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Through the Action for Peacekeeping and Action for Peacekeeping Plus (A4P/A4P+) frameworks, member states and the UN Secretariat have reiterated their commitment to collective coherence behind a political strategy as a priority within UN peacekeeping. While this is often interpreted as pertaining to national-level political processes, local-level processes are also key to consolidating peace, and there is often a close relationship between local-level and national-level political dynamics.

In this context, IPI and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN cohosted a policy forum on “The Primacy of Politics at the Local Level: The Work of UN Civil Affairs” on February 25th.

The purpose of this event was to discuss how missions understand and implement the primacy of politics at the local level by looking particularly at the work of UN Civil Affairs within peacekeeping settings. It also served to launch an IPI publication on the same topic, co-authored by Jenna Russo, IPI’s Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, and Allard Duursma, Assistant Professor in Conflict Management and International Relations at ETH Zurich.

Building on the insights of the report, this forum brought together representatives of the UN Secretariat, member states, and civil society organizations to discuss how UN Civil Affairs components navigate local political dynamics and explore ways to strengthen their role in aligning local engagement with mission-wide political strategies.

Welcome and Opening Remarks:
Jenna Russo, Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, International Peace Institute
Djeyhoun Ostowar, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Political Affairs Section, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Speakers:
Allard Duursma, Assistant Professor in Conflict Management and International Relations, ETH Zurich (Virtual)
Marco Donati, Team Leader Civil Affairs, Policy and Best Practices service of DPO
Hiroko Hirahara, Director of Civil Affairs Division, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (Virtual)
Eiko Ikegaya, Chief, Mediation Support and Gender, Peace and Security, Policy and Mediation Division, United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs

Moderator:
Jenna Russo, Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, International Peace Institute