On 20 February 2025, the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), in cooperation with the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) and the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, organised a policy meeting under the Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN). The event gathered representatives from civil society, EU policymakers, and UN officials to contribute to the UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review (PBAR) 2025.
Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, opened the event and stressed the importance of strong cooperation between the UN, the EU, and civil society to make peacebuilding efforts more inclusive and effective.
The discussion took place in a challenging global context for peace and security. Participants addressed key issues related to the functioning of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture (PBA) and the role of the EU and its Member States both in the Review process and in supporting the functioning of the PBA more broadly. Participants shared a variety of recommendations throughout the full day meeting which are captured below.
Four main areas of discussion
The meeting focused on four key topics:
- The EU and its Member States supporting a strengthened UN PBA
Participants discussed how the EU could use its political and diplomatic influence to strengthen UN peacebuilding efforts, ensure that commitments on conflict prevention remain a priority, and support multilateral cooperation.
- Strengthening national ownership in the context of national prevention approaches
The discussion focused on the need to develop national conflict prevention strategies that include civil society. Participants highlighted the importance of the EU and UN providing both financial and technical support for these processes.
- System-wide coherence for peacebuilding
Participants explored options for further integrating the PBA in the UN system to ensure peacebuilding and conflict prevention becomes a cross-cutting priority across all pillars of the UN’s work.The role of Resident Coordinators and Peace and Development Advisors was mentioned as key to improving the effectiveness of UN efforts.
- Delivering on horizontal priorities
The discussion covered important cross-cutting themes such as Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), and the link between climate, peace, and security.
The role of civil society and the need to protect civic space
The importance of civil society in peacebuilding was a central point in the discussion. Participants underlined the need to increase civil society participation in the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and ensure direct access to the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). Concerns were raised about the shrinking civic space and the need for the EU and UN to take action to protect and strengthen civil society’s role in peace and security discussions.
A video was recorded during the event to highlight the importance of civil society and its role in the PBAR 2025 consultations. We thank all participants for their contributions and engagement in this important discussion on the future of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture.