For the next two years, Germany will pay at least 50 million euro into the Fund.

In 2019, 190 million US dollars went to 100 projects in 34 countries

From Albania to Guinea-Bissau and Uzbekistan: The Peacebuilding Fund is used by the United Nations to fund initiatives that move peace processes forward around the world. In recent years, the Fund has promoted, among other things, the demobilisation and disarmament of FARC rebels in Colombia and supported both reconciliation initiatives in Sierra Leone and local peace efforts in Liberia. In Burkina Faso, it has given impetus to a reform of the security forces and in South Sudan it has strengthened the role of women in the peace process. In 2019, the Fund made available 190 million US dollars to 100 projects in 34 countries.

On 26 January, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and UN Secretary-General António Guterres will chair the Replenishment Conference for the Peacebuilding Fund.

Foreign Minister Maas has emphasised:

Hope for a “quantum leap” in peacebuilding

The UN has set an ambitious goal for the conference: it is calling for a total of 1.5 billion US dollars in pledges towards implementing the Fund’s 2020-2024 Strategy. UN Secretary-General Guterres has repeatedly called for a “quantum leap” in peacebuilding funding, to a level of at least 500 million US dollars per year. One of the main aims is to gain new donors, in order to broaden the Fund’s financial base.

The Fund is primarily financed through voluntary contributions by UN member states. Although payments into the Fund are exclusively for peacebuilding purposes, they are not earmarked for specific projects. This means the Fund’s resources can be swiftly and flexibly employed. Moreover, the Fund seeks to promote innovation in the sphere of peacebuilding, in particular with regard to projects focussing on women and young people. The initiatives that receive funding are mainly implemented by UN organisations, with some being carried out by international and national NGOs.

Germany pledges support in the amount of 50 million euro for 2021 and 2022

The Fund was established in 2006. Since then, the Federal Government has contributed a total of 212 million US dollars to it. In recent years, Germany has become the largest donor, with annual payments of 40 and 38 million euro. In 2021 and 2022, the Federal Government will provide at least 25 million euro annually to the Fund. Germany believes it is an important tool for more sustainably shaping peace processes, empowering under-represented groups and supporting local actors in their efforts to rebuild.

In addition to the UN Secretary-General and the German Foreign Minister, the conference on 26 January is also being chaired by Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Adam Hamdok and the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio. The conference is bringing together high-level representatives from more than 70 countries.