UN Peacebuilding Week - Side Event on Advancing Solutions through Peacebuilding: Delivering Coherent, Government-Led Responses to Internal Displacement

23 June 2026 | Peacebuilding Week

The side event explored how peacebuilding investment can accelerate durable, government-led solutions to internal displacement, including through stronger UN system-wide coherence and coordination under the Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement. Discussions focused on how peacebuilding financing can unlock broader development investment and support institution-building, local development, social cohesion, prevention and long-term solutions.

Speakers included Ambassador Andreas Lovold, Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway; H.E. Ambassador Cecilia Adeng, Permanent Representative of South Sudan to the UN; Ms. Agnes Ali, Deputy Director, IOM Office in New York; Mr. Sivanka Dhanapala, Director, UNHCR Office in New York; Ms. Maria Dimitriadou, Special Representative to the UN and Head of Multilateral Affairs, World Bank; and Ms. Valeriia Vershynina, Executive Director, Support Services Charitable Foundation Ukraine and member of the Global IDP Advisory Group. The session was moderated by Mr. Brian Williams, Chief of the Peacebuilding Fund Branch.


Participants emphasized that national ownership, political leadership,and stronger financing partnerships are essential to advancing durable solutions. The discussion highlighted the catalytic role of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and Internal Displacement Solutions Fund (IDSF) in unlocking larger-scale development financing, alongside the importance of better data, meaningful participation of displaced people, and stronger collaboration among governments, the UN, development partners and financial institutions.
The event reinforced the need to address the root causes of displacement, conflict, fragility, weak governance and to ensure that displaced people are recognized as partners and agents of change in peacebuilding and solutions processes.