Washington, DC, 21 June 2023 – Today, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo attended the 30th annual meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), where she delivered the opening keynote address under the title “Multilateral action for peace in an era of division.”
In her speech she underscored that “just when we need urgent, united action to face multiple interlocking crises, the world is growing ever more dangerously divided.” She also discussed how the New Agenda for Peace, which has been called for by the UN Secretary-General, presents a “unifying vision and outlines a series of actions that States could take to rebuild momentum for collective action for peace.” Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo closed by reminding audience members that “cooperation, even with those with radically different visions of the world, is how we bridge our divides while safeguarding, and whenever possible advancing, the gains achieved in human freedom and well-being since the end of the Second World War.”
During her two-day visit, the Under-Secretary-General also exchanged views with officials from the United States and European Union on a range of global political issues. At the US Department of State, she met with: Ambassador Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Anne Witkowsky, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations; Josh Black, Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs, National Security Council (NSC); and Mara Tekach, Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts.
The Under-Secretary-General also visited the US Agency for International Development (USAID) where she met with Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman; Robert Jenkins, Assistant to the Administrator at the Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization; and Anka Lee, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning.
She also visited the office of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States, where she met with European Union Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák to discuss the latest developments in Kosovo.
Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo heads the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), which plays a central role in UN efforts to prevent deadly conflict and build sustainable peace around the world. The Department provides support to the Secretary-General and his envoys in their peace initiatives and is an agile platform for crisis response, cooperating closely with regional organizations on the frontlines of conflicts.