FBA and the UN
The UN is an important platform for Swedish foreign and security policy and one of the primary custodians of a rules-based international order, global peace, and security. Through a broad ecosystem of actors, the UN supports its member states in managing acute crises and conflicts, promoting diplomatic solutions, and working towards long-term conflict prevention and increased resilience. FBA supports the UN’s work at the national and regional levels to effectively address and prevent conflict, with the aim of contributing to peace, security, and stabilization.
Today, the UN faces a number of significant challenges that make it more difficult for the organization to carry out its core mission: to, as stated in the UN Charter, "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."
An increasing number of conflicts, geopolitical polarization, and challenges to multilateralism and the rules-based international order reduce the UN’s ability to act effectively. Despite this, the UN system, with its global mandate, reach, expertise, and operational capacity, is uniquely positioned to strengthen actors and processes for peace, security, and development, both globally and locally.
Through its support to the UN, FBA works to promote more effective conflict management, advance Swedish priorities, and strengthen multilateralism.
FBA’s support to the UN
The UN’s presence in most countries consists of several UN agencies, funds, and programs, which are organized into a UN Country Team under the leadership of a Resident Coordinator.
Country teams play a central role in supporting national processes for conflict prevention, democratic resilience, and conflict resolution. The UN’s peacebuilding architecture, which includes the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund, helps coordinate mandates and resources to support national peacebuilding efforts.
Sweden is one of the largest donors to the Peacebuilding Fund and also has a representative in the advisory group that supports the UN Secretary-General in the fund’s work.
To ensure the UN can provide relevant and effective support in increasingly complex conflict contexts, the organization must have its full toolbox for peace and security available. This requires improved coordination across UN activities in peace and security, human rights, and development, as well as the availability of relevant expertise when it is needed.
FBA’s support in priority countries is provided through thematic advice, training, and guidance on methods and processes. Work in specific conflict contexts is complemented by participation in global and regional forums that allow for broad exchange of experiences and learning, contributing to important reform processes within the UN system.
Challenges Forum
Together with the Police, the Prison and Probation Service, and the Armed Forces, FBA is a partner in the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations, whose secretariat is hosted by FBA. Challenges Forum is a global partnership of 25 countries aiming to improve understanding and coordination of international peace operations.
By seeking to strengthen the UN’s combined peace and security toolbox, Challenges Forum complements and reinforces Sweden’s contribution to the UN’s work on peace and security.
Personnel contributions
To ensure the UN can provide effective support in complex conflicts, FBA works to strengthen UNDP’s and the UN’s peacebuilding and conflict prevention work through personnel contributions to the UN headquarters in New York.
UNDP: 1 person