USANewsOnline.com, New York : Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith briefed 8 August the Security Council at its high-level Open Debate on “Peace and Security in Africa: Capacity Building for sustaining peace”, in his capacity as the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).
At the outset, Ambassador Muhith thanked the Security Council for inviting the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission and referred to the support extended by the PBC in discussing and strengthening the peacebuilding priorities of Africa.
Ambassador Muhith shared PBC's past and ongoing engagements in various countries and regions in building capacities in the areas of sustainable development, transitional justice, women's equal participation in socio-economic and political process, empowerment of youth and accompanying the regional and sub-regional peacebuilding initiatives.
The Chair called for increased partnerships with international and regional financial organizations and promoting south-south cooperation to build effective, accountable, inclusive and responsive institutions at the national and local levels in Africa. He further highlighted the important role of African Union and other regional and sub regional organizations and expressed PBC’s commitment to working more closely with the African Union and its Peace and Security Council. The important role of civil society in building the capacity in Africa was also recognized.
Ambassador Muhith also acknowledged the invaluable contributions of the Peacebuilding Fund in supporting peacebuilding and sustaining peace in Africa. The PBC Chair also reiterated PBC’s call for adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for peacebuilding.
The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is a 31-member intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in conflict-affected countries. Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith is the present Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York.