Ambassadorial-level meeting of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on peacebuilding and Honduras

Check Against Delivery

Let me first commend the strong efforts made by the government of Honduras towards the country's “refoundation” and the consolidation of peace.

Denmark welcomes today’s meeting on building and sustaining peace in Honduras.

This is the first time for Honduras to be taken into consideration by the Peacebuilding Commission, and it illustrates the potential of broadening the geographic scope of the Commission’s work, as a key opportunity to learn from and exchange experiences.

Because there clearly are valuable lessons to learn from Honduras:

First, the critical efforts in Honduras to strengthen democratic institutions and to protect and promote human rights and civic space deserve to be highlighted.

Initiatives like the establishment of an international Commission against Corruption and Impunity as well as civil society-led peace and reconciliation projects in local communities. 

Second, it is encouraging – including as a major donor – to see how projects financed through the Peacebuilding Fund are contributing towards hope, reconciliation and peace in Honduras.

Worth highlighting is the project which brought together political parties, civil society, and the international community to strengthen participation and transparency as well as conflict prevention during the electoral process in Honduras. It is clear that Honduras' democratic, elections increased transparency and confidence in the electoral process despite the unprecedented levels of political violence that surrounded the election.

In this respect, I would be interested to hear if the briefers can elaborate the value of the support provided through the PBF towards your national peacebuilding priorities and needs?

What do you see as the main challenge for consolidating peace – the so-called “refounding” process - in Honduras, going forward?