AMBASSADORIAL-LEVEL MEETING OF THE PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION
2025 REVIEW OF THE PEACEBUILDING ARCHITECTURE: THE GAMBIA’S EXPERIENCE IN PEACEBUILDING AND SUSTAINING PEACE
21 June 2024
Statement by Permanent Representative to the UN, H.E. Ambassador James Larsen, Australian Mission to the United Nations
Thank you, Chair.
Let me in particular thank our distinguished speakers, Foreign Ministers Cho and Tangara, and ASG Spehar. Thank you very much indeed for this valuable conversation.
I take the floor in the hope that Australia is able to join the Peacebuilding Commission in 2025.
We commend The Gambia’s leadership in engaging with the PBC since 2017. The Gambia’s journey is a testament to the benefits of a nationally-led and inclusive approach to peacebuilding.
In particular, we note and strongly support the inclusion of youth perspectives in peacebuilding efforts – a model that can be followed to include the perspectives of Indigenous Peacebuilders and other marginalised groups.
We also urge The Gambia to continue to promote gender equality, which is the number one predictor of peace.
We commend the PBC for its active role in supporting the nationally owned peacebuilding and sustaining peace efforts in The Gambia and we welcome the close collaboration between the PBF and the Government of The Gambia to implement the recommendations of its Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission.
We acknowledge that this has been a long and at times difficult process; however, it is an important one, which provides a strong model of responsive and transparent transitional justice.
Financing for peacebuilding remains a persistent challenge, and we recognise the critical role the PBC played in strengthening partnerships with International Financial Institutions to support The Gambia’s efforts.
Australia continues to be a strong advocate for increasing the financial resources available for peacebuilding.
Australia has worked hard to secure assessed contributions for the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). I am delighted that we remain an top donor, providing 13 million Australian dollars to the PBF in 2024.
Australia looks forward to taking the lessons from the experience of The Gambia to strengthen the UN Peacebuilding architecture through the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review.
We are committed to support nationally owned approaches which address the root causes of conflict, or better yet, prevent them from occurring.
The Gambia’s experience shows that, while sustainable peace takes time and effort to build, it is a crucial investment in our collective future.
Thank you.