Local Peacebuilding Takes Centre Stage at the First UN Peacebuilding Week

As part of the inaugural UN Peacebuilding Week in New York, ZIF and the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations hosted a side event on the role of local peacebuilding. The discussion focused on how local partnerships can strengthen national prevention strategies and inform international policymaking.

Prevention Starts at the Local Level

Under the title "Strengthening Peacebuilding Partnerships at Local and National Levels in Conflict-Affected and Non-Conflict Settings", policymakers, practitioners and researchers discussed the importance of locally led peacebuilding for sustainable conflict prevention.

The event took place during the first-ever UN Peacebuilding Week, at a time when both the Pact for the Future and the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review (PBAR) reaffirm the importance of prevention, locally led peacebuilding and nationally owned approaches to sustaining peace.

From Local Practice to International Policy

The discussion explored how local peacebuilding initiatives contribute to democratic resilience, social cohesion and conflict prevention in both conflict-affected and non-conflict settings.

Drawing on examples from the 2025 Compendium of Good Practice and Innovative Peacebuilding Approaches at the Local Level, participants examined how successful local initiatives can be adapted to different contexts and scaled through stronger partnerships.

International Exchange of Expertise

The panel featured Prof. Dr. Christoph Weller (University of Augsburg), Mir Mubashir (Berghof Foundation) and Lauren McGowan (International Peace Institute). The side event was co-hosted by ZIF and the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations.

The discussion highlighted that translating the ambitions of the Peacebuilding Architecture Review into practice will require strong partnerships, mutual learning and sustained dialogue across local, national and international levels. Locally led peacebuilding remains a cornerstone of effective conflict prevention.