Permanent Mission of India
New York
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General Assembly Debate on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace and Report of the Secretary-General on Peacebuilding Fund and Report of the Peacebuilding Commission’s 19^th Session

Statement by Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, Permanent Representative

25 June 2026

Madam President,

We appreciate the convening of today’s debate on ‘Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace’, which coincides with the first Peacebuilding Week at the United Nations.

2. Let me begin by recognizing the good work of my brother Ambassador Omar Hilale, the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission; Ambassador Ricklef of Germany, the previous Chair; and other bureau members, as also Egypt and Slovenia for their co-facilitating role for the fourth review of the Peacebuilding Architecture Review.

Madam President,

3. We note that significant progress was made during the 19^th Session of the Commission, including the 4^th Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture, the presentation of the first national peacebuilding strategy, and the first annual strategic dialogue with the Peacebuilding Fund, following the General Assembly’s approval of a $50 million assessed contribution to the Fund.

4. The Secretary General’s report on the Peacebuilding Fund notes a decline in voluntary contributions over the past three years. At the same time, the Organization’s ongoing liquidity situation has constrained the availability of assessed contributions for peacebuilding activities. This is a concerning pattern. To ensure greater impact within reduced resources, resource prioritization should be directed to post-conflict settings. We would like to see further progress on this front during the development of the Fund’s next Strategy.

Madam President,

5. The theme of the Peacebuilding Week, “UN Peacebuilding@20: Partnerships for Innovation, Inclusion and Impact,” is very timely. Earlier this year, we organized a retreat on ‘peacekeeping and peacebuilding in an evolving global context’ in partnership with all stakeholders.

6. We recognize the importance of fostering trust-based partnerships to advance peacebuilding and sustain peace. Such partnerships can be built provided national ownership remains the central principle across all peacebuilding activities.

7. Moreover, peacebuilding must move beyond the traditional donor-recipient approach. It should be demand-driven, reflecting the needs and priorities of national governments, with the international community playing a supportive role by providing financial and technical assistance. Additionally, peacebuilding should prioritize building institutional resilience and national capacity in post-conflict settings.

Madam President,

8. Earlier this month, India’s Major Abhilasha Barak was named the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year. It reaffirms our commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, especially in peacebuilding. We stand ready to work with all partners on peacebuilding and to share our unique experience in nation-building.

I Thank you, Madam President.