On 26 March, SIPRI, the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) hosted a virtual expert-level dialogue on the theme ‘Translating Mandates into Policy and Practice: Emerging Lessons from Operationalizing Climate-related Security Risks in Peace Operations and Peacebuilding’.
The event brought together the United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General, participants from UN member states, mission personnel and experts from the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO), the UN Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme.
The event opened with presentations by Guang Cong, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political) to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and Christophe Hodder, UN Environmental Advisor to Somalia. The subsequent discussion explored the lessons emerging from operationalizing peace operation mandates that refer to climate-related security risks in Afghanistan, Somalia and South Sudan. Participants shared reflections on current challenges, identified existing tools and approaches for analysis and programming, explored what successful responses would look like and how to measure them, and offered ideas on whether additional capacities, authorities or partnerships are required to meet ambitions.
The expert dialogue was organized against the backdrop that both UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions are increasingly tasked by the Security Council to consider and respond to climate-related security risks.
In May, SIPRI will host a deep dive session at the 2021 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development on how peace efforts in Mali and Somalia have taken the challenges into account. Read more about the 2021 Forum here.