High Level Political Forum 2019 – Side Event
UN-Habitat in collaboration with Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Department of Peace Operations, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Global Donor Working Group on Land.
Objectives
- Advocacy and raising awareness on land and conflict and how conflict sensitive development that overcomes land as a driver of conflict can contribute to sustaining peace
- Support a more sustained dialogue and engagement on land and conflict with member states
- Discuss the role of the UN as outlined in the Secretary-General Guidance Note on Land and Conflict.
Brief description of the event
Land is understood as a root cause of conflict and a bottleneck to development. More focus is needed on how conflict sensitive investments and development can help to sustain peace. This requires
a more coherent and sustained engagement on land. The Executive Committee, led by the Secretary-General, recently adopted Guidance Note on land and conflict [link] to ensure better UN support across
the development, humanitarian and peace and security pillars. New practices are emerging at regional and country level [ recent GLTN publication ].
A renewed dialogue is needed with member states to strengthen the UN’s role in creating opportunities to sustain peace and accelerate the localisation of the SDGs. The Great Lakes is an example of how a
more coherent and sustained engagement on land, paves the way for conflict-sensitive management of natural resources and longer-term stability. Somalia and Afghanistan illustrate how land value can be
captured by local governments to generate revenue, invest in basic, and rebuild the social contract.
Programme
Introduction by Chair
Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Panelists
Hon Robert Loki Lado Chairman, South Sudan Land Commission
Ms. Marta Ruedas, Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator, Iraq
Mr. Marcel Stoessel, Senior Policy Advisor on Fragility, Conflict and Violence, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Switzerland
Mr. Gam Awungshi Shimray, Secretary General, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, International Land Coalition
Inter-active discussion with Member States and stakeholders
Closing remarks
Ms. Teresa Whitfield, Director Policy and Mediation Division, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operation