Chair,
First, let me thank Ambassador Danese and your team at the Brazilian mission for your dedication, guidance and achievements as chair over the past year.
At a time of growing and intensifying conflicts, the Commission has been an important voice for increased global investment in peacebuilding and prevention.
Norway also wants to congratulate Ambassador Leendertse as new chair. We look forward to working together under your leadership during what will be an important year for peacebuilding – not least because of the 2025 review of the Peacebuilding Architecture.
Thank you also to the outgoing vice-chairs Croatia and Kenya, and a warm welcome to the incoming vice-chairs Brazil, Japan, Poland and Morocco. We are confident that the Commission will thrive under this expanded leadership.
I would also like to thank ASG Spehar and her team at PBSO for their able guidance of the Commissions work.
Colleagues,
Important achievements have been made in 2024 that have furthered the peacebuilding agenda. The annual report that we adopted today is a testament to this.
Our strengthened partnership with the African Union and increased engagement with civil society briefers are just two examples of notable achievements. Norway also deeply valued the opportunity to share some of our own peacebuilding challenges in the joint meeting with Kenya and Timor-Leste.
But we must now turn our focus to the coming year and reflect on what we want to achieve.
The PBAR process is an important opportunity to take stock of where we are, and to strengthen the way we work so that we contribute to concrete and meaningful actions on the ground. It is an opportunity to build on the constructive language of the Pact for the Future and bring renewed focus on the importance of a preventive approach in our global efforts for peace, including national prevention strategies. We must use the increased attention that the PBAR process brings us well – in the Security Council, the General Assembly and elsewhere.
Let me finally underline how glad we are to see that the positive evolution of the Commission’s working methods is continuing. Sharing leadership tasks among the expanded number of vice-chairs allows the Commission to give even more focused and consistent attention to the issues on our agenda.
You can count on Norway’s constructive participation.
Thank you.