Peacebuilding Fund 

ObjectivesPeacebuilding Fund Objectives

Fund scope

As per its Terms of Reference, the Peacebuilding Fund may invest in four priority areas:  

• Implementation of peace agreements;
• Dialogue and coexistence;
• Peace dividends and socioeconomic recovery and;
• Re-establishment of basic services

Furthermore, its Investment Plan 2020-2024 calls for increased investments through three priority windows:

• Facilitating transition of UN configurations;
• Youth and women empowerment and;
• Cross border and regional programming

Established in 2005 by the General Assembly (resolution A/60/180) and the Security Council (S/RES/1645-2005) the Fund supports national and regional priorities to sustain peace in countries at risk of or affected by violent conflict.  Arrangements for the PBF are outlined in the Secretary-General’s report on Arrangements for Establishing the Peacebuilding Fund.

The Fund supports the implementation of the twin resolutions adopted in 2016 on the review of the peacebuilding architecture (Assembly resolution 70/262 and Council resolution 2282)  including through: support for increased UN coherence (through joint analysis, development of strategies and programmatic interventions funded by PBF), emphasis on closer partnerships with CSOs (including by opening up the Fund to direct support to eligible CSOs), focus on inclusivity (by consideration of all vulnerabilities through conflict analysis and a specific programmatic focus on women’s and youth’s empowerment), emphasis on promoting and supporting national priorities and ownership (including through alignment to national strategies, encouraging joint steering committees and through procedures ensuring formal buy-in of Government for all projects) and, finally, support to agreed priorities, in line with PBF’s approved Priority Areas, in contexts spanning before, during and after the end of conflict.

Funds are channeled through two facilities: the Immediate Response Facility (IRF) where any country is eligible for project of up to 18 months, and the Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility (PRF) for countries declared eligible by the Secretary-General following a request from the Head of State or Government for projects of up to 36 months.  Eligibility when granted is valid for 5 years.

The PBF complements the work of the two other primary funds of the Secretary General: the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which finances life-saving humanitarian assistance initiatives, and the Joint SDG Fund, which helps countries deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals through catalyzing integrated, transformative policy change and innovative financial investment.     

Strategic and results framework

The PBF provides support in accordance with its niche added value including through continuous innovative approaches, and inclusive/ collaborative peacebuilding approaches, conflict sensitivity and prioritisation. The PBF is the UN Secretary-General’s only dedicated peacebuilding resource within the UN system. Its mandate is to sustain peace through coherent support that brings development, diplomatic and security actors together behind joint peacebuilding objectives. It addresses a ‘market failure’ in the UN and international donor system by providing timely, flexible, catalytic and risk-tolerant finance.  The PBF features strongly in the SG’s priorities and reform agenda as an instrument dedicated to recovery from violent conflict and to engage increasingly before conflict, acting as a hinge to various parts of the UN political, development and humanitarian system.

ObjectivesFunding architecture

The PBF allocates money through two funding facilities:

Immediate Response Facility

The IRF is designed to respond to immediate peacebuilding and recovery needs through the provision of flexible and timely funding for targeted projects. Proposals submitted by the UN Resident Coordinator, and that meet Fund criteria, receive resources within a week of approval. The maximum duration of IRF projects is 18 months, with a maximum budget of $3 million. All countries are eligible.

Priority areas:

• Economic recovery and youth empowerment
• Social and economic reintegration
• Durable solutions
• Innovative financing

Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility

The PRF supports longer-term peacebuilding processes for countries that have been declared eligible by the Secretary General for PBF support, in response to government requests. The eligibility request builds on findings of a conflict analysis to summarize the country’s peacebuilding situation, identify the major peacebuilding needs and priorities, and articulate why the PBF is an appropriate financing instrument. PBSO reviews the request and provides advice to the UN Secretary-General who takes the final decision. In determining eligibility, PBSO takes into several factors, including the government’s leadership and commitment towards sustaining peace, the country’s position within the UN’s strategic agenda, including its Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, the scope of the country’s peacebuilding needs and gaps, and the likelihood of PBF fully and effectively utilizing its added value. PRF Project durations can be up to 36 months across a five-year eligibility window.

GovernanceSecretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund

The United Nations General Assembly
The General Assembly guides the operations of the PBF. On the basis of the Secretary-General’s annual report, and reflecting lessons learned by the Peacebuilding Commission, the General Assembly may also offer overall policy guidance on PBF functions and operations.

The Peacebuilding Commission
The Peacebuilding Commission supports the development of integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery, and provides strategic advice to countries under its purview. The Commission may also offer policy guidance on how the PBF is to be used.

The PBF Advisory Group
Appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General, the Advisory Group provides oversight on the speed and appropriateness of fund allocations.The Group meets twice a year, and also examines Fund performance and financial reports. Ten distinguished personalities are nominated by the Member States to provide advice and guidance to PBSO. Members are appointed for a two-year period.

The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO)
The Head of the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) is responsible for the overall management of the PBF, including setting Fund direction, guiding the use of resources, and monitoring and reporting on activities. Requests for support are made by the Resident Coordinator in consultation with the government. All projects are reviewed by the inter-departmental Peacebuilding Support Group and recommended for approval by the PBSO Project Appraisal Committee.  All projects are approved by the ASG for Peacebuilding Support on behalf of the Secretary-General.

Administrative Agent
The UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office serves as the Fiduciary Agent for the Fund. It is responsible for financial management and reporting, receipt of donor contributions and transfers to recipient organizations. 

Participating Organizations
Programme implementation is the responsibility of Participating Organizations. Each organization is programmatically and financially responsible for resources received.

Projects

Peacebuilding Fund

Peacebuilding Fund is currently supporting count_projects ongoing projectscount_globalInterregional and count_countries country-specific. This table shows the most recently approved ongoing projects.

All project financial information can be found in the Financials section, including delivery analysis by organization, theme and project; project financial status by country and by theme.

Peacebuilding Fund

ResultsFocus on impact and results

PBSO places an emphasis on monitoring of results and ensuring there is enough evidence to support analysis of progress.

Direct recipient organizations are responsible for monitoring project results. For joint projects, convening agencies are responsible for coordinating all recipient organizations for joint monitoring of the project. PBF Secretariats, where they exist, help to coordinate monitoring approaches between projects and monitor progress against the peacebuilding context, the risks and the high-level peacebuilding priorities supported by PBF.

Every PBF project needs to undertake an independent evaluation, the funds for which must be included and clearly visible in the project M&E budget in order to be approved by PBSO. A minimum of 5-7% of the project budget should be put aside for monitoring and evaluation activities.

Moreover, PBSO organizes a separate portfolio-wide evaluation every 5 years as part of the PBF eligibility review. Such evaluations are funded and managed by PBSO directly and are an important step in considering continuing eligibility, if requested.

In this section you will find the latest editions of reports that detail Fund performance and results.

ContactsPoints of contact

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