European Peace Institute / News

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On November 12th, IPI hosted a Speaker Series event featuring Lieutenant General Dr. Dennis Gyllensporre, former force commander for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

LTG Gyllensporre reflected on his three-year experience as force commander, with a particular focus on the security and leadership challenges he encountered in the implementation of a mandate calling for a robust and active defense posture while protecting civilians. He shared some of the good practices and lessons learned during his time at MINUSMA.

LTG Gyllensporre (Swedish Armed Forces) served as the Force Commander for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) between October 2018 and October 2021. He came from a four-year appointment as the Chief of Defence Staff and Head of Special Forces of the Swedish Armed Forces. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 2014.

LTG Gyllensporre has multifaceted credentials in international cooperation as well as an extensive track record in interaction with political entities. This experience spans from operations at the tactical level to scientific publications in renowned journals.

LTG Gyllensporre served as a staff officer in the Swedish Armed Forces in various positions, including tours abroad in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sudan, as well as Military Advisor in international crisis management at the Swedish Ministry of Defence. He also served as Chief of Staff at the Swedish Joint Forces Command and later as head of the Doctrine and Concepts Branch at the European Union Military Staff’s Policy & Plans Division. In 2008 he was deployed to Afghanistan as the Chief of Staff for the Regional Command North Headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Subsequently, LTG Gyllensporre has held several positions in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters including Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander’s staff and head of the Policy and Plans Department.

LTG Gyllensporre has studied at several military institutions and holds multiple academic degrees including a Master of Science in computer science and engineering (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden); Master of Business Administration (Warwick University, United Kingdom); Master of Military Arts and Science (US Army Command and General Staff College, United States); and a Ph.D. in Governance and Policy Analysis (Maastricht University, the Netherlands). He is also the author of several books and academic articles on military strategy and security studies, including UN peacekeeping operations. He is fluent in English and commands French at the working level.

This event was moderated by Dr. Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser at IPI.

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The UN Security Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in November 2021. MINUSCA now confronts a more challenging environment compared with the period leading up to last year’s mandate renewal, particularly in the aftermath of the January 2021 armed rebellion that swept toward the capital, Bangui, following presidential elections in December 2020.

In this context, the International Peace Institute (IPI), the Stimson Center, and Security Council Report co-hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on October 20, 2021. This roundtable offered a platform for member states, UN stakeholders, civil society representatives, and independent experts to share their assessments of the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) in a frank and collaborative environment. The discussion was intended to help the Security Council make more informed decisions with respect to the prioritization and sequencing of MINUSCA’s mandate and the mission’s strategic orientation and actions on the ground.

Participants largely agreed that MINUSCA’s strategic priorities are still relevant to the context in CAR and that the current mandate offers the mission valuable flexibility, despite some concerns that it may be too long. They stressed that MINUSCA will need to continue to “prioritize its priorities” over the coming months as various political and security issues emerge. The mission will likely need to balance the following:

• Helping rebuild momentum for the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation;
• Facilitating inclusive processes for political dialogue and the extension of state authority;
• Supporting nascent cease-fire monitoring arrangements;
• Refining support to national security institutions;
• Strengthening its protection capabilities across the country; and
• Providing technical and logistical support to local elections scheduled for September 2022.

Participants emphasized that these points should all feature prominently in the upcoming mandate and should be reinforced with unified political support from the Security Council. Participants also stressed the value of closer cooperation between the mission and humanitarian partners to help mitigate the conditions facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. They highlighted the value of more effective regional coordination between CAR and neighboring countries as well as strengthened coordination between the mission and other international organizations working in the country.

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The military components of UN peacekeeping operations have used engagement teams (ETs) to conduct community engagement activities since at least 2015. While ETs were initially ad hoc initiatives, the UN has recently begun to institutionalize gendered community engagement, including through an ongoing shift from ETs to engagement platoons (EPs). Yet despite a general recognition that ETs have been beneficial, they have not been consistently understood or defined, making it difficult to assess how they have been used and to what effect.

This policy paper fills this research gap by presenting data on the prior activities of ETs and the experiences of those deployed to them. It aims to help decision makers align policies and guidance on ETs and EPs with evidence of what has and has not worked and to establish a baseline against which EPs can be measured over time. The paper draws on extensive interviews with members of ETs and policymakers, as well as a questionnaire distributed to military peacekeepers in six peacekeeping missions.

Overall, this research found broad support for the ongoing rollout of mixed-gender EPs. It concludes, however, that to effectively implement ETs and EPs, leaders in missions and in national militaries must address the institutional barriers that preclude women’s full participation in peace operations and perpetuate gendered stereotypes. Toward this end, it offers several recommendations to troop-contributing countries and the UN:

• Provide training on the skills required for community engagement to men and women across all levels of the military;
• Shift the burden for gendered community engagement off of women;
• Improve internal reporting and analysis by ETs and EPs;
• Coordinate between ETs and EPs and other mission components;
• Build the capacity of missions to engage with communities; and
• Avoid reinforcing gendered assumptions and stereotypes through the activities of ETs and EPs.

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On November 4th, IPI together with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN, and the French Ministry of the Armies cohosted a virtual policy forum on “Independent Reviews of UN Peace Operations: The Way Forward.”

UN peace operations are partnership enterprises requiring complementary efforts by member states, UN officials, national stakeholders, and international partners. Evaluating these missions’ strategies, performance, and impact can often be a difficult task for the UN because these stakeholders have distinct and often competing interests. These dynamics, fueled by breakdowns in trust, gave rise to the practice of independently reviewing UN peace operations.

Independent reviews have become increasingly popular tools for the UN and its member states. Nineteen independent reviews have taken place since the practice first emerged in 2017. These reviews have been requested by both the UN Security Council and the secretary-general and have covered multidimensional peacekeeping operations and field-based special political missions. Independent reviews are designed to provide stronger political credibility for rigorous assessments of a peace operation’s strategic orientation. But given the diverse processes and incentives that shape them, independent reviews are best understood as complex analytical processes as well as highly political undertakings.

This policy forum featured assessments of independent reviews and offer reflections about this growing practice within the ecosystem of UN peace operations. Panelists highlighted their experiences with the practice, discuss its evolution and intricacies, and share their assessments of its potential role moving forward. The policy forum also launched an IPI publication on the same subject written by Daniel Forti, IPI Senior Policy Analyst.

Opening Remarks:
Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN
Brigadier General Roland Margueritte, Head of the Defense Mission, Permanent Mission of France to the UN

Speakers:
Mr. Daniel Forti, IPI Senior Policy Analyst
Ms. Ayaka Suzuki, Director of Strategic Planning and Monitoring, UN Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Ms. Rania Dagash, Chief, Policy and Best Practices Service, UN Department of Peace Operations
Ms. Jacqueline Seck, Director, Northern Africa Division, UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations
Dr. Youssef Mahmoud, IPI Senior Adviser

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, IPI Vice President & COO

Closing Remarks:
Ms. Alice Jacobs, Deputy Political Coordinator and Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the UN

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Independent reviews are a relatively new but increasingly popular tool. Since the practice was established in 2017, there have been nineteen independent reviews of UN peace operations. These reviews have been intended to rigorously assess the strategic orientation of peace operations while providing more political credibility than UN-led review processes. But given the diverse processes and incentives that shape them, these exercises are both analytically complex and highly political. As independent reviews have gained prominence over the past five years, reflecting on the experiences of previous reviews is necessary for improving their quality, impact, and sustainability moving forward.

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the nineteen independent reviews of UN peace operations conducted between 2017 and 2021 by considering emerging trends, best practices, and lessons observed. It begins by juxtaposing the emergence of independent reviews with an increasingly fractured geopolitical landscape for UN peace operations and introducing these reviews’ distinguishing features and objectives. It then analyzes how independent reviews have unfolded in practice across seven different dimensions. The paper concludes by presenting findings about the practice and future of independent reviews and developing criteria to distinguish between UN-led and independent reviews. It also offers recommendations to the UN system, member states, and independent review teams to improve the practice:

• The UN system should codify independent reviews within formal UN policy, consolidate best practices, clarify roles and expectations of UN staff seconded to review teams, prioritize diversity in the composition of review teams, improve reporting on independent reviews, and establish a dedicated funding stream for independent reviews.
• Independent review teams should emphasize their transparency and independence, build internal and external constituencies, systematize their use of diverse research methods and approaches, and embrace the support provided by “red teams.”
• Member states should treat independent reviews as exceptional instead of standard, debrief team leaders following the submission of an independent review, request a formal briefing on strategic reviews and assessments, strengthen reporting requirements on the implementation of review recommendations, and provide ample time for conducting independent reviews.

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Illustrated page from Sara Ghannoum’s new book “Tom Alien and the Plastic Mess”

In the leadup to the United Nations upcoming Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, better known as COP26, IPI MENA hosted a webinar on October 27, 2021, entitled “MENA’s Youth and Environment,” to highlight the importance of involving and educating youth regarding environmental issues.

Moderated by Dalya Alawi, Policy Analyst, the event featured a reading by three-time children’s book author, Ms. Sara Ghannoum, to students in classrooms from Bahrain, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.

IPI MENA Director Nejib Friji pointed to how “young people are engaging with climate and biodiversity science and policy in a way that previous generations haven’t.” He added, “the aim must not be just to educate, but to also inspire and engage the children in bringing a positive behavioral change.” Such steps are necessary in order to create a positive cycle and generation of climate activists dedicated to sustainable development, he stated.

Ms. Ghannoum’s new book “Tom Alien and the Plastic Mess,” is devoted to raising awareness on the dangerous effects of environmental pollution amongst children. Following her reading, she recalled a short anecdote of her 6-year-old son’s reaction to her book, to demonstrate how youth-led action is significant for the fight against climate change. As the future generation, “we need their drive and creativity to take action and solve the environmental mess we have created.”

Her reading was followed by a question-and-answer segment, raised by the young participants, which revolved around how to start the recycling conversation with adults, which items were recyclable, and what they can do to start making a change. Throughout her responses, Ghannoum addressed their concerns, and encouraged the students to educate those around them, and to “keep raising your concern, and don’t give up!”

In his remarks, Executive Director of British School Bahrain, Mr. John Maguire commended the school’s ‘eco warriors’, an initiative spearheaded by students to raise awareness and take action in ensuring all members of the school community – pupils, teachers, and parents – are more environmentally friendly. He also noted the school’s community-driven initiatives, such as beach clean-ups, where they are partnering with private companies to recycle and renew the collected materials. In addition to plastic waste, Mr. Maguire also shed light on the school’s commitments to reduce food waste.

H.E. Muhammad Ayub, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Bahrain, explained how “as the world’s fifth-youngest country, with youth comprising 53% of the population, making Pakistan green and clean is a priority.” He shared his country’s vulnerability to climate change, and their campaign to plant 10 billion trees by 2028, reiterating how “youth are the vanguards of this movement,” and their crucial role globally, to help our world.

Similarly, German Ambassador Kai Boeckmann shared an example from his country, where it is becoming an increasingly common practice, and importantly so, for young people to hold politicians and other leaders in society to account, especially with regard to climate action. He referred to one of the most viewed television shows during Germany’s ongoing elections, was where children aged 10-12 years old were being posed to candidates.

Mounir Bouchenaki, Advisor to Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), recited UNESCO’s purpose to conserve both the world’s cultural and natural heritage, wherein “education is the pillar for all transformation in the world.” “The awareness,” as raised by Ms. Ghannoum’s book, “is important,” he stressed. It is through such coordinated actions by all countries at COP26, that will result in a cleaner and more agreeable planet.

On the same note, Mr. Friji closed the event in wishing a successful COP26 summit to call on all leaders to heed the global calls for action through clear programs, initiatives, and strategies to save our planet from scorches of climate change.

All audience members praised the enthusiastic participation of the students and commended Ms. Ghannoum’s book as an example of how to engage younger children in making a change and being advocates for climate action. The event was attended by; British School of Bahrain, Bahrain, International College of Beirut, Lebanon, and American School of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and includes the ambassadors of Bangladesh, Korea, Philippines, and Yemen, alongside other members of Bahrain’s diplomatic corps, media, as well as civil society.

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On October 22nd, IPI in partnership with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) cohosted a virtual policy forum entitled “Where are the Women? Staying Curious about Gender in International Security.” The discussion addressed women’s experiences in international security and explored ways to overcome structural gender inequalities in arms control and disarmament, mediation, and peacekeeping. This side event was co-sponsored by Canada, Costa Rica, Ireland, Namibia, Norway, the Philippines, and Sweden.

Starting with the question “where are the women?”, initially posed by Cynthia Enloe more than three decades ago, this event gathered insights from researchers and practitioners working to better understand the multiple roles that women play in international security. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the experiences of women across the broad international security field, including the main barriers they face, as well as existing policies and practices advancing inclusivity.

Speakers:
Dr. Cynthia Enloe, Professor at Clark University
Ambassador Don Steinberg, Executive Director, Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace and Security, and Expert Adviser to the Administrator, US Agency for International Development
Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gomez, Fellow with the GCSP and former Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN in Geneva
Lt. Col. Lausanne Nsengimana Ingabire, Gender Advisor, UN Office of Military Affairs

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President and COO, International Peace Institute

Closing Remarks:
Dr. Cécile Aptel, Deputy Director, UNIDIR

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On October 12th, IPI hosted a Global Leaders Series event featuring H.E. Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya.

The talk responded to the major challenges highlighted in the United Nations Secretary General’s Our Common Agenda report. President Kenyatta discussed how global cooperation and multilateralism can be deployed effectively to solve the major interlinked climate, security, economic and public health challenges that threaten so many around the world. He also shared his insights on the worldwide challenge of building and sustaining states that have the ability to solve major challenges, including the maintenance of cohesion, peace and security.

His Excellency President Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H., is the fourth President of the Republic of Kenya and the party leader of the ruling Jubilee Party.

He has previously served as a nominated Member of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition, Minister for Local Government and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

President Kenyatta was re-elected for a second and final term in August 2017. His presidency has been underpinned by a commitment to economic and social transformation, national unity, good governance, regional integration, and intra-Africa trade.

Under President Kenyatta’s leadership, Kenya has become one of the fastest-growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa and ranks among the top three African countries on the ease of doing business. Kenya has consolidated its position as a leader on issues such as Climate Change, the Blue Economy and digital technologies and Nairobi has emerged as a regional hub for major international organizations and corporations. Kenya. In January 2021, Kenya started its two-year term as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council.

Following the promulgation of a new Constitution in 2010, President Kenyatta presided over the rolling out of an ambitious program to restructure the Kenyan state involving large-scale political, fiscal, and administrative decentralization.

At the regional level, President Kenyatta has championed regional integration, intra-Africa trade, and a stronger role of the African continent on the global stage. He has been at the forefront in promoting peace and security efforts in the region and has brokered peace agreements in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

President Kenyatta has Chaired the African Union Peace and Security Council in March of 2021 and is the current Chair of the Summit of East Africa Community Heads of State. He is also Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) a coalition of African Union Heads of State and Government to drive accountability and action for results against Malaria, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and nutrition.

President Kenyatta is the current President-in-Office of the Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) which comprises 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacific states. He is also a member of the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy, a unique initiative of 14 serving world leaders to build momentum towards a sustainable ocean economy.

President Kenyatta serves as a Global Leader for the Young People’s Agenda under the UN-led Generation Unlimited Initiative (GenU) which seeks to ensure that by 2030 all young persons aged 10-24 are in school, in training or employment.

This event was moderated by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President and CEO of IPI.

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In partnership with the Government of Sweden, IPI cohosted a high-level discussion entitled “Securing Women’s Leadership in ‘Post-Pandemic’ Life” on September 23rd. The event highlighted the leadership of women and explored how this can be amplified and formally recognized. It also built upon IPI’s 2020 Women, Peace and Leadership Symposium which focused on women’s vital contributions to the crisis response across the globe.

The COVID-19 pandemic has both revealed and exacerbated global inequalities, especially along gender lines and not least in already challenging contexts characterized by fragility and conflict. Despite this, little attention has so far been given to the long-term negative consequences that the crisis risks having for women’s political and peacebuilding leadership as well as economic empowerment and human rights.

As the global community continues to grapple with the recovery and simultaneously seeks to build resilience against future crises, there is a unique opportunity to develop ways to rectify structural gender inequalities and explore how women’s leadership can be amplified and formally recognized both in general and in conflict situations. This includes harnessing the experiences from the pandemic itself where innumerable women have played, and continue to play, key leadership roles in ushering their communities through the crisis.

Speakers:
H.E. Ms. Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
H.E. Ms. Olta Xhaçka, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Albania
H.E. Ms. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia
Ms. Katrina Fotovat, Senior Official, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State
Dr. Sarah Taylor, Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact, UN Women
Ms. Åsa Regnér, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women

Moderator:
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, IPI President

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On September 23rd, IPI hosted a Global Leaders Series event featuring H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs of the Republic of Yemen.

The talk shed light on the latest developments in Yemen, including the prospects for improved dialogue following the appointment of a new UN special envoy to Yemen and the anticipation of a re-energized diplomatic effort to reach a political settlement to the conflict.

Ambassador Dr. Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak was appointed Minister for Foreign and Expatriates Affairs of the Republic of Yemen on December 18, 2020.

Prior to his appointment, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Yemen to the United States of America in Washington, DC. He has also served as non-resident ambassador to Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. He was appointed as the Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations in 2018.

Dr. Bin Mubarak has participated in most of the UN peace talks in Yemen as an adviser to the negotiating team for the internationally recognized government of the Republic of Yemen.

He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Baghdad and received the Distinguished Graduate Shield from the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA) of the National Defense University in Washington, DC.

This event was moderated by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President and CEO of IPI.

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On Sunday, September 19, 2021, IPI held its sixteenth annual Ministerial Working Dinner on the Middle East in its Trygve Lie Center for Peace, Security, and Development. The dinner drew the participation of foreign ministers and other high-level representatives.

The event was chaired by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President of IPI, and co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Luxembourg, represented respectively by Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, and Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Luxembourg.

Participants had a frank discussion on regional issues held under the Chatham House Rule.

Attendees included Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain; Sophie Wilmès, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, and of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium; Jeppe Kofod, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark; Fuad Mohammad Hussein, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq; Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Foreign Minister of the State of Kuwait and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs; Riad Al-Malki, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine; Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden; Othman Jerandi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia; and Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs of the Republic of Yemen.

Also present were Miguel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States; Amr Moussa, Former Secretary General of the League of Arab States and member of IPI’s International Advisory Council; and Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

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On September 14th, IPI together with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs cohosted a policy forum on “United Nations Special Political Missions (SPMs) and Protection: A Principled Approach for Research and Policymaking.” The session provided an opportunity to present and discuss IPI’s new policy paper that considers the need for increased analysis and operational roles of UN special political missions (SPMs) in protection.

SPMs regularly operate in conflict and post-conflict settings in which local civilian populations face the ongoing threat of armed violence. Despite this trend, understandings of the roles of SPMs in protection have remained ambiguous, leaving a conceptual and operational gap that deserves greater attention. As it looks ahead to articulate and implement a system-wide agenda for protection the Secretariat has an opportunity to articulate a more explicit and structured vision for the role of SPMs in protection.

This policy forum gathered representatives of the UN Secretariat and field missions, member states, and civil society to reflect on concepts, good practices, dilemmas, and lessons learned on protection in SPMs. Participants discussed how the UN could strengthen guidance and articulate a more explicit and structured vision on the protection roles of SPMs. The panel built upon the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs’ (DPPA) experience in field missions and consider how the role of DPPA and SPMs in protection relates to other conceptions of protection in the UN system.

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Ms. Yoka Brandt, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN

Speakers:
Mr. Dirk Druet, IPI Non-resident Fellow and Affiliate Researcher at the Max Bell School for Public Policy at McGill University
Ms. Teresa Whitfield, Director, Policy and Mediation Division, UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Ms. Danielle Bell, Representative, OHCHR, and Chief, Human Rights Office, UN Assistance Mission for Iraq
Mr. Raúl Rosende, Verification Director, UN Verification Mission in Colombia

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, IPI Vice President and COO

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IPI in partnership with OutRight Action International, the Centre for Gender in Politics at Queen’s University Belfast, and the Permanent Missions of the Netherlands and Argentina to the UN hosted a virtual interactive discussion on September 10th on UN policy and programming on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).

In September 2015, twelve UN entities issued a joint statement calling for an end to violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people—an unprecedented and groundbreaking move. Six years later, many UN entities have made significant strides in enacting policies and implementing programs aimed at protecting the rights and fostering the inclusion of LGBTI people. While this increased engagement by UN agencies, funds, and programs can have a meaningful impact on LGBTI people, progress has been uneven, and many challenges remain.

This policy forum provided an opportunity to discuss the UN’s ongoing work related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). Panelists discussed the UN’s engagement on issues related to SOGIESC across all three pillars of the UN—human rights, development, and peace and security—as well as gaps that remain. The event focused on how the UN is impacting the lives of LGBTI people around the world.

This event follows on from the IPI policy paper “A UN for All? UN Policy and Programming on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics,” published in February 2021.

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Ms. Yoka Brandt, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN

Speakers:
Sophie West-Browne, Diverse SOGIESC Rights Specialist, UN Women
Karin Santi, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Team Leader for HIV, Health and Development, UN Development Programme
Gregory Garras, Senior Protection Coordinator for Emergencies, Division of International Protection, UN Refugee Agency
Sahar Moazami, UN Program Officer, OutRight Action International
Jamie Hagen, Lecturer in International Relations, Queen’s University Belfast, and Founding Co-director, Centre for Gender in Politics

Moderator:
Albert Trithart, IPI Editor and Research Fellow

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The Dominican Republic, in collaboration with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the UN Foundation, cohosted an event with IPI on September 9th entitled “Latin America and the Caribbean: The Road to Glasgow.” The event helped to galvanize efforts toward, and promote the goals of, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and in this year’s 26th Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26), we need to work together to take action, increase ambition and share good practices and lessons learned. COP 26 will provide an opportunity to get the world back on track on the commitments made by countries under the Paris Agreement and limit global temperature below 1.5C. The climate challenge can only be solved through exponential concerted and collaborative urgent action.

This event provided a space for UN member states, regional organizations, the UN system, and other stakeholders to discuss how to address climate change and strengthen mechanisms for climate action. Panelists presented recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned that can inform efforts to achieve climate goals in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event concluded with an interactive Q&A and discussion.

Welcoming Remarks:
Dr. Adam Lupel, IPI Vice President

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. José Blanco Conde, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the UN

Speakers:
Ms. Milagros De Camps, Vice Minister of International Cooperation from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources
H.E. Mr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team
Ms. Jimena Leiva Roesch, IPI Senior Fellow and Head of Peace and Sustainable Development

Moderator:
Ms. Sofia Borges, Senior Vice President and Head of the New York Office, UN Foundation

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On September 9th, IPI hosted a Global Leaders Series event featuring H.E. Minister Simon Coveney, T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence of Ireland.

Ireland will serve as President of the UN Security Council in September 2021. This Global Leaders Series event focused on Ireland’s foreign policy commitments to peacekeeping and peacebuilding, which are priorities of its Security Council term. Ireland’s experiences of building peace on the island of Ireland, its 62-year commitment as a UN troop-contributing country, and the experiences of Irish peacekeepers and police serving in transition contexts such as Liberia, Haiti, and Côte D’Ivoire, give the government of Ireland particular insight into these issues. This Global Leaders Series followed a UN Security Council open debate on UN peacekeeping transitions on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, chaired by Minister Coveney.

Minister Coveney currently serves as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence of Ireland. Prior to this appointment, he previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from November 2017 until June 2020. Minister Coveney has also served as Ireland’s Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (2016-2017), Minister for Defence (2014–2016) and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2011–2014). He began his career as an elected member of the Dáil (Irish Parliament) in 1998. He was also elected to the European Parliament (2004–2007) where he served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Internal Market and Consumer Affairs Committee.

The event was moderated by Ms. Karin Landgren, Executive Director of Security Council Report

Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President and COO of IPI, provided opening remarks.

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On August 31st, IPI together with the Governments of Sweden, South Africa and the United States cohosted a virtual event on “Ensuring Protection for Full and Equal Participation in Peacebuilding and Political Spaces.”

The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda is more important than ever. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed gender inequalities that are exacerbated in fragile and conflict situations. Political will and leadership are needed to connect the dots, particularly between women’s participation and protection needs. Protection concerns within the WPS Agenda are often framed around conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and focus primarily on women’s victimization. There has been less attention paid to the specific forms of gender-based violence (GBV) and discrimination that women political activists, women peacebuilders, and women human rights defenders, particularly in conflict-affected environments, encounter. These gender-based threats and challenges, along with a lack of adequate protection measures, prevent women‘s full participation in political spaces, silence them, and create an extra burden of navigating risks to their safety and well-being. The lack of protection measures is often structural and span across issues of economic insecurity, lack of enforcement of legal protections, etc.

The WPS community cannot push for women’s visibility in public spaces without also making visible the threats and challenges women face when they fulfill these roles. This high-level event was an opportunity to discuss questions coming directly from women civil society activists for a conversation around the protection issues that prevent their full and equal participation in political spaces and processes.

The goal for this dialogue was to foster a robust partnership and bridge between civil society and policymaking circles, including with the UN Security Council.

Speakers:
H.E. Ms. Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
H.E. Dr. Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
T.H. Mrs. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Representative of the United States of America to the UN
Prof. Margaret Kobia, Ph.D., MGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service and Gender, Kenya

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, IPI Vice President

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On August 31st, IPI MENA convened a closed discussion that called for the meaningful inclusion of youth in the countering violent extremism (CVE) agenda. The event was joined by leaders and practitioners of peacebuilding to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, observed on August 21st.

Addressing speakers from Austria, Jordan, Kenya, Tunisia, and the USA, IPI MENA Director Nejib Friji encouraged engaging youth at all levels of the multilateral system. “We must move beyond their seat at the table as tokenism, and turn it into meaningful inclusion as key agents of peace,” Mr. Friji stressed. He further highlighted quality education as the one of most valuable tools in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) agenda, to pull individuals away from the lures of terrorism, through empowerment and building resilience.

Viola Christian, Programme Officer at Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, explained how global citizenship education specifically is used to “develop a core concept of values based on human rights.” Its root in both formal and non-formal education develops socio-emotional competencies, where one learns tolerance of other cultures and backgrounds alongside other key skills that are crucial in P/CVE, she said. Ms. Christian shared the various microprojects supported by the foundation which echoed her message of how everyone can drive activism and change in their own capacity, saying “It doesn’t need to be a big project to have an impact on P/CVE.”

Mr. Saji Prelis, Director of Children and Youth Programmes at Search for Common Ground, highlighted the key areas and successes of young people’s influence on P/CVE agendas, namely the Youth Action Agenda to PVE and Promote Peace. Based on lessons learned, Mr. Prelis noted that programming and narratives around P/CVE for youth also need to incorporate their engagement, in order to support them holistically. He signaled the next steps for the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda in P/CVE, which included; national commitments, safeguarding of youth and civic spaces, and emphasized the importance of financing youth leadership without creating any barriers.

Ms. Khadija Moalla, Senior International Consultant on the Rule of Law, PVE, and Women Empowerment, shared her experience of the legal and social dynamics that dictate youth and community values in the MENA region. “We need to develop the ability to see the invisible factors influencing our societies, and turn these collective blind spots into empowering actions,” stressing the need to tailor and reframe P/CVE programmes towards the values that youth identify with, to be able to work synergistically as partners.

Mr. Ma’in Al Shamayleh, Co-Founder of MENA Coalition for Youth, Peace, and Security, spoke of how his organization is focused on bridging the gap between the international and local communities, in understanding and implementing the UN’s Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda. He underscored how utilizing the digital space effectively as an avenue that encourages and fosters the safe spaces needed, for young people to positively contribute to P/CVE efforts in the region.

Ms. Christine Odera, Global Coordinator of Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network, shared how the organization’s platform was created to share ideas and best practices, as a community of peacebuilders. By optimizing and synthesizing policies from the global context to the grassroots level, the platform has enabled young people to mobilize and enact change in their local communities, aligning to the P/CVE, women, as well as the Women, Peace, and Security agendas. She summarized that “radicalization and ideologies don’t have borders, so we cannot work in silos … as the peace agenda is all our agenda.”

Before concluding the session, Mr. Friji expressed his thanks to the panelists for their participation, and reiterated IPI’s commitment beyond this event to work together for peace, security, and sustainable development.

United Nations peace operations are increasingly recognizing strategic communications as essential to implementing their mandates and managing expectations about what they can and cannot achieve. This has led them to ramp up their communications capabilities and shift their approach away from the traditional top-down, one-way model of communication. Nonetheless, missions continue to face obstacles in realizing this approach.

This issue brief analyzes the current strategic communications practice in UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions. It explores why strategic communications are increasingly important in the contexts where missions are deployed and the external and internal challenges missions face. It also identifies best practices peace operations might adopt or adapt from other parts of the UN system and related fields.

The paper concludes that, while missions may need additional resources for strategic communications, what they most need is a cultural shift. Mission leaders need to see strategic communications as a core mission capacity. Strategic communications are not an operational support function, a downstream activity, or an output of a planning cycle; they are an integral part of political strategies and mandate delivery. They are not a leadership function but a “whole-of-mission” responsibility. Strategic communications must therefore be treated as central to every phase of a UN peace operation. If missions are to succeed, strategic communications professionals should be part of their decision making, from initial planning through transition and exit.

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On August 11, 2021, IPI MENA hosted an online discussion entitled “Empowerment of Young Women in the MENA Region,” attended by leading women from across the MENA region, as well as officials and diplomats. The event, held on the occasion of International Youth Day, called for invigorated efforts to empower young women in the region and around the world.

IPI MENA Policy Analyst Dalya Al Alawi opened the event by emphasizing the adversely gendered impact the pandemic has had on women in all aspects of life, but particularly within the various economic, social, and political conexts of the region.

IPI MENA Research Assistant Eliza Cheah highlighted the need for cooperation across all levels of the multilateral system. She emphasized the need “to change the prejudices and social norms, to remove all the obstacles, and provide women with the best access in all spheres,” in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

H.H Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah of Kuwait, Founder of Intisar Foundation, explained the various creative tools that are used by her foundation, especially dramatherapy, in the context of conflict as well as peacebuilding. She said its impact at the community level as an engaging and non-stigmatized activity helps women build confidence and express themselves, supporting their ability to cope with problems. She stated the key role of women in cementing the societies’ fabrics, adding that fully involving women would generate sustainable peace in the Arab World.

H.E Sheikha Deena bint Rashid Al Khalifa, Assistant Secretary-General of Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Women (SCW), listed her country’s efforts to empower women and girls by ensuring their rights, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which enabled the SCW to uphold the gender balance in response to the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. She noted that “Bahrain was able to maintain the percentage of women in the labor force at 53%,” which enabled the economic participation to spike.

University Professor Olfa Soukri, former Vice-President of the Global Parliamentary Network of the World Bank and IMF, and former Tunisian Parliament member, regretted how the pandemic has exacerbated the disproportionate challenges women have had to face, and as a former lawmaker, she reiterated the role that her colleagues have in creating a framework to protect gender equality. She called on all young women and men to be engaged citizens, and “be committed to promoting women’s empowerment.”

Ms. Diana Fadel, Founder of Foundation Diane for “civic awareness & eco-sustainable development,” decried the barriers that women are up against, especially within the context of multiple crises facing Lebanon now. She underscored the importance of providing girls and young women with the option to make their own choices in the world of work and home. Referring to the perception that, “behind every successful man there is a woman,” the honorary member of the Women Leaders Council of Lebanon said that women should be acknowledged as standing equally beside men.

Lt. Colonel Ratih Pusparini of Indonesia’s National Defense and Security Agency said as the first woman peacekeeper officer from Indonesia, her presence as a woman in the UN’s peace forces enabled contingents to “win the hearts and minds of local people,” as in most conflict settings, those disenfranchised are usually women, youth, and elderly. She said “with our various backgrounds, we can encourage the younger generations, to follow our steps and do more.”

French Ambassador Jerome Cauchard referred to UN Women’s “Generation Equality Forum,” held in Paris last month, that launched a five-year plan worth $40 billion in commitment to the women’s agenda. He stressed that education is always the starting point for change. In the same vein, Ms. Yusra Mouzughi echoed the importance of education, as the President of Bahrain’s Royal University for Women, and the equal need to plant the same messages of women empowerment in boys, as it is to girls. She referred to RUW’s research center created in partnership with the UNESCWA and SCW, as a valuable resource and platform for IPI and other partners to explore.

Before closing the discussion, IPI MENA Director Nejib Friji reiterated how such platforms are the first steps in connecting like-minded individuals and entities to wider networks. He stressed IPI’s commitment to women’s development, and called for all experiences and recommendations, beyond speeches, and be put into action to make a real impact in the region, and across the multilateral system.

UN special political missions (SPMs) regularly operate in conflict and post-conflict settings in which local civilian populations face the ongoing threat of violence from armed actors—a trend that is likely to continue if an apparent increased preference for SPMs over peacekeeping operations persists. Despite this trend, understandings of the roles of SPMs in protection have remained vague and ambiguous, leaving a conceptual and operational gap that urgently needs to be filled.

This study sets out the parameters for a policy and research agenda on SPMs and protection. It analyzes the legal, structural, and operational characteristics of SPMs and describes how different conceptions and operational modes of protection apply to them. It then analyzes the protection mandates and roles played by the SPMs in Afghanistan, Syria, Colombia, and Sudan and presents an initial, non-exhaustive typology of protection roles for SPMs.

The challenges faced by SPMs in planning and executing such a wide range of protection functions calls for greater conceptual and operational analysis and guidance. As it looks ahead to articulate a system-wide agenda for prevention as foreseen by the 2020 Call to Action for Human Rights, the Secretariat has an opportunity to articulate a more explicit and structured vision for the role of SPMs in protection. At the same time, it needs to avoid situations where the Security Council gives missions protection mandates without giving them the political backing or tools they need to implement them. Toward this end, the UN should:

• Enrich conceptual and operational understandings of protection tasks under Chapter VI of the UN Charter within existing terminology and frameworks;
• Compile good practices, dilemmas, and lessons learned on protection in SPMs;
• Only issue SPMs an explicit protection mandate where doing so would add value;
• Not let SPMs be drawn into the gulf of political will between protection and political solutions in the Security Council;
• Identify best practices for coordination across humanitarian and prevention or peacemaking tools in politicized humanitarian-access negotiations; and
• Broaden SPM monitoring and public reporting on protection as a core component of political strategies.

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