day," said the bloc's representative, speaking in its capacity as observer. Through its "Team Europe approach", he said, the bloc and its member States have contributed over €630 million to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and remain its main donors. Describing conflict prevention as cost-effective, as well as desirable, he pointed out: "For every dollar invested in prevention, we save seven dollars in post-conflict reconstruction".

Prevention Offers Greater Return on Investment

Norway's delegate, also speaking for Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden, agreed that prevention has a greater return on investment than grappling with conflicts. He also joined others in praising the quiet, often unrecognized success stories of peacebuilding, which do not make news headlines the way wars and tragedies do. "It is very hard to communicate that conflicts have been prevented," he said.

"Today, amid rising conflict and compounding global risks, we must use [the UN's peacebuilding] architecture more strategically, more consistently and with more ambition," said Australia's representative, also speaking for Canada and New Zealand. The Peacebuilding Commission is uniquely placed to provide "sustained political accompaniment" to national peacebuilding efforts and to keep international attention focused on at-risk situations, he said.

Brazil's speaker commended the Peacebuilding Commission as a "flexible and catalytic instrument in support of national peacebuilding efforts". He also pointed out that, as actor and funder, the Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund "are strongest when they work in synergy".

The representative of Bahrain, who spoke for the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, said the group has contributed more than $14 billion in global humanitarian and developmental assistance over the past five years. "These relief efforts have focused on qualitative initiatives that support sustainable peace," he said. He joined other speakers in stressing the need to collaborate closely with civil society and empower women, adding that the Gulf countries' investments are based on the belief that the most effective way to prevent conflict is to address their root causes.

Nationally Led, People-Centred Processes Create Legitimacy

Nepal's delegate said that, based on his country's experience, "peace is not only about preventing the recurrence of conflict - but also about building resilient societies by investing in people, in trust and in the institutions that bind communities together". Peacebuilding must be nationally led, prevention-oriented and people-centred, he stressed, adding that broad participation lends legitimacy to political processes.

"Peace is never a linear process, but rather a long-term task," agreed Colombia's representative, citing her country's own experience. She echoed other speakers in pointing out that military expenditures around the globe are expanding rapidly, even as funding for humanitarian aid and sustainable development has collapsed. She welcomed the Commission's visit to Colombia in 2025, which served as an opportunity for the Commission to hear from those who are building peace every day - including victims, women civil society leaders and former combatants.

Welcoming the mission to Colombia, the representative of Croatia declared: "These efforts deeply resonate with Croatia's own [post-conflict] experience." In addition, he urged the Peacebuilding Fund to continue its "nimble and flexible" approach, which has had a catalytic and targeted impact.

Make Peacebuilding More Efficient, Demand-Driven

Japan's delegate welcomed peacebuilding's evolution into an "overarching" concept that connects the three pillars of the UN's work. However, he also joined several other speakers in calling for more efficiency - a theme across the UN system - as well as greater impact, more tangible results and stronger partnerships to avoid subjecting post-conflict nations to a "financial cliff".

Also on the subject of financing, the representative of India noted a decline in voluntary contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund over the past three years, even as liquidity constraints continue to impact the UN's ability to carry out its work. In such an environment, he said, peacebuilding must move beyond the traditional donor-recipient approach. "It should be demand-driven, reflecting the needs and priorities of national Governments, with the international community playing a supportive role by providing financial and technical assistance," he said.

South Africa's speaker agreed that peacebuilding must be financed "at a scale that matches the risks we face" and that voluntary contributions alone are insufficient.

Bahamas Elected Member of Economic and Social Council

In other business today, the Assembly voted to elect Bahamas to serve a three-year term on the Economic and Social Council, filling one outstanding vacancy for the group of Latin American and Caribbean States. Bahamas received 161 votes, with 4 delegations abstaining, and surpassed the majority required for election.

International Decade of Strengthening of Peace for Future Generations Proclaimed

Members also decided to proclaim the period 2027-2036 as the "International Decade of Strengthening of Peace for Future Generations", adopting a draft resolution by the same name (document A/80/L.54). Introduced by the representative of Tajikistan, the text was adopted by a recorded vote of 153 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions.

Acting without a vote, members adopted a draft decision titled, "Postponement of the Global Conference on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance and countering hate speech" (document A/80/L.76).

Introduced by the representative of Morocco, the decision recalled that the conference - originally scheduled for 2025 - could not be convened owing to the UN's liquidity constraints, and decided that it be rescheduled for 17 September 2026, prior to the Assembly's high-level week.

Finally, the Assembly adopted a draft decision titled "Improving road safety" (document A/80/L.78), also without a vote.

__________

* The 90^th through 92^nd Meetings were not covered.