Joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission

Check Against Delivery

Chair, Excellencies, distinguished briefers,

The increasing numbers of forcibly displaced persons and protracted displacement situations call on us to develop new, comprenhensive and innovative ways of working to promote peace, prevent conflicts and create durable solutions.

Let me highlight three key areas;

First: Climate action. Denmark is committed to building resilience and early warning systems to help prevent displacement and strengthen resilience. We must break down silos and work jointly across policies, programs and financing in a conflict-sensitive manner that is guided by the voices and needs of those at risk – including forcibly displaced. Denmark is fully committed to deliver on the Global Compact on Refugees and international burden and responsibility sharing, and proundly co-lead with Germany, Ehtiopia and Somalia, the Global Refugee Forum Climate Action pledge.

Second: Solutions to internal displacement. We need integrated approaches across humanitarian, peacebuilding and sustainable development dimensions. Denmark fully supports the Secretary-General’s action agenda on Internally Displaced Persons. While the responsibility for IDPs ultimately rest with the state, we stress that the UN – across peace, humanitarian and development actors - has critical role to play, and believe that it is of key importance to continue to build on the work of the office of ASG Piper after the end of his mandate.

Third: inclusive and responsive national systems. Our actions must be nationally owned and locally driven. To this end, Denmark will continue to provide political and financial support – including through public-private partnerships and in relation to IFIs – to expand collaboration between humanitarian, development and peace actors to reinforce prevention efforts and durable solutions to displacement.

Overall, its essential that national development plans integrate peace across political and socio-economic dimensions and take into acount community-based conflict mitigation and resolution practices. The PBC and ECOSOC can help strengthen such bonds through:

• lessons learned from PBF projects and UN Peace and Development Advisors;
• convening regular and cross regional meetings on national peace infrastructure with particular attention to vulnerable populations, including forcibly displaced; and
• mobilizing resources for national prevention strategies and strengthening engagement with IFIs.
  
  

In conclusion, as the informal coordinator between the Peacebuilding Commission and ECOSOC, Denmark knows the potential of the bodies to promote knowledge sharing, enhance cooperation across multiple stakeholders, and leverage linkages between humanitarian action, development and peacebuilding in support of impact on the ground.

To leave no one behind, human rights, development and peace and security must go hand-in-hand. Let’s remember this, as we negotiate the Pact for the Future and prepare for the Peacebuilding Architecture review.

Thank you.