The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is the UN’s primary financial tool for sustaining peace in countries or regions at risk or affected by violent conflict. Managed by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the fund is designed to provide rapid and flexible financial support for peacebuilding efforts where needed.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed former Kenyan Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau as the new chair of the Eighth Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group. The group brings together eminent global leaders with diverse expertise to guide the UN’s efforts to sustain peace in conflict-affected areas.
The Advisory Group includes distinguished members such as Jonas Alberoth, Senior Adviser at the Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden); Richard Atwood, Executive Vice President at the International Crisis Group (UK); Yoka Brandt, former Ambassador of the Netherlands; Cheng Jingye, former Ambassador and President of the Arms Control and Disarmament Association (China); Kjersti Dale, Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norway); Mohamed Edrees, former Ambassador of Egypt; Nathalie Kohli, Swiss Ambassador to Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea; Paik Ji-ah, former Ambassador and Professor Emeritus at the Korean National Diplomatic Academy (South Korea); Baso Sangqu, former Ambassador and Senior Vice President at AngloGold Ashanti (South Africa); Ana Glenda Tager Rosado, Private Secretary to the President of Guatemala; and Almut Wieland-Karimi, Senior Policy Adviser at Stiftung Mercator GmbH (Germany).
The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is the UN’s primary financial tool for sustaining peace in countries or regions at risk or affected by violent conflict. Managed by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the fund is designed to provide rapid and flexible financial support for peacebuilding efforts where needed.
In a statement, the UN emphasized the importance of the Peacebuilding Fund as part of the broader international commitment to sustaining peace. “In the recently agreed Pact for the Future, world leaders recognized the persistence of violent conflict around the globe, the immense suffering of humanity, and the existential risks we face collectively. The Pact calls for a strengthened multilateral system with the United Nations at its center, reinforcing the UN’s role in peacebuilding efforts,” the statement read.
The UN’s commitment to peacebuilding is further solidified by the expansion of the Advisory Group to 12 members, allowing for a more inclusive approach. The group’s primary responsibility is to provide strategic guidance for the allocation of the Peacebuilding Fund’s resources, including the $50 million in annual assessed contributions starting in 2025. This funding is part of a landmark decision by the UN General Assembly, which underscored peacebuilding as central to the UN’s mission.
Since its inception in 2006, the Peacebuilding Fund has allocated nearly US$2 billion to 71 countries and territories. In 2023 alone, the Fund approved US$202 million in support for 36 nations. However, as demand for peacebuilding resources continues to grow, the UN stresses the need for increased voluntary contributions to sustain and expand its impact.
Macharia Kamau brings a wealth of diplomatic experience to his new role. Appointed Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary in 2018 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kamau has played a pivotal role in peace efforts in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also served as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2010 to 2018. Currently, Kamau serves as a special envoy for former President Kenyatta, leading peace initiatives in Ethiopia and the DRC.
The appointment of Kamau to this influential position underscores the UN’s commitment to effective and inclusive peacebuilding leadership as part of its efforts to address global conflicts and promote long-term stability.
