Excellencies, dear colleagues,

It is a pleasure to celebrate this year the 20^th anniversary of the inception of the Peacebuilding Fund, as well as the anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the PBC in June 2006.

In these 20 years, the PBC has accompanied over 30 countries and regions on their national peacebuilding journeys. The PBF has supported innovative initiatives in over 60 contexts.

As biggest donor to the PBF, former chair and current vice chair of the PBC, the lesson we have learned throughout this journey is that peacebuilding is a continuous endeavor that is only possible through close partnerships.

Guatemala, Liberia and Haiti, as we have heard, is an excellent examples in different stages of conflict and reconciliation of what can be achieved when all relevant actors team up in support of a nationally led process.

The Peacebuilding Architecture is the enabler for these partnerships for peace. It serves as a hinge between member states, UN missions, agencies, funds and programs, civil society, IFIs and other peace actors at local, national, regional and global level.

As member states, we have created this system over the past 20 years that enables us to support each other in building and sustaining peace together.

Yet, the UN system itself faces significant challenges at the moment. While the number of conflicts rises, the UN system is increasingly challenged and the available funding for peace and security is shrinking.

Now more than ever we need a Peacebuilding Fund that is adequately financed to provided fast and flexible support for national peacebuilding and prevention efforts when needed.

We need a PBC that is able to include all peacebuilding actors and thus can provide meaningful advice to the Security Council and the General Assembly.

And we need a Secretariat that is adequately resourced to support the PBC, to manage the PBF and to bring the hinge function of the Peacebuilding Architecture to life by connecting its core bodies to the broader peacebuilding landscape both within and outside of the UN.

Having successfully adopted last year’s Peacebuilding Architecture, now it is time and seize the opportunity in its implementation to create a broader and inclusive peacebuilding architecture that complements the aims of the UN80 initiative by creating increasing effectiveness through meaningful partnerships.

Thank you.