65 years after the assassination of Folke Bernadotte

Folke Bernadotte’s brave efforts to find a solution to one of the most complex conflicts were to cost him his life. It is exactly 65 years ago to the day that he was ambushed and murdered in Jerusalem by Israeli terrorists. The assassination took place one day before he was due to present a plan for a political solution to the Palestinian question to the UN Security Council.

Folke Bernadotte was the first ever UN mediator. Bernadotte’s mediation mission formed the basis for the first UN peace operation, UNTSO (United Nations Supervision Truce Organization). The primary aim of the mission was and is to monitor agreements reached, and act as an intermediary between the parties to avert potential conflicts. Today, UNTSO monitors the truces between Israel, Lebanon and Syria and the peace agreements between Israel, Egypt and Jordan.

Three years prior, during the final years of the Second World War, he led the White Buses mission to rescue thousands of people from Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

Today, the 17 September, the FBA and the Consulate General of Sweden in Jerusalem arrange a ceremony to commemorate Bernadotte and his work to promote human dignity and peace.

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Pathways for peacebuilding in areas controlled by de facto authorites

What are the challenges and opportunities for peacebuilding actors working in areas controlled by non-state actors or informal institutions? To shed light on this important question, FBA recently organized a scientific workshop on “De facto authorities, service provisioning and gender” in Stockholm. Twelve researchers presented work related to de facto authorities and engaged in dialogue with FBA’s practitioners.

2024-12-12 15:53

Read our publications

Cover of Beyond Vulnerability: A Guidance Note on Youth, Climate, Peace and Security. A group of young people photographed from above walking in a row across a pocture of trees. Below is the title and the logos of UNDPA, Sipri and FBA.

Beyond Vulnerability: A Guidance Note on Youth, Climate, Peace and Security

In recent years, young people’s crucial role in preventing conflict and maintaining peace has become increasingly recognized as the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda has gained momentum. At the same time, the Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) field is developing rapidly at the research and policy levels. CPS is also increasingly becoming an entry point for programming; recognizing the interactions between climate change and existing vulnerabilities, which compound risks of insecurity, including violent conflict and the erosion of social cohesion.

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Author:
UNDP, Sipri, FBA
Year:
2024

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FBA has both increased and adapted its work in Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion.

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Klara Grenhagen works as a specialist at FBA's Africa unit with a focus on dialogue, reconciliation and peace processes.

Klara Grenhagen

Klara Grenhagen works as a specialist at FBA's Africa unit with a focus on dialogue, reconciliation and peace processes.

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