New York, 17 December 2019 – The Federal Republic of Germany, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) signed a new US$6.7 million partnership on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention. The Programme is currently active in more than 70 countries and supports countries in consolidating local capacities for dialogue, mediation, conflict resolution, social cohesion and peace.

With its contribution, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany renews this strategic partnership started in 2016. This agreement represents the largest annual contribution to-date  to the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme and will aim at building, strengthening and consolidating conflict prevention in conflict-affected, fragile countries, as well as countries undergoing political instability or difficult transitions.

The Programme deploys Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) to work in close collaboration with national stakeholders and the UN Country Teams under the direction of the UN Resident Coordinator.

“At a time when the number of people fleeing conflict is at its highest level since World War II, conflict prevention is at the very top of the UN’s agenda,” said UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner. “Programmes like this have a critical role to play in translating analysis into strategic action to prevent conflict and sustain peace -- saving lives and reducing suffering.”

 “Our Peace and Development Advisors’ analysis and advice improve the impact of UN activities on the ground. We would like to thank the Federal Republic of Germany for its generous contribution to our efforts” added Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs in DPPA.

“The programme has supported the creation of national peace structures in countries as diverse as Ghana, Tunisia and the Philippines. Peace and Development Advisors have in the past accompanied key preventive diplomacy initiatives and social cohesion efforts in countries such as Guinea, Guyana, the Maldives and Moldova. They have led reconciliation initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, and Sri Lanka,” said Asako Okai, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP's Crisis Bureau.

The Joint Programme is widely recognized for providing thought leadership on conflict prevention and is considered a unique example of how the political and development pillars of the United Nations successfully work together to prevent violent conflict and sustain peace.

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Sangita Khadka, Communications Specialist, UNDP New York, email: sangita.khadka@undp.org, Tel: +1 212 906 5043

Laura Gees, Strategic Communications, UN Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding Affairs, email: gees@un.org, Tel: +1 (917) 367-3882