Published on: 2026-06-23
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
June 22, 2026 Peace and Security
Wars regularly become the focus of global public attention, while their prevention almost never becomes news.
Over the past twenty years, the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund has consistently helped countries avoid violence, recover after conflicts, and build a more peaceful future. Today, this is the main UN mechanism for investments in peace even before crises emerge and go out of control.
In the first UN World Urban Forum that began on Monday, it is especially important to understand what this innovative fund is. It is often called a “first-instance financial instrument” – essentially, an extraordinary UN fund created to strengthen peace.
Whom does the fund support
The Fund was established by UN member states in 2005. It provides emergency financing to countries facing the threat of conflict or trying to recover from it. Unlike traditional aid programs, which can take years to launch, the fund was created to act quickly when a window of opportunity for peace appears. Its principles have remained unchanged for two decades: it should serve as a fast and flexible tool capable of accelerating change and operating under national leadership.
UN Photo Women from the indigenous population are engaged in peacekeeping in Peru.
The Fund cooperates with governments, local communities, civil society organizations, women’s groups, youth networks, and more than twenty UN agencies. Its activities span the entire world: over the past twenty years, it has worked in 75 countries and territories—from Sierra Leone and Colombia to Papua New Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, and Haiti. Ultimately, its main beneficiaries are ordinary people: communities recovering after war, youth seeking new opportunities, women acting as mediators in conflicts, and families hoping for a more stable future.
The fund supports initiatives that help people move towards peace. This includes facilitating the achievement of peaceful agreements, establishing dialogue and reconciliation between divided communities, restoring basic services and local institutions, creating jobs and economic opportunities in post-conflict areas, as well as expanding the participation of women and youth in peacebuilding. In other words, it invests in the foundation on which sustainable peace is built.
How and where the fund strengthens peace
The fund occupies a unique niche within the UN system: it is risk-tolerant, ready to act quickly, and supports initiatives that other donors cannot or are unwilling to finance. Peacebuilding is not only about ending wars, but also about creating inclusive communities.
The foundation’s work covers all regions of the world. In Sierra Leone, it contributed to holding peaceful elections and strengthening institutions after a destructive civil war. In Papua New Guinea, it supported the preparation for the historic referendum in Bougainville, during which people were able to peacefully express their political position.
Photo UN/J. Clark Women in Kadugli, Sudan, organized a local savings fund as part of efforts to increase the resilience of their community.
On the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, the fund helped communities turn disputes over land and water into cooperation and joint development. In Guatemala, it supported indigenous women who sought justice in cases related to sexual violence during the war, leading to a landmark court decision. In the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries, the fund facilitated the return of former combatants to peaceful life, supported women mediators, and strengthened community resilience.
Over two decades, the fund has invested about two billion dollars, financed more than 1100 projects, and provided jobs for over 120 organizations. The demand for its support is growing not only because conflicts are increasing, but also because more and more countries are striving to engage in violence prevention.
For twenty years, the Peacebuilding Fund has been in operation, guided by a simple truth: investing in people and in peace is cheaper, more sensible, and more humane than reacting after a conflict has already broken out. Its work may not make news headlines, but for millions of people it represents a chance for a more peaceful future.
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