annual report 2014 - united nations · 2015-06-18 · multi-year appeal • 2014 annual report 3...

MULTI-YEAR APPEAL

UN

Pho

to /

Sha

reef

Sar

han

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

Department of political affairs

Website: WWW.un.org/Depts/Dpa

tWitter: @un _ Dpa

politically speaking: un-Dpa.tumblr.com

© uniteD nations

april 2015

all rights reserveD

MULTI-YEAR APPEAL • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT ❙ 3 ❙

Contents1 Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 DPA results in 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4 DPA political and diplomatic efforts in 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . 8

5 Achievements under the 2013 Multi-Year Appeal . . . . . . . . 12

❙ Output 1: Timely, reliable, rapid response mechanisms in place and effective ongoing support provided to special envoys, political missions and other key stakeholders in the field 12

❙ Output 2: Timely, coordinated and comprehensive response provided by DPA to requests for United Nations electoral assistance 20

❙ Output 3: Productive partnerships developed and sustained with regional organizations, United Nations system entities and other stakeholders to enhance conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding 23

❙ Output 4: DPA’s supporting capacity and mechanisms enhanced to assist conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding 28

6 Achievements in the area of women, peace and security . . . . 33

7 Financial data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

8 Graphs and tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

9 Multi-Year Appeal Results Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

For further information on the Multi-Year Appeal, please contact Ms. Delphine Bost ([email protected]).

❙ 4 ❙ DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

❙ 1 ❙ Foreword

The Department of Political Affairs (DPA) plays a central role in United Nations efforts to prevent and resolve deadly con-flict around the world. In 2014, our ability to fulfill this man-date was tested as never before: from a Syrian conflict now entering its fifth year to fighting in Ukraine that has cost over five thousand lives and cast a cloud over regional and global cooperation, the United Nations and the international com-munity as a whole face an unprecedented number of crises demanding significant attention and resources over sustained periods of time.

The last year also saw a large number of unexpected out-breaks of violence and suffering. Avowedly genocidal terror-ist groups fought to control entire territories in the Middle East and West Africa, boasting of their successes in slaughter-ing and enslaving whole communities. Meanwhile, an inter-

national public health crisis wreaked havoc at regional and global levels, threatening to undermine decades of progress in development and hard-earned peace dividends.

If we take a step back from the gravity of these individual crises and threats to analyse the overall trends of which they form a part, we can discern four key developments affecting our work. First, we observe the emergence of transnational violent extremism as a first-order concern in international politics, driven by events in the Middle East and West Africa. Second, we see an increase in the number and intensity of large-scale crises, such as those in South Sudan, Libya and Syria. Third, we note a wider concern about violence and po-litical disruption linked to poor governance and economic inequality, tied to the protest movements sparked by the “Arab Spring”. And fourth, we have witnessed a dramatic rise in unconstitutional changes of government, with concomitant consequences for political instability and unrest.

This Report provides an opportunity to look back on our achievements over the past challenging year, and to reflect critically on how we will move ahead in 2015 to deal with the ever-increasing scale and gravity of international threats to peace and security. In such a review, a few numbers tell a compelling story. In 2014, DPA deployed its Standby Team of Mediation Experts more than 100 times to support a wide range of mediation and peacemaking processes; the 40 Spe-cial Political Missions (SPMs) DPA oversees across three conti-nents, representing a significant increase in recent years, are on the front lines responding to a growing number of threats and challenges. Since 2013, DPA has provided or overseen the UN’s electoral assistance to over 65 Member States, about a dozen under Security Council (SC) mandates. The Department also provided staff and expertise in a number of milestone elections, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, and launched the single roster of electoral experts, which helps in ensuring that experts can be deployed to the field at short notice by all UN system entities in support of the Secretary-General’s “Delivering as One” approach.

By the end of 2014, in our mediation engagements alone, 85 per cent of our activities involved working with regional and subregional organizations, to address crises and conflicts in countries ranging from the Sahel to the Great Lakes, My-anmar to Ukraine. Our partnership efforts were not only ex-ternally oriented: we have observed a significant increase in requests from both the Department of Peacekeeping Opera-tions (DPKO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for assistance on peace process-related or politically oriented


issues as well, thereby helping DPA to live up to its mandate to be a system-wide service provider.

Despite the impressive and often courageous efforts by our colleagues and partners, we recognize that we need to do much more to ensure our diplomatic tools are effective. Hence, 2015—which marks the Organization’s 70th anniver-sary—is set to be a critical year of reflection for the UN, an im-portant moment to assess the extent to which we are “fit for purpose”. We eagerly await the results of the negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, which is set to include conflict-related goals. We will also be working closely with the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, which will address Special Political Missions and mediation issues. Finally, we look forward to the outcomes of the Peacebuilding Architecture Review, which may have major implications for DPA’s contributions to this field, as well as the 15th anniver-sary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

Even as we await the outcomes of these important review processes, we already know that we are under-resourced and overstretched. A recent independent assessment by the Friends of Mediation found that, over the last fifteen years, the gap has widened between DPA’s regular budget appor-tionment and the rapidly growing demand for its mediation, conflict prevention and good offices services. As a result, the Department has had to rely increasingly on extrabudgetary funding for its core business, as reflected by the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA). We would, therefore, like to sincerely thank all the donors who have increasingly supported DPA in the preceding, critical year. We are unable to contemplate “what might have been” were it not for your generous support. In light of the enormity of the challenges ahead, we encourage more partners to come forward, and look forward to working together with you to address the objectives outlined in the 2015 Appeal.

Jeffrey D. Feltman Under-Secretary-General

Political Affairs


❙ 2 ❙ DPA results in 2014

DPA OVERVIEW 2013Dozens of Peacemaking processes and political tran-sitions supported, including XX peace, mediation and dialogue processes

Standby Team experts were deployed over 100 times to assist with mediation process design, and to provide expertise on gender, constitutions, elections and natu-ral resources.

Mediation roster experts were deployed XX times

Electoral experts deployed X times and X countries assisted with electoral processes

100% of mediation support teams included women, X% gender expertise was provided to UN (co-) led me-diation processes and the first woman UN lead media-tor appointed

$24,5 million requested for 2013 and $XX received on 31 December 2013

In 2013, DPA worked with regional and sub-regional organizations in more than 70 per cent of its mediation engagements.

Number of Special Political Missions supported by DPA

DPA O

VERVIEW 2013

Dozen

s of P

eace

making

proc

esse

s and

politic

al tran

-

sition

s sup

porte

d, inc

luding

XX pe

ace,

mediat

ion an

d

dialog

ue pr

oces

ses

Standb

y Tea

m expe

rts w

ere de

ployed

over

100 t

imes

to as

sist w

ith m

ediat

ion pr

oces

s des

ign, a

nd to

prov

ide

expe

rtise o

n gen

der, c

onstit

ution

s, ele

ction

s and

natu-

ral re

sourc

es.

Mediat

ion ro

ster e

xpert

s were

deplo

yed XX

times

Electo

ral ex

perts

deplo

yed X

times

and X

coun

tries

assis

ted w

ith ele

ctoral

proc

esse

s

100%

of m

ediat

ion su

pport

team

s inclu

ded w

omen

,

X% ge

nder

expe

rtise w

as pr

ovide

d to U

N (co-)

led m

e-

diatio

n proc

esse

s and

the fi

rst w

oman

UN lead m

edia-

tor ap

point

ed

$24,5

millio

n req

ueste

d for

2013

and $

XX re

ceive

d on

31 Dec

embe

r 201

3

In 20

13, D

PA w

orked

with

regio

nal an

d sub

-regio

nal

organ

izatio

ns in

more

than

70 pe

r cen

t of it

s med

iation

enga

gemen

ts.

Numbe

r of S

pecia

l Polit

ical M

ission

s sup

porte

d by D

PADPA OVERVIEW 2013

Dozens of Peacemaking processes and political tran-sitions supported, including XX peace, mediation and dialogue processes

























































❙ 3 ❙ Introduction

The Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) for 2014–2015 highlighted the main areas where extrabudgetary funding would be used in support of the Department’s mandate to prevent, manage and resolve armed conflict. Extrabudgetary funding played a vital role in ensuring that we could respond in a timely, ef-fective and flexible manner to new crises and evolving con-flict dynamics; this Report provides an opportunity to review and reflect upon our efforts in 2014, with a focus on those areas where the support of our donors helped us achieve our shared objectives of conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding.

As a result of the rapidly changing global political landscape in 2014, pressure on the Department grew exponentially. Last year, an independent assessment by the Friends of Media-tion found a widening gap between DPA’s regular budget and the need for preventive diplomacy, forcing the Department to turn increasingly to voluntary funding in order to cover its core activities. Over the past year, the worsening crisis in Syr-ia, the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq, the Ebola crisis, attacks by Boko Haram in Nige-ria and the deteriorating political crisis in the Central African Republic—to name only a few of the challenges requiring our attention—have only exacerbated this trend.

The year, therefore, was anything but “business as usual”. In recognition of the need for additional support, in 2014 DPA requested $24.5 million and received $19.2 million to cover activities under the MYA—an increase of 20 per cent from 2013, and 34 per cent from 2012—showing a growing trust in DPA’s ability to deliver on its mandate. Furthermore, DPA is pleased to report that it received funding from a wider range of Member States than previous years, further enhancing the legitimacy of our engagements.

This increased support is also a recognition of the imperative for greater conflict prevention, rapid response and peace-making activities on the one hand, and of the relatively mod-est cost implications of our activities on the other. Indeed, political-diplomatic interventions are relatively inexpensive and, if carried out successfully, can help avoid the medium-term costs of peacekeeping operations, and the long-term costs of development reconstruction.

The outputs detailed in this Annual Report, which are based on our Strategic Plan and our MYA results framework, reflect the strategic priorities and operational vision that guided our work in 2014. The following four outputs represent the do-mains where extrabudgetary funding was used to meet re-quests for assistance, including:

❙ Output 1: Timely, reliable, rapid response mechanisms in place and effective ongoing support provided to special envoys, political missions and other key stakeholders in the field

❙ Output 2: Timely, coordinated and comprehensive re-sponse provided by DPA to requests for United Nations electoral assistance

❙ Output 3: Productive partnerships developed and sus-tained with regional organizations, United Nations system entities and other stakeholders to enhance conflict preven-tion, mediation and peacebuilding

❙ Output 4: DPA’s supporting capacity and mechanisms en-hanced to assist conflict prevention, mediation and peace-building

For information on the addition of DPA’s trust fund to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of Official Development As-sistance (ODA)-eligible organizations, visit http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/annex2.htm.

Donors can now meet their voluntary ODA targets when pledging funds to the Department . The list-ing acknowledges that the bulk of DPA’s preventive diplomacy work takes place in, or for the benefit of developing countries, and that DPA services are related to political processes essential to their eco-nomic welfare.


After 15 years of successive peace operations, the clo-sure of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIP-SIL) marks a milestone in the country’s remarkable transi-tion from war to stability and sustainable peace. UNIPSIL officially completed its man-date in March 2014, handing over responsibilities to the UN Country Team (UNCT). DPA supported the integrat-ed planning that allowed the UNCT to take over UNIPSIL’s residual tasks, including Si-erra Leone’s constitutional review process. ($20,000)

SIERRA LEONE

❙ 4 ❙ DPA political and diplomatic efforts in 2014

DPA supported coordina-tion of the efforts to curb Boko Haram’s activities, and to address the condi-tions conducive to terror-ism. In the run-up to the elections in Nigeria in 2015, Mr. Said Djinnit, Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, and SRSG Bathily (UNOCA) have galvanized UN system-wide efforts to develop a preparedness and contingency plan to avoid a polarization of po-litical actors. ($160,000)

NIGERIA, NIGER AND CHAD

Preparations for a na-tional dialogue continued with support from DPA. Mr. Bernardino León, SRSG, has been working on a political process plan, “Ghadames II”, to resolve the most divisive issues, in-cluding the status of Parlia-ment, the formation of an inclusive government and the stabilization of the se-curity situation. ($450,000)

LIBYA

Following the popular up-rising in October 2014, DPA has played a leading role coordinating the UN Crisis Response Mechanism in support of a transitional ar-rangement that would lead to the return to constitu-tional order with enhanced democratic institutions. DPA supports the good offices of Mr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, SRSG at the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), which has fo-cused on the establishment of transitional institutions that would respect the as-pirations of the Burkinabe people, leading to demo-cratic elections. ($30,000)

BURKINA FASO

DPA experts supported the UN Multidimensional Inte-grated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) during the Algiers talks that led to the signing of the Roadmap of Negotiations and the Declaration of Cessation of Hostilities on 24 July 2014. Support to MINUSMA con-tinued for the preparation of the second phase of the Algiers process and assis-tance to the UN mediation team. ($30,000)

MALI

MULTI-YEAR APPEAL • 2013 UPDATE ❙ 9 ❙

DPA has provided support to the United Nations As-sistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) for the constitu-tional review process, prep-arations for the elections in 2016, the elaboration of the Integrated Strategic Frame-work, and in responding to political crises. ($600,000)

SOMALIA

DPA supported the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led talks in Addis Ababa, and one expert played a key role in drafting of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Imple-mentation Matrix signed on 25 August 2014. ($40,000)

SOUTH SUDAN

DPA helped develop a UN strategy to prevent vio-lence and ensure a condu-cive political environment. ($30,000)

BURUNDI

The DPA-led political Mis-sion was subsumed into the DPKO-led peacekeeping mission, the UN Multidimen-sional Integrated Stabiliza-tion Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), in recognition of the need for a more robust initiative under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Standby Team experts and DPA staff were deployed several times to assist the authorities in de-veloping a national reconcili-ation strategy and support-ing Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, SRSG at the UN Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), and Mr. Babacar Gaye, SRSG at the UN Integrated Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), in their efforts to address the political challenges facing the country. ($300,000)

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)

The Peace, Security and Co-operation (PSC) Framework has remained a critical tool for durable peace and stabil-ity. With DPA support, the Special Envoy has continued shuttle diplomacy efforts to engage regional leaders, or-ganizations and partners. In December 2014, a meeting of the Guarantors of the Peace and Security Framework was convened to assess the situa-tion of armed groups, and to agree on a common position to resolve all issues relating to the implementation of the PSC Framework Agreement. ($340,000)

GREAT LAKES

❙ 10 ❙ DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS❙ 10 ❙ DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

In Cyprus, DPA continued to support the good offices of the Secretary-General to the parties to find a comprehen-sive settlement. ($45,000)

CYPRUS

The Standby Team has as-sisted Mr. Jamal Benomar, UN Special Adviser on Yem-en, in providing technical support to the Constitution-al Drafting Assembly, as well as advising Yemeni interloc-utors on ceasefire and disar-mament issues. ($70,000)

YEMEN

Following the deteriora-tion of the crisis, DPA es-tablished a small political presence in Ukraine. It has proven instrumental for providing support to the Secretary-General’s good offices role, underpinning efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. ($400,000)

UKRAINE

DPA provided technical support to Mr. Robert Serry , SRSG, and his good offices. ($20,000)

GAZA

DPA continued to support the Geneva international discussions on Georgia, co-chairing the proceedings alongside the European Un-ion (EU) and the Organiza-tion for Security and Coop-eration in Europe (OSCE). ($40,000)

GEORGIA

MULTI-YEAR APPEAL • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT ❙ 11 ❙MULTI-YEAR APPEAL • 2013 UPDATE ❙ 11 ❙

DPA strengthened the UN capacity to address post-conflict issues in 2014; more specifically, DPA has sup-ported the Government of Sri Lanka, political parties and civil society organiza-tions (CSOs) in their efforts to make progress on rec-onciliation, dialogue and accountability. DPA is thus well placed to engage with the new President and Gov-ernment to deepen assis-tance following the change in Government in January 2015. ($20,000)

SRI LANKAFollowing the inaugura-tion of the Constituent As-sembly in early 2014, the DPA Liaison Office in Kath-mandu has engaged closely with the key political lead-ers in light of the ongoing constitution drafting pro-cess. ($480,000)

NEPAL

The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) provided crucial support to the process of political tran-sition, including supervision of an unprecedented audit of the presidential elec-tions, mobilization of the necessary technical assis-tance and achievement of a peaceful transfer of power. The DPA Standby Team was called upon for early ad-vice, and DPA expertise in elections was in heavy de-mand. ($140,000)

AFGHANISTAN

DPA continued to support the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in promot-ing inclusive political dia-logue, national reconcilia-tion and regional dialogue, as well as in addressing, along with the UN Country Team, the impact of the in-cursion of ISIL in Iraq and Syria. In addition, DPA con-tinued to backstop UNAMI substantively, operationally and administratively, and ensured coordination with other departments and agencies, funds and pro-grammes. ($280,000)

IRAQ


❙ 5 ❙ Achievements under the 2014 Multi-Year Appeal

The outputs detailed below reflect the priorities outlined in the DPA Strategic Plan for 2014–2015, which articulates both strategic and operational areas where DPA is striving to im-prove performance. More specifically, the outputs highlight

the four key areas where the Department used extrabudget-ary funding for the purposes of conflict prevention, peace-making and peacebuilding in 2014.

Output 1

Overview In order to respond to crises in a timely, effective and efficient manner, DPA has developed a diverse range of mechanisms and tools. The priority for the Department is to respond to evolving crises before they erupt into conflict; this empha-sis on conflict prevention is a core part of our mandate. The combined need for flexibility and contextual tailoring has giv-en rise to the political architecture the Department has today. When a crisis erupts or when violence escalates, we rely upon our rapid response funding mechanism to be able to deploy staff and expertise when needed. In 2014, rapid response funding was used in the amount of 1.1M, of which 29 per cent counted for staff deployment and 71 per cent was spent on travel and other operating expenses. In 2014, our Standby Team of Mediation Experts was deployed over 100 times to prevent escalation, mitigate crises and support the good of-fices of our envoys.

Given the small size of the Standby Team in comparison with the many demands placed on the Department, DPA has also developed a mediation roster of experts who are available for longer deployments and who possess niche ar-eas of expertise, contextual knowledge and languages. The roster now has over 200 experts; in 2014 we received 45 requests for mediation experts. Both the Standby Team and our mediators on the roster benefit from access to the UN Peacemaker site, a repository of vital resources for peace-making professionals; by the end of 2014, the site was vis-

ited 54,000 times. In addition, our Special Political Missions (SPMs) and envoys are instrumental for the long-term, sus-tained engagements required to manage complex political crises or to support ongoing transitions. The Department currently manages approximately 40 SPMs, and among these are 14 field-based missions in some of the toughest places in the world. Extrabudgetary funding allows for es-sential backstopping of these complex missions.

The efforts of our SPMs and envoys are complemented or even sometimes replaced by the important work of our regional offices. Established upon request from Member States, re-gional offices allow us to respond to cross-border challenges, such as environmental degradation, natural resource-related disputes, extremism, terrorism and the trafficking of people and drugs. Over the past year, regional offices have played critical roles: for instance, UNOCA has spearheaded the UN’s efforts in the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army in the Central African Republic (CAR). In areas where we do not have a formal presence in the form of an SPM, envoy or regional office, we rely upon the work of our Liaison Offices. At the United Nations Regional Office at Nairobi (UNON), for exam-ple, the Liaison Team has supported the Director-General and provided vital support to the Great Lakes Special Envoy. Simi-larly, the Nepal Liaison Office works closely with the Resident Coordinator (RC) and other UN entities to ensure adequate political support for ongoing activities in-country.

Amount programmed: $13.3 million

Total expenditures: $11.3 million

Overall implementation rate: 85 per cent

Timely, reliable, rapid response mechanisms in place and effective ongoing support

provided to special envoys, political missions and other key stakeholder in the field


Standby Team in FocusIn 2014, thanks to funding under this Appeal, the Standby Team (SBT) of Mediation Experts served as an indispensable DPA conflict prevention and mediation tool. Eight world-class experts were deployed over 100 times, either to pro-vide advice and support to senior mediators in the field or to build mediation capacities. They also provided a wide range of remote support. Much of this assistance was pro-vided on short notice, while other instances of support were well planned—but in all cases, the flexible and responsive deployment mechanism enabled mediators to receive ex-pert support, informed by best practices and comparative insights, in real time. Staff from the Mediation Support Unit (MSU) worked closely with SBT members in framing deploy-ments, backstopping with research and guidance, and help-ing them navigate the complexities of the situation.

SBT resources in 2014 were focused on some of the most challenging mediations of the UN. A few examples of the work of the Standby Team during the past year include:

• In Yemen, SBT experts assisted UN Special Adviser Benomar with technical support to the Constitutional Drafting Assembly and in advising Yemeni interlocutors on ceasefire and disarmament issues;

• In Somalia, an SBT expert provided advice, through UN-SOM, to Somali government leaders on political transition issues, particularly with respect to the constitutional review process and the planned public consultations process;

• In Mali, SBT experts deployed to assist MINUSMA have provided technical expertise on a range of issues during the Algerian-led peace talks;

• In the Central African Republic, SBT experts and staff as-sisted in the drafting of the cessation of hostilities Agree-ment on 23 July 2014 in Brazzaville, and were deployed several times to Bangui to assist MINUSCA and the UN Country Team in promoting political dialogue and local-level reconciliation;

• In Libya, experts advised the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL) on ceasefire monitoring, power-sharing, parliamentary procedures, national dialogue and consti-tution-making issues.

The experts have also been responding to the growing demand from Resident Coordinators and other mediation actors to support their conflict prevention efforts. During the past year, the Gender and Social inclusion expert has been active on several fronts: advising key interlocutors in the IGAD-led talks on South Sudan; providing guidance to the Special Envoy for Syria on approaches to address gen-der concerns; providing input to the SRSG in Afghanistan in the context of the “handover” of the mission from DPKO to DPA; and consulting a number of key mediation actors, including UNOWA, as part of DPA’s internal review of our 15 Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Commitments, which will feed into the Global Study requested by the Security Council for its 2015 high-level review. The expert has also supported the training and coaching of a number of senior UN officials and staff members on gender and mediation issues.

In terms of partnerships, the Standby Team has been assist-ing key regional and subregional organizations by providing technical support on a range of mediation issues, including national dialogue and ceasefires. In 2014, the Standby Team supported IGAD, OSCE, the EU and the Organization of American States (OAS) in this way.

In November 2014, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs hosted a stocktaking event with UN officials, SBT mem-bers past and present, current donors to the SBT mechanism and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), to reflect on the experience with the SBT mechanism to date and look to the future. There was broad consensus that the SBT is having a high impact at a modest cost, and that the team should be expanded to meet the growing demand for mediation sup-port. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $1.1 million.)

a monitor from the organization for security anD cooperation in europe (osce)

special monitoring mission to ukraine inspects Damage to a builDing, 9 July 2014.

(osce/evgeniy maloletka)


❙ Examples of activities and achievements by region

AfricaIn the Great Lakes region, Special Envoy Djinnit intensi-fied efforts to engage with all stakeholders to advance im-plementation of the vital Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. Parallel to these efforts, the Liaison Team in the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), funded under this Appeal, helped design strategies to address rising terrorism, inter-communal violence, and other threats; the Liaison Team facilitated close collaboration between Headquarters enti-ties such as the United Nation Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTED) and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), and Kenyan authorities in order to expand bilateral cooperation to co-address these pressing issues. The work of the Liaison Team and colleagues providing backstopping support from Headquarters has enabled DPA to better collect and analyse information, thereby enabling us to help guide coordinated action of the UN system.

In 2014, Somalia saw continuing progress on the political and security fronts, building slowly on the gains of the past few years. As part of the effort to build a federal state, Interim Re-gional Administrations were initiated in South-West and Central Somalia. On the security front, joint operations by the Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), with DPA support, recovered significant new territory from the Al-Shabaab insurgency. Meanwhile, the Federal Government began to roll out its strategy for stabilization and development with the support of the international community. Funding under this Appeal enabled DPA to support UNSOM with the consti-tutional review process, preparations for the elections in 2015, the elaboration of the Integrated Strategic Framework, and to design effective responses to political crises. More specifically, in October 2014, DPA supported the reconciliation conference in Kismayo; with over 900 delegates attending in the capital of the Interim Jubba Administration (IJA), the conference formed a key part of the ongoing implementation of the 2013 Addis Ababa Agreement, and also served as a milestone in the state formation process in the south of the country, paving the way for political stability in the region.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), the situation has re-mained highly volatile. In early 2014, the situation deteriorated into a large-scale political, security and humanitarian crisis, and the DPA-led political mission was subsumed into the DPKO-led peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA. This transition marks the recognition by the international community that the ongoing crisis in the CAR requires a more robust initiative under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Efforts in early 2014 by BINUCA, with the support of extrabudgetary funding, helped mitigate some of

Support for implementation of the PSC Framework in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region remained volatile throughout 2014. The Peace, Security and Co-operation (PSC) Framework has therefore remained a critical tool to achieve durable peace and stability. The year witnessed many challenges that still need to be overcome, including: the lack of progress in the dis-armament process of Forces démocratiques de libé-ration du Rwanda (FDLR); the continued presence of other armed groups; the persistence of violence and human rights violations against innocent civilians; and the slow progress of the implementation of the Nai-robi Declarations of 12 December 2013, including on the fate of ex-M23 members.

With DPA support, Mrs. Mary Robinson, Special En-voy, and her successor, Special Envoy Said Djinnit, continued their shuttle diplomacy efforts to engage regional leaders, organizations and partners. Efforts to promote the realization of the PSC Framework com-mitments in a multi-pronged manner have continued as well. To promote the participation of women and youth in the peacemaking and confidence-building process in the region, the Women’s Platform of the PSC Framework and the Children’s Forum of Hope were launched in Addis Ababa and Bujumbura respec-tively in 2014. An Investment Opportunities Brief was also developed in consultation with all the signatories of the PSC Framework in preparation for a Private Sec-tor Investment Conference to be held in early 2015. In developing a strategy for engagement, the Special Envoy held senior-level brainstorming sessions with all the national and international Envoys and Representa-tives for the Great Lakes region, as well as the Heads of UN presences in the region.

In December 2014, the Special Envoy also convened a meeting of the Guarantors of the Peace and Security Framework to assess the situation of armed groups, and to agree on a common position to resolve all issues relating to the implementation of the PSC Framework Agreement. The Special Envoy will continue efforts to implement his nine-point roadmap designed to build confidence, address justice and accountability, sup-port democratic transition, involve women, youth and civil society, and promote economic cooperation and development in the DRC and the region. (Total ex-trabudgetary funds in 2014: $340,000.)

the worst aspects of the crisis and create coherent, coordinat-ed diplomatic and political activity at the international, regional and national levels in anticipation of the peacekeeping opera-tion. Standby Team experts and DPA staff were deployed sev-


eral times to assist the CAR authorities in developing a national reconciliation strategy. In July 2014, Standby Team members also supported SRSGs Bathily (UNOCA) and Gaye (BINUCA) before and during the negotiations of the Brazzaville Forum for Inter-Central African Reconciliation. Since DPKO has taken the lead, DPA has provided support to DPKO in its efforts to ad-dress the political challenges facing the country.

Continued insecurity and political tensions in northern Nige-ria, Niger and Chad have necessitated an intensification of UN efforts in the region. Working closely with UNOWA, DPA has used extrabudgetary funding to support coordination of the efforts to curb Boko Haram’s activities, and to address those conditions that are conducive to terrorism. DPA sup-ported Special Envoy Djinnit’s visits to Nigeria in the context of his consultations to secure the safe release of the abduct-ed school girls in Chibok in April 2014. In the run-up to the elections in Nigeria in 2015, Special Envoy Djinnit and SRSG

Bathily (UNOCA) have galvanized UN system-wide efforts

to develop a preparedness and contingency plan to avoid a

polarization of political actors, drawing upon the 2013 expe-

rience of elections in Kenya. In Chad and Niger specifically,

DPA has worked with border communities in line with the

endeavours of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to improve

cooperation and reduce conflict.

Following the popular uprising in Burkina Faso in October

2014, DPA has been actively supporting efforts towards the

establishment of a transitional government. Extrabudget-

ary funding has allowed DPA to support the good offices of

SRSG Chambas at UNOWA; a support team was deployed at

the outset of the crisis, alongside Standby Team members.

DPA has also played a leading role coordinating the UN Cri-

sis Response Mechanism in response to the unconstitutional

changes of government.

Addressing political instability in LibyaStill grappling with its delicate post-revolution transition, Libya faced increasing political and institutional uncer-tainty, as well as a severe escalation of conflict in 2014. Simmering hostilities between rival militias turned into an all-out confrontation in Benghazi in May and in Tripoli in July, taking a toll on civilians and forcing the evacua-tion of most of the international community, including the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in July.

The House of Representatives (HoR), elected in June to succeed the General National Congress (GNC) as the tran-sitional parliament, decided to convene in Tobruk due to the insecurity in Benghazi and Tripoli, sparking a boycott by one of the major political blocs. This led to parallel gov-ernments, one in Tripoli and one in Tobruk, the latter inter-nationally recognized but with little territorial control.

A Supreme Court decision in November deeming the elec-tion of the HoR unconstitutional further deepened the in-stitutional crisis in Libya, with the HoR leadership rejecting the ruling and the former GNC claiming the decision made it the sole legitimate authority in the country. Notwith-standing this turmoil, the Constitution Drafting Assembly, which had been elected in February to draft the country’s new constitution, was still largely able to operate indepen-dently and stay above the political confrontations.

Throughout 2014, UNSMIL had to adapt to changing politi-cal and security realities, as well as to a revised mandate as per Security Council resolution 2144, which placed more emphasis on the transition to democracy, and on the po-litical and good offices role of the mission. In the first part of the year, the Mission sought to facilitate dialogue be-tween political currents and provided technical support to national authorities in the areas of rule of law, the security sector, transitional justice, constitution writing, elections,

arms management and women’s empowerment. Following the escalation of the conflict and the institutional crisis in the second half of the year, UNSMIL focused its efforts on mediating between the factions, promoting inclusive dia-logue to solve the political impasse, and working towards a cessation of hostilities.

Experts were deployed to Libya, through funding under this Appeal, in the first half of 2014 to assist UNSMIL’s activities in support of the constitutional process and the formation of a national dialogue initiative. Through-out the year, DPA staff provided backstopping support to the Mission, including during and since its evacuation from Tripoli to Tunis. DPA staff are actively supporting the SRSG’s efforts to promote political dialogue among the parties in Libya and to reach an agreement on the remainder of the transitional period.

In 2015, UNSMIL’s efforts will continue to focus on bro-kering an agreement among the key actors. The UN-fa-cilitated dialogue will aim to reach an agreement on the formation of a consensual national unity government, on the necessary security arrangements to end the fighting, and on the withdrawal of armed groups from Libyan cities to allow the State to assert its authority over the coun-try’s vital facilities.

Neighbouring countries and regional blocs have ex-pressed full support for the UN’s efforts. Going forward, international and Libyan stakeholders will be looking to the UN, and in particular SRSG León’s facilitation initiative, to play a key role in helping Libyans reach a solution to the crisis. Further, with the Constitution Drafting Assembly and other neutral national bodies like the Central Bank and the High National Elections Commission continuing their work in difficult circumstances, it will be critical for the UN to support them and to provide timely technical advice. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $450,000.)


In the Sahel region, extrabudgetary funding enabled the De-partment to support the work of Ms. Hiroute Guebre Sellas-sie, Special Envoy, in the context of the United Nations Inte-grated Strategy for the Sahel. In particular, the deployment of DPA staff members through extrabudgetary funds contribut-ed positively to the Special Envoy’s advocacy efforts for sus-tained and coherent international engagement in the region. These deployments also supported the Envoy in her capac-ity as a member of the Coordination Platform for the Sahel and co-chair of its Technical Secretariat. The primary purpose of the Coordination Platform for the Sahel, which was estab-lished in November 2013 in Bamako and is currently chaired by Mali, is to connect the multiple initiatives across issues and the Sahel region as a whole. DPA support to the Envoy al-lowed her to continue enhancing the role and effective func-tioning of these forums, while at the same time strengthening national and regional initiatives—especially those developed by the “G-5 Sahel”—and reinforcing partnerships with con-cerned Financial Institutions.

After 15 years of successive peace operations, the closure of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) marks a milestone in the country’s remark-able transition from war to stability and sustainable peace. UNIPSIL officially completed its mandate in March 2014, and therefore withdrew from the country. DPA efforts focused on ensuring an effective transition, in line with the organization-wide “Policy on UN Transitions in the Context of Mission Drawdown and Withdrawal”, signed by the Secretary-General in February 2013, which focuses on the importance of UN in-tegration, national ownership, national capacity development and strategic communications. The UN Country Team has since taken over UNIPSIL’s residual tasks, such as supporting the review of Sierra Leone’s constitution, with ad hoc support provided by DPA as and when necessary.

Americas In 2014, DPA supported UN activities related to unaccompa-nied migrant children from Central America’s Northern Trian-gle (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras), who were making a long and dangerous journey across borders to flee condi-tions of violence and poverty. More than 60,000 children were estimated to have crossed the United States’ southern border unaccompanied during 2014—more than double the figure for the previous year. In July, U.S. authorities labeled the influx an “urgent humanitarian situation”. During the summer of 2014, DPA undertook consultations with UN system partners such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNDP and the Resident Coordinators in El Salvador, Guate-mala and Honduras, with the goal of developing an appropri-ate response and messaging from the UN Secretariat. Drawing upon extrabudgetary funds to strengthen Central America’s ability to prevent conflict and enhance security, DPA provided guidance to UN Country Teams in the region and supported the Secretary-General in his engagement at the Conference on Unaccompanied Child Migrants, held in Tegucigalpa, Hon-duras in July. DPA support to the Secretary-General’s visits to Central America helped raise the profile of this critical issue.

Asia and the PacificFollowing the inauguration of the Constituent Assembly in early 2014 in Nepal, the DPA Liaison Office in Kathmandu has engaged closely with key political leaders in light of the ongo-ing constitution drafting process. The Liaison Office has ana-lysed the challenges to consensus solutions, and supported the good offices efforts of senior officials from DPA to resolve these outstanding challenges. Despite evident resolve on the part of all parties to promulgate the new constitution through consensus by January 2015, the constitution drafting process has been delayed due to complex political negotiations. Gen-der issues have been an important feature of the work of the Liaison Office, both in light of the gender implications of the Transition Justice Act of 2014 and the need to ensure that the deliberations of the Constituent Assembly reflect the views and priorities of women. These activities would not have been possible without extrabudgetary support.

DPA used extrabudgetary funding to strengthen UN capacity to effectively address post-conflict issues in Sri Lanka in 2014. Under this new initiative, launched in early 2014, DPA has supported the Government of Sri Lanka, political parties and civil society organizations in their efforts to make progress on reconciliation, dialogue and accountability. More specifically, the project has focused on supporting the Reconciliation Bu-reau, undertaking good offices between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil National Alliance to find ways to ad-vance meaningful dialogue; in addition, experts have worked closely with civil society organizations to strengthen existing initiatives on intra/inter-religion dialogue.

special envoy to the sahel, hiroute guebre sellassie

(un photo)


EuropeThe Department used extrabudgetary funds to support the establishment and consolidation of a Platform for Con-flict Prevention (PCP) in Kosovo (UN Interim Administration) in 2014. The PCP brought together a wide cross section of representatives that spanned community, faith, geographical, gender and generational divides, to constitute a sustainable platform for local advocacy and for the generation of pro-jects to support cross-divide confidence-building. Five for-mal gatherings were held during the course of the year where participants agreed upon key issues, including measures to ensure the independence and sustainability of the Platform.

The Department also provided support for the capacity-build-ing of professional staff from the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in constitutional review processes, launched a mapping of reconciliation initiatives in the West-ern Balkans supported by UNDP, and supported the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General (PESG) for the talks between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on the name dispute.

Establishing a political presence in UkraineSince late 2013, the situation in Ukraine has steadily dete-riorated into a political, security, economic and social cri-sis. In recent months, we have witnessed increasing loss of life, including mounting civilian casualties and growing divisions among parts of the country’s population. The peaceful settlement of the dispute remains a top priority of our Secretary-General as well as of Member States.

In March 2014, as the crisis escalated dangerously, DPA used extrabudgetary funding to establish a small political presence in Ukraine. This office has proven instrumental in providing support to the Secretary-General’s good offices role; it has underpinned his ef-forts to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The office has kept senior UN leadership abreast of the latest developments on the ground, thus better guiding the UN efforts to stabilize and ameliorate the rapidly changing political and security situation. This small presence has also served as DPA’s liaison with key stakeholders operating in Ukraine, including other UN agencies, funds and programmes, as well as repre-sentatives of regional and international organizations.

Voluntary contributions have also allowed DPA, guid-ed by Chapter VIII of the UN Charter (Regional Ar-rangements), to support the efforts of some of our key regional partners operating in Ukraine, particularly the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $400,000).

SASG EidE in nicoSiA mEEtinG both community LEAdErS in A bid to rESumE nEGotiAtionS on thE rEunificAtion of cypruS. (un photo)


Middle East and West Asia The regional spillover of the conflict in Syria has had a strong impact on the sociopolitical dynamics in Lebanon. In order to ensure the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN Special Co-ordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) and the requirement to im-plement the Secretary-General’s Policy on Integration, while simultaneously dealing with the impact of the Syrian crisis, ex-trabudgetary funding was instrumental in supporting plan-ning and coordination efforts. DPA provided support to the Resident Coordinator’s Office for the finalization of the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) for 2015–2016, which serves as the main strategic and operational plan for all in-ternational partners in Lebanon to address the impact of the crisis in the country. DPA also provided input to the coordi-nation mechanisms that will oversee the implementation and evaluation of the LCRP.

The conflict in Gaza continued to rage, with severe conse-quences for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and in Israel. Ongoing diplomatic efforts have so far failed to achieve a durable ceasefire. Negotiations in Cairo continue to pursue this objective and discussions have also begun in the Security Council. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle-East Peace Process (UNSCO) has remained at the forefront of diplomatic efforts and has brokered humanitar-ian pauses and ceasefires on the one hand, while facilitating contact among the parties with a view to resolving some of the broader political issues on the other. Voluntary resources have been used to assist these efforts through the use of good offices role, including the efforts of the Liaison Officer based in Cairo. DPA continued to support efforts in support of a durable ceasefire that address the underlying issues af-fecting Gaza throughout 2014, and expects these activities to continue in 2015.

In Afghanistan, extrabudgetary funding has been essential to deal with the increased demands in the run-up to and

following the transfer of the UNAMA/Afghanistan portfolio from DPKO to DPA in October. Afghanistan is undergoing an intensive period of political transition: the country has seen its first peaceful transfer of power from one elected leader to another, and has agreed on a government of national uni-ty. However, significant challenges remain, including electoral and constitutional reform, tackling the illicit economy, and the need to strengthen security for the population, amidst the continuation of armed opposition. Extrabudgetary fund-ing ensured essential continuity in backstopping support to the Mission and a gradual handover on all of these issues; for example, a staff appointment at the Director level, familiariza-tion visits, and meetings of both the Integrated Management Task Force and Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board have all helped facilitate the handover process. Furthermore, extrabudgetary funding allowed the Team Leader to attend the London Conference on Afghanistan to engage with UN system entities and Afghan national interlocutors on the fu-ture scope of international assistance and the role of the UN.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) used extrabudgetary funding to host the annual exchange between the UN and Deputy For-eign Ministers of the Central Asian countries on existing and emerging challenges to peace and security in the region. Of pressing concern are continued threats from terrorism, ex-tremism, drug trafficking and other organized crime; disputes over the management of shared natural resources; issues re-lated to the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan; as well as ways to strengthen regional cooperation to tackle these is-sues. This highly successful meeting achieved political con-sensus between the five Central Asian countries and the UN on the focus of UNRCCA’s activities over the next three-year period, as per its 2015–2017 Programme of Action. The Pro-gramme of Action was endorsed with a number of additional activities as a result of the event itself, as well as requests for the annual event to continue.

in JAnuAry 2014, whEn unrwA wAS AbLE to compLEtE itS firSt humAnitAriAn diStribution in

yArmouk AftEr ALmoSt Six monthS of SiEGE, it wAS mEt by thouSAndS of dESpErAtE rESidEntS on thE

dEStroyEd mAin StrEEt. (2014 unrwA photo)


Support aimed at resolving the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic

The crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic remains a top prior-ity for the United Nations. The rise in 2014 of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has demonstrated the grave threat that the continuation of this conflict poses to regional and international peace and security.

Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative (JSR), convened intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva using ex-trabudgetary resources in early 2014. Since then, dead-locks over the crisis in Syria at both regional and inter-national levels have prevented a credible negotiation process. The implementation of the Geneva Communi-qué of 30 June 2012 remains the basis for the UN media-tion efforts and the search for a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian conflict.

Following JSR Brahimi’s decision to relinquish his assign-ment in May 2013, DPA used voluntary funding to con-vene two brainstorming workshops in May and June/July 2014. The objective of these sessions was to draw upon the insights of external experts to review and identify ways in which the UN could respond to the challenges of the Syrian conflict. This led to the articulation of the Secretary-General’s policy speech at the Asia Society on 30 June, which highlighted six priority areas, one of which included the protection of civilians.

Mr. Staffan de Mistura, the new Special Envoy, took up his assignment in September 2014 and immediately began engaging with Syrian, regional and international partners on the acute priority of protecting the Syrian people while promoting a sustainable political solution to the conflict. The Special Envoy proposed the establishment of “freeze arrangements’ in October 2014, during his briefing to the Security Council. This proposal sought to strategically de-escalate violence, with an initial emphasis on the city of Aleppo, to be expanded to other cities and regions of Syria. It was hoped that the “freeze arrangements’ would help create the conditions for an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. Consultations continue at the time of this Report.

In 2014, extrabudgetary resources enabled DPA to go beyond a “business as usual” approach. The funds were used to provide backstopping support to the mediation efforts by the JSR and later by the Special Envoy; enhance monitoring and analysis capacities in order to better ad-vise and support senior leadership; ensure inter-agency coordination on key priorities such as the protection of Syrian civilians; and to promote the inclusion of women and civil society actors in the process.

Specifically, the extrabudgetary resources were used in four key ways. First, they allowed for a comprehensive

mapping and profiling of armed opposition groups; this was used by a range of UN actors working on Syria, in-cluding during the political negotiations. More recently, this initiative has enabled DPA to provide the Secretary-General and the Special Envoy with real-time political and military analyses of the impact of the anti-ISIL campaign, bolstered by partnerships with external experts who make innovative use of technology and social media to deepen their analysis of events.

Second, alongside the search for a political solution to the conflict, the immediate priority remains protect-ing the Syrian people. DPA convenes the Syria Working Group on Protection issues, established in March 2013, to assess the situation and identify areas of UN action. In September 2014, this Working Group met in Beirut to bring together Headquarters and field staff of relevant UN entities present in Syria and the region to advance the Secretary-General’s vision on the protection of ci-vilians in Syria. In support of these efforts, a consultant was hired using extrabudgetary resources to ensure that the protection work incorporated issues identified in the “Rights Up Front Action Plan” from the Sri Lanka Internal Review; the consultant has also supported the Working Group in preparation for the Deputy Secretary-General’s meeting of the Senior Action Group on Syria in June 2014, and advised Special Envoy de Mistura and his team.

Third, extrabudgetary resources allowed DPA to sup-port the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-UN joint mission for Syria, which was established in line with Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons programme. Extrabudgetary resources assisted in the start-up of this joint mission prior to its receipt of regular funding, as well as in lessons-learned exercises led by the Office for Disar-mament Affairs on this complex operation.

Lastly, voluntary funding was also used to address the regional spill-over effects of the Syrian crisis. With the increasing strain felt by the UN and the regional coun-tries, Resident Coordinators in Syria, Lebanon and Jor-dan requested support from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in deploying planning officers to coordinate and plan an integrated UN response in Syria and the regional countries. Two officers were deployed to Damascus and Beirut and a third officer is scheduled to arrive in Amman in early 2015.

The IATF for the Syrian Crisis, co-chaired by DPA and UNDP, remains the UN system’s central coordinating body, ensuring that the system focuses its efforts and re-sources on the Organization’s priorities. DPA continued to regularly convene and prepare meetings of the IATF. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $2.2 million.)


OverviewExtrabudgetary resources played a key role in enabling DPA to coordinate the UN response to requests from Member States for electoral assistance in 2014. The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs led UN system-wide efforts to provide technical assistance to Member States in conducting credible elections, and to strengthen consistency and coher-ence among all UN entities engaged in electoral assistance. DPA also took several steps to strengthen UN electoral part-nerships with regional and intergovernmental organizations, and helped ensure gender continues to be fully mainstreamed throughout all UN electoral assistance activities.

In 2014, we coordinated UN electoral assistance to over 65 countries through ongoing and new electoral support pro-jects. The Electoral Assistance Division (EAD) coordinated system-wide responses to about 30 new requests, including through conducting 26 needs assessment missions (NAMs) or desk reviews. EAD also provided electoral expertise to me-diation and facilitation efforts, including in Yemen, Ecuador and Afghanistan.

DPA manages an extensive electoral roster, put in place by the UN in 1992, which serves as an important tool in support

of UN efforts to ensure a speedy and high-quality response to all election-related requests and challenges. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to ensure the roster will be expanded, updated and consolidated into a single platform that can be used by all UN entities providing electoral assis-tance. The new single roster was launched in June 2014, with over 2,300 candidates applying. The assessment process of these applicants will be completed by August 2015.

Electoral partnerships with, and support to, regional and subregional organizations remained another key focus area in 2014. For example, DPA recruited and deployed a senior electoral expert to the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) to ensure that high-quality technical exper-tise is available to support the UN’s cooperation with the Af-rican Union (AU) on electoral matters and to provide speedy response to the needs in the region. Similarly, EAD supported the efforts of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Organi-zation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to establish electoral da-tabases, and provided training to their staff and representa-tives on electoral matters.

Output 2




Timely, coordinated and comprehensive response provided by DPA to requests for

United Nations electoral assistance

the inDepenDent election commission of afghanistan, unDer un supervision, auDiteD a total of 22,828 ballot boxes from the country's presiDential election run-off, helD on 14 June 2014. (farDin Waezi / unama)


❙ Examples of activities and achievements in the area of elections

An electoral needs assessment mission was deployed to the Central African Republic following the establishment of a transitional government. Given the loss of technical capacity and the collapse of the public administration as a result of the conflict, the mission recommended that substantial support be provided to the transitional authorities. The NAM recom-mended the provision of electoral-related support through the peacekeeping mission and UNDP, working in an integrat-ed fashion.

Following a request from the Government of Chad for UN technical assistance on elections, an electoral needs assess-ment was conducted in-country. The NAM recommended the provision of assistance through a UNDP project, while taking note of the funding challenges such a project could face. The recommendations highlighted the need to prioritize plans to conduct a biometric registration of voters, on which there was no clear political consensus, by providing expertise capable of elucidating some of the less-well-understood aspects of introducing new technology.

DPA deployed a needs assessment mission to Nigeria ahead of the critical 2015 general elections at national and state lev-els. The mission made recommendations on repositioning UN support to the electoral process, in the wider framework of a UNDP-managed “Democratic Governance for Development” project. The project provides critical support to initiatives in favour of peace and the prevention of conflict, among other areas.

A needs assessment mission was deployed to Togo, following a request from the government for electoral assistance. Given the short timeframe and the proven national capacities in the area of elections, the NAM recommended the provision of support in targeted areas, rather than a full-scale electoral assistance project. Key areas included: support to conflict prevention activities; refresher training of security personnel in human rights and election security; training of local au-thorities on their role and the required neutral posture; and support to planned activities of some institutions playing an ancillary role in the electoral process.

Following a request from the Electoral Commission, a needs assessment mission was dispatched to Ghana to consider ar-eas of possible support. The NAM recommended support for an institutional assessment of the Commission, preparation of a strategic plan, and assistance for civic education and other stakeholder outreach activities of the Commission.

An electoral needs assessment mission was conducted for My-anmar in September 2014, to examine how the UN might assist in the upcoming parliamentary elections in late 2015. The mis-

sion recommended limited assistance in specific areas due to the fact that there are already electoral assistance providers on the ground, covering a large range of areas; the Department has emphasized the importance of targeting women and other disadvantaged groups, particularly in voter education.

In Algeria, upon the request of the government, a three-mem-ber UN panel of experts visited the country during the April 2014 presidential elections. Panel members met with a wide range of interlocutors and visited a number of polling cent-ers in three provinces (Algiers, Tamanrasset and Tizi-Ouzou) on Election Day. The purpose of the panel was “to follow and report” on the election process, in order to enable the UN to assess the political and electoral environment in which the elections were held, and to enable relevant UN officials to be fully aware of the developments/challenges before, during and immediately after the election period. The panel was not an observation/monitoring mission and therefore did not make any public statements on the conduct or outcome of the elec-tions. However, the team did make several recommendations that could help improve the electoral process in the future.

The peaceful conduct of elections in Guinea-BissauIn Guinea-Bissau, the UN worked in close collabora-tion with a wide range of Member States and regional organizations to facilitate the peaceful conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections. UNDP, in co-ordination with other international partners, provided technical support to the electoral authorities, includ-ing the National Elections Commission (CNE).

Mr. José Ramos Horta, SRSG and Head of the UN Inte-grated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOG-BIS), sought to ensure a common international voice during the process, while simultaneously galvanizing financial and technical support from other, non-UN actors to accelerate electoral preparations and avoid further postponement. Working in close coordination with the Resident Coordinator, UN-Women and the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), DPA helped ensure that the process was seen to be transparent by all stakeholders.

While the outcome of the presidential elections was unambiguous, the post-election period was marred by the possibility of a non-acceptance of the result by the second-place candidate supported by the military commander. The SRSG’s good offices, in coordination with the Special Representatives of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as other actors, ensured that this threat was managed effectively, thereby facilitat-ing the establishment of an inclusive government. (To-tal extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $30,000.)


Support to AfghanistanDespite prolonged political uncertainty and the complexi-ties of the international military drawdown, Afghanistan has made progress in vital areas, with the first peaceful transfer of power from one elected leader to another and agreement on a government of national unity. Considerable challenges remain, however, from generating sustainable growth and tackling the illicit economy to strengthening security for the population, amidst the continuation of the armed op-position. With plans for electoral reform, parliamentary and district council elections, and convening a Loya Jirga with a view to amending the constitution, the coming period for Afghanistan will be crucial as the country begins its declared decade of transformation.

EAD took several steps to provide assistance to the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) in 2014. This included providing surge support to the UNAMA electoral team and deploying senior electoral expertise to support the good offices of the SRSG during the elections, particu-larly during the electoral impasse that followed the presi-dential run-off of June 2014.

As part of their political agreement, facilitated in part by the UN, the two presidential candidates agreed to an un-

precedented comprehensive audit of all 23,000 ballot box-es from the run-off to be carried out by the Independent Electoral Commission in Kabul under extensive national and international observation and UN supervision. In ac-cordance with the agreement and in consultation with the two candidates, the UN was requested to provide propos-als on both the design and the conduct of the audit. Key UN officials designed and ensured proper implementation of the audit framework upon extensive consultation with candidate teams, electoral bodies, donors, the Interna-tional Security Assistance Force (ISAF)/ the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and observer groups. In addi-tion, DPA/EAD supported UNDP’s efforts to quickly iden-tify and deploy over 140 electoral advisers to Afghanistan for the conduct of the audit process.

Given the transition processes in the country, it is impor-tant for the Mission to adapt to the emerging environment, particularly in view of the 31 December 2014 exit of ISAF. In 2015, it will be essential to ensure comprehensive support for the work of UNAMA, with sufficient backstopping, provi-sion of expertise on key substantive areas, and engagement with regional organizations, as well as coordination with in-ternational partners. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $300,000.)

Furthermore, in order to enhance coherence and consistency within the system, the Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, in his role as the UN Focal Point for electoral assis-tance, issued two UN system-wide electoral policy docu-ments in 2014: the “Policy Directive on UN Support to the Design or Reform of Electoral Management Bodies”, and the “Policy Directive on UN Statements and Public Comments around Elections”. EAD consulted with and widely dissemi-nated these policies to all entities providing electoral assis-tance within the UN system. The Division also continues to facilitate the Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanism for UN

as part of the auDit of the results from afghanistan’s presiDential election run-off, helD on 14 June, eight million ballots Were brought to kabul, Where the inDepenDent election commission unDertook the auDit, in the full presence of international anD Domestic observers, canDiDates’ agents, the meDia anD un aDvisers. (un photo)

Electoral Assistance (ICMEA). This forum provides a platform

for dialogue on electoral policy and coordination, and com-

prises all UN entities involved in electoral assistance.

Lastly, as part of its collaboration with the UN System Staff

College (UNSSC), DPA has continued the implementation

of a training course on “A Political Approach to Preventing

and Responding to Electoral Violence”. In 2014, three such

trainings were conducted in Accra, Bangkok and New York

for over 60 UN staff in various Peacekeeping, Special Political

Missions and UN Country Teams.


OverviewIn line with DPA’s mandate to engage partners in preventive di-plomacy and peacemaking, DPA has taken steps to foster both operational and institutional partnerships with a broad and di-verse set of global actors. Security Council resolution 2171 in 2014, on the better use of system-wide approaches to conflict, underscored the need to leverage relationships with partners in preventing conflict and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

The UN and its regional, national and local partners have dif-ferent but complementary skills. Whereas regional, national and local actors have first-hand knowledge of the context and strong bonds with local stakeholders, the UN benefits from the legitimacy of universal membership as well as long-standing experience and operational capacity in the area of international peace and security. All actors have shared limita-tions: the conflicts we face today are simply too complex to be confronted and resolved by one actor alone. By working together, we can leverage our comparative advantages to-wards our shared goals. Cooperation may be high-level and strategic, or involve working-level desk-to-desk exchanges and tailored, mediation-related trainings. Cooperation also involves essential information exchanges.

Never before have these partnerships been as critical as they are today. As a result of the proliferation and intensification of multiple crises in 2014, we stepped up our initiatives geared towards enhancing the capacity of our partners and our ability to collaborate in areas of mutual interest. Part of this “change of gear” relates to the growing awareness that the nature of conflict and the actors involved have changed: piracy, terror-ism, drug-trafficking and organized crime, for example, do

not take place within the confines of national borders. In line with these changes, our responses must also change.

Following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 68/303 in 2014, our engagements have focused on bolstering our support to regional and subregional organizations in the area of mediation. Much of our work in 2014 has been ori-ented towards deepening mediation networks with Non-Gov-ernmental Organizations (NGOs), organizations working with religious and traditional leaders, academics and other exter-nal experts to strengthen analysis, lessons learned and guid-ance development on operational responses on the ground. We also work closely with Member States, for example when rolling out our new training programmes or guidance notes, in order to draw upon the right expertise input on the one hand, and to help reach our target audiences on the other.

Our approach to partnerships is not just externally focused. In line with the coherence agenda of the Secretary-General and the “Delivering as One” concept, we make a concerted effort to galvanize partnerships with Secretariat and non-Secretariat entities. Thanks to extrabudgetary funds, DPA is in a stronger position to lead or help shape a number of inter-agency pol-icy processes that are defining the UN’s priorities in the area of peace and security. We continue to prioritize, for example, the Joint UNDP-DPA Programme on Building National Capac-ities for Conflict Prevention, a landmark partnership that has steadily grown in scope since 2004. This programme assists UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams in over twenty-five countries in supporting national counterparts in dialogue, facilitation and mediation initiatives.

Output 3




Productive partnerships developed and sustained with regional organizations,

United Nations system entities and other stakeholders to enhance conflict prevention,

mediation and peacebuilding


❙ Examples of activities and achievements by region

Partnerships worldwide

DPA has contributed to a deepening of UN cooperation with the World Bank in the context of the Partnership on Fragile and Conflict-Affected States. Collaboration has focused on exchange of experience and best practices on national dia-logue, approaches to conflict and fragility, core government functions, and constitutions, with input from DPA, UNDP and the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO). For example, in 2014 the UN and the World Bank worked together closely in Somalia, within the framework of the New Deal Somali Com-pact. The joint visit of the Secretary-General and the Presi-dent of the World Bank to the Horn of Africa in late 2014 un-derscored that political and economic strategies need to go hand in hand. The two institutions pledged to redouble their

joint efforts to assist countries in the region to strengthen

peace, security and economic development.

Collaboration with UNDP, through support to Peace and De-

velopment Advisers (PDAs), increased considerably in 2014 as

a result of the high demand for assistance. This programme

assists UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams in over

twenty-five countries in supporting national counterparts at

their request in dialogue, facilitation and mediation initiatives.

For example, following a request from the Resident Coordi-

nator in Chile, DPA helped design, conduct and implement a

training session on dialogue and negotiation for representa-

tives of government institutions. Similarly, in Colombia, we

provided advice on dialogue strategies as a tool to prevent

and transform social conflicts in the oil and gas sector, includ-

ing the provision of training for personnel of the Ministries of

Interior and Energy, as well as for UNDP staff.

UN System

RCs and UNCTs

UNDP

UN-Women

World Bank

Civil Society Organizations

Academia

NGOs

Religious Organizations

Regional/subregional Organizations

ASEAN

AU

ECOWAS

EU

LAS

OAS/SICA

OIC

SADC

Other

G7+

Member States

NATO

OSCE

UN Secretariat

DPKO and DFS

OCHA

Offices away from HQ

OHCHR

PBF/PBSO

Regional Offices

UNODC

DPA Partners

un special representative of the sg for iraq, nickolay mlaDenov; uniteD nations special envoy for syria, staffan De mistura; iraqi prime minister haiDer al-abaDi anD the un Delegation. (un photo)


AfricaOur partnership work in Africa mainly focuses on our strategic and growing relations with regional and subregional organiza-tions. DPA has a strong institutional relationship with the Af-rican Union (AU), underpinned, among others, by the UN’s Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme for the African Union. Since the establishment of the UN Office to the African Union in 2010, the peace and security challenges that the UN and AU have been working on have increased and become more complex, and advancing the AU-UN strategic partnership has become self-evident and urgent. During the last 5 years, a wide range of mechanisms and tools has been established at the AU as a result of our collaboration in the context of this Multi-Year Appeal, including: a Secretariat for the Panel of the Wise; a roster of African mediation experts; a knowledge management system for documenting AU mediation practice; training pro-grammes; and lessons-learned exercises and mediation guide-lines. Concurrently, the AU is now finalizing a Continental Struc-tural CP Framework and boosting its Continental Early Warning System. Our collaboration continues at an operational level, most specifically in the Central African Republic, the Great Lakes region, Madagascar, the Sahel and Sudan/South Sudan.

Our partnership with the Economic Community of West Afri-can States (ECOWAS) expanded in 2014 with fruitful results, thanks to extrabudgetary funding. In Mali, our experts closely supported ECOWAS in reaching the Ouagadougou Interim Agreement, and we continue to provide support to the on-going negotiations in Algiers. Similarly, in Guinea, Mr. Said Djinnit, then Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa, worked closely with both the African Union and ECOWAS, to help overcome the sharp disagreements that arose between the Government and the opposition over modalities for parliamentary elections. Coherent messaging by the envoys of the three organizations sent a clear signal to stakeholders in Guinea regarding the unity of the internation-al community, providing a solid example of the real benefits of partnerships. Furthermore, in line with the landmark Secu-rity Council resolution 1325 and the Regional Plan of Action in September 2010 in Dakar, Burkina Faso and Nigeria both adopted a National Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Se-curity. Given the success of this regional initiative, it is likely to be replicated in other regions.

Our partnership with the South African Development Com-munity (SADC) was bolstered in 2014 in light of the first ever UN-SADC interactive dialogue on conflict prevention, media-tion, elections, gender, and on the role of the African Union in the region. The dialogue helped develop a clear and shared understanding of the respective priorities and approaches of UN and SADC with regard to peace and security issues facing the region. Furthermore, the first Regional Workshop on the theme of counter-terrorism took place in 2014, with the aim of

supporting SADC to strengthen its efforts in this area. These efforts were facilitated by the DPA Southern African Liaison Team, based in Botswana; this proved to be a cost-effective way of representing DPA in the region while simultaneously building relationships with regional organizations.

With the crisis in the Central African Republic deteriorating in 2014, DPA focused on providing support to the mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Alongside our regional office in Gabon (UN-OCA), DPA provided mediation expertise on process design to ECCAS and took steps to ensure strategic coherence be-tween these mediation efforts and those of MINUSCA, the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission on the ground.

The Department also developed a new mediation partner-ship with the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which, along with the AU and SADC, is in the process of establishing its own mediation support unit. In this spirit, in South Sudan, the Department has supported the efforts of IGAD, which is leading the mediation process.

AmericasIn 2014, the Department worked closely with the Organiza-tion of American States (OAS). Efforts focused on helping the OAS to deal with the broad range of challenges confronting the region, particularly the growing number of social conflicts. In addition to these engagements, extrabudgetary funding al-lowed for DPA to participate in both the OAS annual General Assembly meeting as well as one of its extraordinary sessions held in Guatemala City, dedicated to the problem of drugs in the Americas. Through this project, DPA is able to strengthen its ties with regional actors in Central America, including Mem-ber States, to support conflict prevention measures and activi-

somali presiDent hassan sheik mohamuD officially ratifies the un convention on the rights of the chilD in mogaDishu on 20 January 2015.

(un photo / ilyas ahmeD)


ties designed to improve governance and security, especially in relation to drugs and crime-related issues. Similarly, DPA has used extrabudgetary resources to reinforce cooperation with the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in the context of joint efforts to address social conflicts in the region.

Collaboration with UNDP, through support to Peace and De-velopment Advisers (PDAs) in Latin America, increased ex-ponentially in 2014 as a result of a dramatic rise in requests for assistance on natural resource-related conflicts involving local communities and corporations in Chile, Columbia, Guy-ana and Peru. For example, following a request from the Resi-dent Coordinator in Chile, we helped design, conduct and implement a training event on dialogue and negotiation for representatives from governmental agencies. Similarly, in Co-lombia, we offered advice on dialogue strategies as a tool to prevent and transform social conflicts in the oil and gas sector; we also provided intensive training for members of the Ministries of Interior and Energy, as well as UNDP. In Peru, DPA supported the Resident Coordinator to conduct a feasi-bility assessment related to a roundtable process taking place in the Peruvian Amazon in response to the repercussions of oil-drilling. In Honduras, DPA has supported the UNCT to en-hance its conflict analysis and conflict prevention activities.

Asia and the Pacific DPA’s expanding partnership with the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) yielded positive results in 2014. We worked closely with individual ASEAN Member States as well as with the ASEAN Secretariat to lay the groundwork for a successful summit in Myanmar. The Summit advanced the ASE-AN-UN Comprehensive Partnership and provided an opportu-nity to welcome the establishment of the UN Liaison presence in Jakarta, established in October to provide a direct interface between the UN, the ASEAN Secretariat, Member States and other dialogue partners in the area of political-security coop-eration. At the operational level, the partnership has strength-ened efforts to support the Secretary-General’s good offices in Myanmar. Extrabudgetary funding has been critical for sup-porting ASEAN’s very active role in South-East Asia.

In both Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste, DPA’s partnership with UNDP has continued to evolve. In Sri Lanka, DPA’s support to the Resident Coordinator and the PDA, has contributed to ongoing peacebuilding efforts. Similarly, following the withdrawal of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) in 2012, and the transition to a Country Team presence, DPA has played a vital role in ensuring sufficient ca-pacity for political monitoring and analysis in-country. A PDA has strengthened the UN’s capacity for conflict-sensitive pro-gramming and, thanks to extrabudgetary funding, has pro-vided technical advice on youth violence prevention, conflict sensitivity and gender issues.

EuropeThe Department has strengthened its relationships with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) thanks to extrabudgetary funding. In 2014, efforts focused on sharing knowledge and expertise, on exploring joint actions on both country-specific and regional matters, and on the-matic issues such as mediation, reconciliation (including joint staff training), conflict resolution and peacebuilding. These relationships have proven to be extremely fruitful for elabo-rating joint responses to unfolding events in Kosovo, Georgia, Central Asia and, most recently, in Ukraine.

Similarly, DPA’s partnership with the European Union (EU) has gone from strength to strength during 2014. Dialogue on peace and security issues between senior UN and EU officials has increased, strengthening the reach and impact of the joint UN Liaison Office for Peace and Security (UNLOPS), which is maintained in partnership with DPKO and the Department of Field Support (DFS). The Department has used UNLOPS to strengthen relationships in this regard, which has proven especially productive in terms of coordination of a joint re-sponse to the crisis in Ukraine. The cooperation on peace and security also benefits from institutionalized mechanisms such as desk-to-desk dialogues, the High-Level Political Dialogue and the bi-annual UN-EU Steering Committee on Crisis Man-agement, which are enabled by extrabudgetary funding.

DPA continued to enhance its partnership with UNDP for con-flict prevention in the Eastern European region. In particular, DPA is closely working with UNDP, including through the UN Country Teams and the UNDP Istanbul Regional Centre, to strengthen regional coordination on conflict prevention for the South Caucasus region.

protestors in kathmanDu gather aheaD of DeaDline for laWmakers to agree on a neW Draft constitution. (irin photo)


Middle East and West Asia

In light of the rapidly changing dynamics and multiple cri-ses unfolding across the Middle East, the Department’s joint work with the League of Arab States (LAS) increased sub-stantially in 2014. Much of the Department’s work involved supporting the LAS in our joint effort to address the crisis in Syria in the context of the Geneva II conference and Special Envoy de Mistura’s complementary political initiative to en-able a “freeze” of military and combat operations by both government and opposition groups in the city of Aleppo. Extrabudgetary funding was used to strengthen the capac-ity of LAS in early warning, conflict prevention/mediation, post-conflict peacebuilding, and electoral preparedness, in-cluding the development of an LAS electoral roster. Similarly, our partnership with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was a priority in 2014 in light of crises in the region. Agreements were reached to focus on strengthening political consultations and adopting monitoring mechanisms to en-sure the successful implementation of joint activities.

Working with the LAS, OIC and the Committee on the Exer-cise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, DPA spearheaded the implementation of the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The initiative sparked international discussion and activities led by intergovernmen-tal and civil society organizations working on Palestinian is-sues. The initiative provided various opportunities for political representatives from the Knesset and the Palestinian Legisla-tive Council—as well as civil society representatives from the West Bank, Gaza and Israel—to engage in dialogue to sup-port Israeli-Palestinian peace. The initiative sought to support the specific rights of the Palestinians, especially as they relate to the six final status issues (borders, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security, and water) as well as prisoners. These initiatives were also supported by the EU and a wide range of UN actors.

Our efforts in the Middle East have also involved a close work-ing relationship with UNDP. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Syrian Crisis (IATF), which is co-chaired by DPA and UNDP, has increased its support to UN field operations and actors in Syria. Extrabudgetary funding enabled the recruitment of criti-cal personnel in order for DPA to coordinate with UN agencies and to continue its support to operations in Syria and neigh-bouring countries. Staff were deployed to Damascus, Beirut and Amman for planning and coordination purposes, and the Department provided ongoing support to the Resident Coor-dinators in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in light of the regional ramifications of the conflict. Exemplifying the Department’s continued efforts to promote internal cooperation, DPA has worked with multiple partners to deepen its understanding of emerging trends in the Middle East and North Africa.

DPA support to ECOWAS for the resolution of the crisis in Burkina FasoIn October 2014, the population in Burkina Faso took to the streets to protest the government’s efforts to amend the constitution to extend presidential term lim-its. The popular uprising led to the resignation and de-parture of President Blaise Compaoré from the country.

At the onset, a joint high-level mission comprised of Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, SRSG for West Africa and Head of UNOWA, senior representatives from the AU and ECOWAS travelled to Burkina Faso to encourage national stakeholders to engage in an inclusive dia-logue process aimed at peacefully resolving the crisis. Throughout the crisis, SRSG Chambas conducted ex-tensive consultations in Ouagadougou and travelled in the subregion to garner the support of regional part-ners for a peaceful resolution.

At UN Headquarters, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed the Security Council on the situation in Burkina Faso. Following the briefing, the Council issued a press statement urging a smooth resolution of the crisis in line with the demo-cratic aspirations of the Burkinabe people. DPA also deployed a senior team from UN Headquarters to sup-port SRSG Chambas in the performance of his good offices function.

The rapid UN action, in close cooperation with ECO-WAS and the AU, prompted national stakeholders to engage in an inclusive national dialogue process that resulted in an early agreement being reached on a one-year civilian-led transition that will culminate with general elections in November 2015. The DPA sup-port team, funded under this Appeal, remained in the field to observe the installation of key transitional in-stitutions and to provide assistance to the UN Country Team at the early stages of the transitional period.

In early December 2014, the transitional government requested the UN’s assistance in organizing the elec-tions. Following this request, Under-Secretary-Gener-al Feltman authorized the deployment of an electoral Needs Assessment Mission in January 2015 to identify the parameters of UN support for the elections.

The UN, ECOWAS and the AU continue to work togeth-er in support of Burkinabés efforts to ensure a smooth transition. They recently established an “International follow-up and support group for the transition in Burkina Faso”, which is expected to facilitate the mobilization of international assistance during the transition period, and to support stakeholders to hold free and transparent elections. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $30,000.)


OverviewOver the past decade, the Department has transformed from a largely desk-based organization into the operational, pro-active and results-oriented entity it is today. This ongoing process has involved enhancing our tools in the area of con-flict prevention and mediation, strengthening the capacity of our staff and partners, streamlining our internal processes to enhance efficiency, and generating a much deeper know-ledge of the cross-cutting themes at the heart of our work. These changes have in turn necessitated more consistent out-reach and communication efforts, as well as an institutional-ized monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The DPA reform agenda is intricately linked to the coherence and effective-ness agenda of the UN system as a whole, which is stimulated by requests from Member States to streamline and enhance the Organization’s performance.

In line with the 2012 Report of the Secretary-General on Me-diation and the “United Nations Guidance for Effective Me-diation”, which sets global standards for the practice of me-diation, DPA is well positioned to improve its own capacity in this area and integrate learning into its programming, while supporting our partners to do the same.

DPA efforts in 2014 under Output 4 focused on enhancing our ability to respond to the increasingly demanding operational context. Our Learning and Evaluation Board, established in 2013, has begun implementing a strategy to ensure we are learning from our past engagements, and incorporating best practices into our work at Headquarters and in the field. As a “learning organization”, DPA tries to ensure a constant feed-back loop between our engagements in the field and the train-ing given to our staff, which is then translated into engage-ments we are implementing. Our knowledge management strategy forms a vital component of the process of collecting and disseminating the insights we garner from the field.

Output 4




DPA’s supporting capacity and mechanisms enhanced to assist conflict prevention,

mediation and peacebuilding

srsg De mistura in syria, 2014 (un photo)


❙ Examples of activities and achievements Supporting cross-cutting themes The Department continues to strengthen its work on cross-

cutting themes. Reconciliation, for example, has emerged as

an important topic, of interest to different parts of the UN sys-

tem. The current attention paid to this issue represents a fresh

attempt by the UN to peel back political and socioeconomic

narratives and help communities tackle the underlying causes

of conflicts. In addition to our country-specific engagements

around this issue, we have worked closely with the OSCE

and the Folke Bernadotte Academy to design a joint training

course on conflict prevention and reconciliation, which took

place in July 2014.

Similarly, over the past year DPA has strengthened its work on

constitutions. DPA leads the inter-agency working group on

coordination and the delivery of effective and efficient con-

stitutional assistance, which is a core component of the Or-

ganization’s peacebuilding, state-building, and political tran-

sitions strategy. The working group, which consists of seven

UN offices, now publishes three newsletters a year providing

a snapshot of what is going on in the complex environment of

constitutional assistance, featuring news from Headquarters

and UN Country Teams, and Political and Peacekeeping Mis-

sions on the ground. In 2014, DPA completed the design of the

“Constitutionmaker”, an online resource for tools concerning

constitution-making and constitutional assistance, designed

in partnership with UNDP (constitutionmaker.un.org). The

Constitutionmaker website has a dedicated page on women’s

rights and other constitutional gender issues.

DPA has also strengthened institutional knowledge and capac-

ity for UN staff involved in the mediation of natural resource-

related conflicts, such as those conflicts linked to extractive

industries, land and water. DPA is an active member of the

EU-UN Partnership on Land, Natural Resources and Conflict

Prevention, a multi-agency programme aimed at providing a

platform for coordinated conflict resolution. Furthermore, in

2014, alongside the United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP), the Department finalized a Guidance Note on “Me-

diating Natural Resource Conflicts”, to be launched in 2015.

DPA has expanded its work on drug trafficking and organ-

ized crime. As co-chair of the UN Task Force on Transnational

Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking, the Department has

played an active role in raising awareness of this important

issue among Member States and regional and subregional

organizations. Extrabudgetary funding allowed for backstop-

ping to the Task Force, and permitted efforts to develop a

comprehensive approach to this cross-cutting issue with a

broad range of UN partners.

Capacity-building for staff and partners

Voluntary resources allow for vital support to Special Political Missions. For example, integrated assessments and planning were strengthened as a result of the guidance and support provided by DPA, and numerous trainings and workshops were held on diverse issues such as conflict analysis, strategic assessment, addressing political challenges in the field, elec-toral violence, ceasefires, gender and inclusivity, and mission drawdowns/transitions. Over 80 staff members participated in these trainings.

The Department continues to manage, maintain and expand the UN Peacemaker site, which currently consists of some 800 peace agreements, including ceasefires and power-sharing arrangements—the most comprehensive online tool for mediation-related materials. In 2014, the database was expanded to include a video library of interviews with DPA senior management and mediation experts. The Department also manages the Mediation Roster, which consists of over 300 experts from close to 80 nationalities, over 40 per cent

The Secretary-General’s Review of Peace OperationsOn 31 October 2014, the Secretary-General appointed a High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations and requested it to make a Comprehensive Review of the state of United Nations peace operations today, and emerging needs for the future.

The Review signals a recognition of the changing global landscape in which the United Nations works. Peace operations are increasingly called upon to confront po-litically complex and challenging conflicts, often in vola-tile security environments. The Review will be an op-portunity to take stock of evolving expectations around peace operations and will consider how the Organiza-tion can most effectively advance peace, assist coun-tries caught in conflict and ensure that Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions remain strong and effective in a changing global context.

The Review will consider a broad range of issues fac-ing peace operations, including the changing nature of conflict, evolving mandates, good offices and peace-building challenges, managerial and administrative ar-rangements, planning, partnerships, human rights and the protection of civilians, uniformed capabilities for peacekeeping operations and performance.

This will be the first such panel to examine both peace-keeping operations and special political missions. The important work of the Panel is made possible thanks to extrabudgetary funding. (Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $300,000.)


of whom are women and 34 per cent of whom are from the Global South. The roster met service demands ranging from mediation and training to security arrangements, reconcilia-tion and national dialogue in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eu-rope and the Middle East.

In 2014, we also made use of the Department’s Mediator in Residence Programme, which aims to capture the valuable practical knowledge of experienced mediators for improved engagements in the future. Following the end of his thirty-year career within the UN, Mr. Abou Moussa, outgoing SRSG for UNOCA, shared and documented his knowledge of the situation in the Central Africa subregion, as well as his ex-tensive experience in conflict prevention and management. Similarly, Mr. Francesc Vendrell, a former senior UN official, spent time writing, analysing and reflecting upon the lessons learned in the course of his duties, and directly drew upon these insights during the High-Level Mediation Course with DPA staff. He also served as a resource to DPA on specific ongoing mediation and good offices cases.

Voluntary funding has enabled us to increase the number of staff available at the MSU to provide operational support, capacity-building and a wide range of knowledge products and guidance materials on mediation.

Outreach and communication Outreach and communication are led by the strategic com-munications and public affairs team in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, which remains dependent on ex-trabudgetary funding. During 2014, the team continued an overhaul of its intranet, with a rollout scheduled for early 2015. The new look reflects a revamped DPA visual identity, which was finalized in December 2014. New media, including social media, are increasingly important components of DPA’s outreach initiatives, with great emphasis on connecting with Member States on Twitter, and the successful transition of DPA’s primary magazine Politically Speaking to a web-based platform. This recognition of the need to leverage new tech-nologies drives the eDiplomacy (or Digital Diplomacy) Pro-gramme, which was further developed throughout the year and which will soon feature a flagship product to gather and analyse official open-source information on relevant interna-tional political developments. Recognizing the importance of better presenting DPA’s work publicly, the Department has increasingly utilized its modest audiovisual capacities to cre-ate attractive and compelling content aimed at specialized and general audiences, which can be shared more effectively with other departments and agencies.

Donor relations DPA has put in place a separate structure with primary res-ponsibility for the systematic implementation of a resource mo-bilization strategy/policy, monitoring and regular reporting. A dedicated staff capacity in DPA is in charge of both drafting the Appeal and the reports and liaising with Member States. In 2014, DPA redoubled efforts to reach out to non-traditional donors.

Ongoing evaluations, assessments, lessons-learned studies • Evaluation of the Multi-Year Appeal mechanism

• Review of UN support provided to the “Kampala Dialogue”, a mediation process between the 23 March Movement and the Government of the Dem-ocratic Republic of the Congo

• Lessons-learned study on the start-up of the UN Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB)

• Lessons-learned study on the DPA-UNDP Joint Programme, including the Peace and Development Advisers

• After-action review of the establishment of the Gaza Board of Inquiry

• Lessons-learned study on the transfer of lead re-sponsibility for the United Nations Assistance Mis-sion in Afghanistan from DPKO to DPA

special representative of the secretary-general nickolay mlaDenov With religious leaDers

of Different communities During WorlD interfaith harmony Week. baghDaD, iraq.

february 2014. (unami photo)


Evaluations, assessments, lessons-learned studies completed in 2014

Given the importance of learning and evaluation exercises to DPA’s work, the Department initiated a number of as-sessments and lessons-learned studies to ensure that DPA is capturing best practices for improved mandate delivery:

• In 2013, DPA commissioned a consultant to undertake an impact assessment to determine whether DPA’s en-gagement in the immediate aftermath of protest-relat-ed violence in Malawi, in 2011, had an impact on defus-ing tensions, initiating a dialogue process and helping to avert widespread violence. The impact assessment found that: DPA successfully addressed the immedi-ate political crisis at the time; the UN was considered a credible interlocutor in Malawi; the operational context was conducive to a UN-led facilitation; DPA coordinat-

ed its efforts with international actors and other UN entities and was able to provide important continuity, including during the switch in facilitation lead; the UN’s efforts helped build national mediation/conflict resolu-tion capacity; and there was adequate representation of women on the UN’s facilitation team and the Gov-ernment and civil society negotiating teams.

• The Department also undertook a lessons-learned ex-ercise on its 2012–2013 engagement in the Maldives to identify best practices and lessons learned regarding DPA’s efforts to foster and facilitate political dialogue since 2012. The study found that DPA’s engagement was multilayered, combining effective inter-agency cooperation, coordinated messaging with the interna-

Improving efficiency In 2014, a Department-wide Knowledge Management Con-cept Note was approved in an effort to improve DPA’s system for capturing, analysing and disseminating knowledge and im-plementing captured lessons through guidance development and training. In this vein, DPA initiated a number of activities to build the Department’s institutional capacity for learning. We also revised our Learning and Evaluation Framework (LEF), based on the experience of the last two years following the establishment of the Learning and Evaluation Board in March 2013. The LEF brings together the efforts of the Department to learn from its current and past engagements and evaluate its performance for improved efficiency and effectiveness of the Department’s work at Headquarters and in the field.

Improving Strategic Planning The first DPA Strategic Plan was developed in 2013 and covers a period of two years (2014–2015). In 2014, DPA Divisions de-veloped Annual Work Plans and then produced reports on their achievements in 2014 and the challenges faced. In 2014, two significant advances were made. First, a new Strategic Plan Review Framework was established to support the re-view of the Strategic Plan implementation. Second, DPA has institutionalised an Annual Strategic Review, led by Senior Management, to take stock of DPA’s Strategic Plan implemen-tation, review DPA’s priorities, capacities and resources and develop a shared understanding of the evolving operating context. The first Strategic Review Meeting was held to reflect on progress and challenges faced in 2014 and set the course and priorities of the Department for 2015. The recommenda-tions of the 2014 Annual Strategic Review have: (i) informed the development of 2015 Annual Work Plans of the Divisions; (ii) supported revisions of current Strategic Plan priorities; (iii) informed the resources allocation; and will be taken into ac-count in the development of the next Strategic Plan.

Transitions In recent years, DPA has seen several of its field mis-sions being drawn down and reconfigured: the politi-cal office for Somalia was reconfigured in June 2013 (UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) to UNSOM); the peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) withdrew following the completion of its mandate in March 2014; and the UN Office in Burundi (BNUB) closed down in December 2014.

Responding to requests from field missions for more systematic guidance and support on how to man-age transitions, an Organization-wide “Policy on UN Transitions in the Context of Mission Drawdown and Withdrawal” was signed by the Secretary-General in February 2013. The policy outlines key transition prin-ciples for closing missions, including the need for early planning; UN integration; national ownership; national capacity development; and a communication strategy. This policy marks a milestone in improving the way the UN supports countries undergoing transition process-es, as well as in the way the UN itself reconfigures to adapt to challenges and needs on the ground.

The Department is conducting a series of lessons-learned studies in collaboration with other UN enti-ties on the closure and reconfiguration of its field missions. For example, DPA, together with UNDP and PBSO, conducted a detailed study on the withdrawal of UNIPSIL. The study revealed the importance of na-tional ownership, early planning, communication and collaboration with the UN Country Team, while chal-lenges related to staffing, liquidation and providing continuous mission support were highlighted. The components of the study on the transitions in Somalia and Burundi are ongoing, and will be used to develop future guidance material.


tional community, DPA visits to the country, and the deployment of a PDA. As lessons learned that could inform future similar engagements, the exercise not-ed, among others, the need for a coherent and long-term strategy behind DPA’s efforts; the strategic deployment of experts in support of dialogue pro-cesses; the importance of DPA-UNDP-Resident Coor-dinator coordination, including on the role of PDAs; and the need for joint conflict analysis with relevant regional organizations.

• In 2014, DPA, together with the Office for Disarma-ment Affairs, led a lessons-learned exercise to review application of the Secretary-General’s Mechanism in view of the UN Mission to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Repub-lic in 2013. The Syria lessons-learned exercise sought to identify the steps needed to improve the levels of preparedness and readiness of the Secretary-Gener-al’s Mechanism in response to future allegations of the use of chemical, biological or toxin weapons.

• The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) carried out a lessons-learned exercise on its good offices sup-port to the Puntland elections in 2013–2014. The exer-cise revealed important lessons for the future, such as the need for early outreach by the SRSG, maintaining regional UN presences in Somalia, and coordinating coherent messaging among international partners.

• Following the Arab Spring, DPA undertook a review of the DPA Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Working Group. Established in 2011 as an ad hoc working group by DPA/USG in response to the events in the region, the Working Group was mandated to coordinate messages, senior leadership statements, analysis and reporting on cross-cutting issues. The review addressed the effectiveness of the Working Group, focusing especially on working arrangements, such as tasking, roles and responsibilities, and inter-nal and external communications. Building on the experience of the Working Group, the review made recommendations on ways to address cross-cutting and cross-regional issues, which continue to be of particular importance in the MENA region.

• The Department undertook an assessment of its As-sociated Experts/Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) programme with a view to allow DPA’s management to better understand and improve management of this important resource. The intention of the assessment was also to demonstrate to Member States contribut-ing JPOs that DPA values their contribution and strives to utilize the resources in the most efficient manner.

• In response to a request from the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Mediation, an external assess-ment of funding for DPA’s mediation activities was completed in 2014. The assessment noted that, while the Department has improved its operational capaci-ties and responsiveness related to mediation, DPA remains under-resourced to address the growing de-mand for its mediation, conflict prevention and good offices services.


❙ 6 ❙ Achievements in the area of women, peace and security

OverviewAs the 15th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) approaches, DPA continues to work systematically to promote women’s effective participation in conflict mediation and peacemaking efforts.

As a result of the systematic focus on integrating gender, wom-en, peace and security perspectives into the Department’s en-gagements, UN peacemaking efforts proved to be progres-sively more inclusive in 2014. For example, over the course of 2014, all UN mediation support teams included women; civil society, including women’s organizations, were consulted in all UN-led/co-led mediation processes and specific gender expertise was requested in 75 per cent of the processes where the UN played a leading role or a shared lead role. In 2014, women’s representation on negotiating parties’ delegations also showed a steady upward trend, with senior women repre-sented on 17 negotiating parties’ delegations participating in 10 processes, compared with women being represented on 10 delegations in 8 processes in 2013.1 Furthermore, these posi-tive trends have contributed to more and stronger gender-relevant provisions in ceasefire and peace agreements.

We have supported capacity-building initiatives in this do-main for our own staff, our mediators and our partners. For example, we have continued to roll out the innovative High-level Seminar series on Gender and Inclusive Mediation Pro-cesses, developed with funding from the European Com-mission, targeting the current generation of envoys, senior mediators and mediation experts. The Seminar, which DPA organizes in cooperation with the Governments of Finland and Norway and their implementing partners—the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) and the Peace Research Institute in Oslo (PRIO)—has so far been attended by more than 120 envoys, senior mediators and mediation experts. The seminar provides guidance on strategies and tools for inclusive pro-cess design, and guidance on how to design gender-sensitive peace agreements.

The Department has also developed a high-level training pro-gramme on mediation. The overarching aim of the Course is

1 In Yemen, the national dialogue process also made clear provisions to ensure women’s representation, i.e. a 30 per cent minimum representa-tion in each of the 13 constituencies participating in the Yemeni national dialogue process. The national dialogue process included a total of 565 delegates divided into nine working groups, considering issues ranging from addressing the cessation aspiration of the south and the future structure of the state, to development and human rights, and from rec-onciliation and transitional justice to security sector reform. One group was also dedicated to women’s empowerment issues.

to help prepare the next generation of UN mediators by fa-miliarizing them with key issues and challenges affecting con-temporary UN mediation processes. Nearly half of the envis-aged participants are women, as the training aims to enhance gender parity and thereby the future character and configura-tion of international peacemaking. At the end of 2014, three such trainings had been conducted for a total of 65 partici-pants, 25 of whom were women.

Separately, by the end of 2014, 170 DPA political officers from all HQ divisions and Special Political Missions have also partici-pated in a DPA-specific Gender, Women, Peace and Security training for staff. The training seeks to strengthen the integra-tion of a stronger gender dimension into the Department’s conflict analysis, mediation and preventive diplomacy work.

In order to measure the effectiveness of our efforts, the De-partment is currently conducting an Internal Review to docu-ment the progress made and assess the appropriateness of the strategies and tools we have developed. A report will be shared with the UN Standing Committee on Women, Peace and Security in early 2015, as DPA’s contribution to the Global Study on Women, Peace and Security, requested by the Secu-rity Council in its latest Women, Peace and Security resolution (S/RES/2122) of October 2013.

❙ Examples of activities and achievements In 2014, we developed a new gender-sensitive Political Anal-ysis Framework, which was incorporated into all of DPA’s trainings, including the DPA-specific Gender/Women, Peace and Security training programme. The Framework has been posted on DPA’s intranet and will be shared on the public website in 2015.

DPA continues to prioritize technical assistance to support inclusive election processes, with special attention paid to ensuring that women can take part in the political life of their country. Hence, providing technical advice to Member States on the impacts of different electoral systems on women’s political participation was systematically incorporated into DPA’s electoral support activities over the past few years.2

2 In 2012, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, in his role as the UN system-wide Focal Point for electoral assistance, and in con-sultation with other relevant UN entities, approved the “system-wide guidelines for UN electoral needs assessments”. Gender is fully main-streamed in the document and identifying measures to strengthen hu-man rights and gender equality (among other factors) should be at the heart of assessing the national electoral and legal frameworks in coun-


The Guidelines for UN electoral needs assessments now re-quire all reports to include a gender analysis and specific rec-ommendations on how best to increase the participation of women in electoral and political processes. As a result, most needs assessment reports in the past several years provided gender-related analysis and recommendations. Additionally, a specific policy paper on “promoting women’s electoral and political participation through UN electoral assistance” was issued and widely disseminated within the UN system in 2013. Gender is also systematically mainstreamed in UN electoral support projects. For example in Tunisia the UN electoral support project has been providing technical advice on wom-en’s participation and women constitute 31.3 per cent (68 seats) of the 217-member Assembly. Similarly, in Nepal, the electoral project continues to support women’s participation and women won 172 seats (29.9 per cent) in the 575-member Constituent Assembly in the 2013 elections.

Following the launch of DPA’s Guidance for Mediators Ad-dressing Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV) in Cease-fire and Peace Agreements in 2012, DPA has actively en-gaged in implementing the principles of the guidance in all UN mediation-related support. As a result, the total number of ceasefire agreements that include provisions on sexual violence in conflict has greatly increased over the past two years. Efforts now focus on ensuring conflict-related sexual violence is comprehensively addressed as a prohibited act in the definition of “ceasefire”, and that agreements include ro-bust monitoring provisions.

In collaboration with UN-Women and regional/subregional organizations, the Liaison Team to the UNOAU in Nairobi has worked closely on the establishment of a women’s leader-ship network to monitor the implementation of gender main-streaming and women empowerment goals in the region. Furthermore, the Liaison Team has helped build the institu-tional capacity of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in its efforts to promote sustainable peace and development.

Lastly, DPA has drawn upon vital voluntary funds to expand civil society opportunities for involvement in UN activities in Syria; in this regard, the Department has continued to work closely with UN-Women on the Syrian Women’s Initiative for Peace and Democracy (SWIPD), helping to ensure women have direct access to the Special Envoy.

tries requesting UN electoral assistance. A gender checklist needs to be completed for all needs assessments. The guidelines also requests that specific attention should be paid to women’s representation and to the implementation of CEDAW, especially temporary special measures. The Focal Point also established a set of core principles in 2012, guiding UN electoral assistance worldwide, requesting to mainstream gender in all electoral assistance aspects and to provide support to national efforts in developing appropriate policies and measures, such as temporary special measures.

Women’s participation in the national dialogue in YemenThe principle of women’s participation in the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) was specifically articu-lated in the Gulf Cooperation Council Implementa-tion Mechanism of 23 November 2011. The engage-ment and support of the UN Special Adviser of the Secretary-General to Yemen was critical in translating this aspirational objective into reality. The NDC con-sidered issues ranging from addressing the south and the future structure of the state to development and human rights, and from reconciliation and transitional justice to security sector reform. Women’s representa-tion in the national dialogue had three dimensions:

1. Women as an independent constituency;

2. Minimum of 30 per cent representation for women in “other” constituencies;

3. 30 per cent representation at all levels of the NDC structure, ensuring women chaired working groups and held senior positions in the Secretariat, includ-ing Deputy Secretary-General.

The Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General (OSASG) worked with CSO partners to build the capacity of women delegates to ensure that wom-en not only had a say in the process but gained weight in the political dynamic as well.

One of the outcomes of the NDC was a quota for the representation of women in public office. Throughout the constitution drafting process in 2014/2015, wom-en are involved as part of the Constitution Drafting Commission and supported through continued techni-cal assistance coordinated by the OSASG, aiming to ensure that the standard of inclusion and the role of women is becoming, albeit tentatively, more normal-ised and entrenched in the political culture.

(Total extrabudgetary funds in 2014: $30,000.)

high-level genDer seminar on genDer anD inclusive meDiation processes, 2014. (un photo)


❙ 7 ❙ Financial data

Income generated in 2014 In 2014, DPA received $19.2 million in response to its 2014 Ap-peal. Overall, this marks a significant increase of 20 per cent compared with 2013 contributions ($16 million) from 17 do-nors. It means that 78 per cent of the Appeal was funded.

Allocations and expendituresAs of 31 December 2014, the total funds programmed were $22.3 million and the total amount of expenditure was $18.9 million. The overall implementation rate (funds expended ver-sus funds programmed) was approximately 85 per cent. There was also an increased level of expenditures (32 per cent more than in 2013) enhancing our ability to respond in a timely man-ner to situations of potential violent conflict on the ground. The funds were programmed for approximately 100 projects. As in previous years, approximately half of the funding goes towards the non-staff costs of efforts to prevent conflict and mediate crises, especially travel (20 per cent); while a signifi-cant portion was spent on extrabudgetary posts (39 per cent).

Project approvalIn 2014, the DPA Project Review Committee, made up of sen-ior management in DPA, continued to provide strategic guid-ance and oversight for the implementation and management of the Multi-Year Appeal funding. The Committee also met more frequently, every two months on average, in order to support the increased number of activities funded.

ChallengesDPA had more predictable funding available due to a steady number of multi-year agreements (5) and to a decrease of earmarking. However, in 2014, 49 per cent of the funding re-mained earmarked compared with 52 per cent in 2013, signifi-cantly limiting DPA’s flexibility and efficient use of resources. As in previous years, the challenge was that 37 per cent of the contributions were received in the last quarter of 2014 result-ing in these contributions being mainly programmed for 2015.

Support The Executive Office (EO) provides all administrative and logistical support to the activities covered in this Report. More specifically, the support function includes recruitment processes for personnel and consultants as well as the ongo-ing administrative support for travel, workshops, etc. The EO also administers all financial aspects of the funding, including review of contribution agreements, preparation of financial statements, responses to requests for financial authorizations, compilation of expenditure data and reporting. It is estimated that $0.5 million, equivalent to 3 per cent of total expenditure under the MYA, was allocated for support positions in the EO, donor relations staff and the development of the new finan-cial management tool.

Risks DPA’s success is dependent upon adapting its activities to the evolving political context on the ground. Developing situations can affect ongoing programmes. The current ap-peal cycle allows for flexibility, provided that donor funding is available early in the year and if a significant portion of it is un-earmarked. DPA can face some administrative challenges, common to many organizations and Departments, which re-sult in longer lead times to recruit staff and administer funds in a flexible autonomous manner.


❙ 8 ❙ Graphs and tables

Contributions received between 1 January to 31 December 2014

Donor Amount (thousands of US dollars)

Australia 851

Belgium 137

China 200

Denmark 979

Finland 268

Germany 4,057

Italy 359

Ireland 244

Japan 2,320

Netherlands 1,000

Norway 1,674

Poland 106

Spain 271

Sweden 1000

Switzerland 300

Turkey 500

United Kingdom 4,637

United States 300

Total 19,203

Conditionality of contributions

Earmarked49%

Un-earmarked51%

Total contribution 2010–2014 (reflecting level of unearmarked funds)

0

5

10

15

20

25

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Unearmarked Total contribution

Expenditures vs Programmed in 2014

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

Output 4 Output 3 Output 2 Output 1

Programmed Committed

United

States, 2%

Aus

tral

ia, 4

%B

elgi

um, 1

%C

hina

, 1%

Den

mar

k, 5

%

Finl

and,

1%

Germany, 21%

Italy, 2%Ireland, 1%

Japan, 12%

Net

herla

nds,

5%

Nor

way

, 9%

Polan

d, 1%

Spain

, 1%

Sweden, 5%

United Kingdom, 24%

Switzerland, 2%Turkey, 3%


UN objectives

To maintain international peace and security through prevention, management and resolution of conflicts by peaceful means

To strengthen the existing capacity of the requesting Governments, in particular by enhancing the capacity of national electoral institutions

DPA strategic plan priorities

Set conflict prevention, response, resolution agenda

Strengthen strategic partnerships

Organize for long-term peacebuilding

Update information management, policy guidance, decision-making

Streamline planning, budgeting, evaluation

Upgrade human resources

Outcomes

Outcome 1Situations of potential or actual conflict benefit from DPA engagement, including in collaboration with partners

Outcome 2Member States’ electoral processes benefit from DPA’s electoral assistance, including in collaboration with partners

DPA extrabudgetary results framework

Outputs

Output 1Timely, reliable rapid response mechanisms in place and effective ongoing support provided to special envoys, political missions and other key stakeholders in the field

Output 2Timely, coordinated and comprehensive response provided by DPA to requests for UN electoral assistance

Output 3Productive partnerships developed and sustained with regional organizations, UN system entities and other stakeholders to enhance conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding

Output 4DPA’s supporting capacity and mechanisms enhanced to assist conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding

❙ 9 ❙ Multi-Year Appeal Results Framework


List of Acronyms

AMISOM African Union Mission in Somalia

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations

ASG Assistant Secretary-General

AU African Union

BINUCA UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic

BNUB UN Office in Burundi

CAR Central African Republic

CEDAW The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

CMI Crisis Management Intiative

CRSV Conflict-related Sexual Violence

CSO Civil Society Organization

CTED Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate

CTITF Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force

DAC Development Assistance Committee (of the OECD)

DFS Department of Field Support

DPA Department of Political Affairs

DPKO Department of Peacekeeping Operations

DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo

EAD Electoral Assistance Division

ECCAS Economic Community of Central African States

ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States

EO Executive Office

EU European Union

FDLR Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda

FYROM Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

IATF Inter-Agency Task Force

ICGLR International Conference on the Great Lakes Region

ICMEA Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanism for UN Electoral Assistance

IEC Independent Election Commission

IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on Development

IJA Interim Jubba Administration

ISAF International Security Assistance Force

ISIL Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

JPO Junior Professional Officer

JSR Joint Special Representative

LAS League of Arab States

LEF Learning and Evaluation Framework

LCRP Lebanon Crisis Response Plan

MENA Middle East and North Africa

MENUB UN Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi

MINUSCA United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic

MINUSMA United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali

MSU Mediation Support Unit

NAM Needs Assessment Mission

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NGO Non-Governmental Organization


NDC National Dialogue Conference

NRC Norwegian Refugee Council

OAS Organization of American States

ODA Official Development Assistance

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OIC Organization of Islamic Cooperation

OPCW Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

OSASG Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General

OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

PBF Peacebuilding Fund

PCP Platform for Conflict Prevention (in Kosovo)

PBSO Peacebuilding Support Office

PDA Peace and Development Adviser

PESG Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General

RC Resident Coordinator

SADC Southern African Development Community

SBT Standby Team of Mediation Experts

SC Security Council

SESG Special Envoy of the Secretary-General

SRSG Special Representative of the Secretary-General

SPM Special Political Mission

SWIPD Syrian Women’s Initiative for Peace and Democracy

UN United Nations

UNAMA UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan

UNAMI UN Assistance Mission for Iraq

UNASUR Union of South American Nations

UNCT UN Country Team

UNDP UN Development Programme

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF UN Children’s Fund

UNIOGBIS UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau

UNIPSIL UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone

UNLOPS UN Liaison Office for Peace and Security

UNMIT Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste

UNOAU United Nations Office to the African Union

UNOCA UN Office for Central Africa

UNON UN Office at Nairobi

UNOWA UN Office for West Africa

UNPOS UN Political Office for Somalia

UNRCCA UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia

UNSCO UN Special Coordinator for the Middle-East Peace Process

UNSCOL UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon

UNSMIL UN Support Mission for Libya

UNSOM UN Assistance Mission in Somalia

UNSSC UN System Staff College

USG Under-Secretary-General

WPS Women, Peace and Security

www.un.org/Depts/dpa

15 0

3803

annual report 2014 - united nations · 2015-06-18 · multi-year appeal • 2014 annual report 3...

Documents