The creation and functioning of the UN Peacebuilding Commission
Summary In September 2003, the UN Secretary-General tasked a High-Level Panel to propose major reforms to the institutions of the UN that seek to promote peace and security. In its December 2004 report, the Panel recommended the creation of two new bodies: a Peacebuilding Commission and a Peacebuilding Support Office. The new organs would have two core objectives: (1) to help states avoid collapse and the slide to war; and, (2) to assist states in their transition from war to peace. The Secretary-General subsequently endorsed the proposal in his March 2005 report entitled In Larger Freedom, setting the stage for its consideration at the UN World Summit, held from 14-15 September 2005, in New York.
This briefing provides an overview of the current political negotiations surrounding the creation and functioning of the Peacebuilding Commission. It discusses what steps need to be taken to ensure an effective Commission.
