H.E. Berenice Owen-Jones, Australian High Commissioner to Ghana
Australia is ramping up its investment in global peace efforts with a major funding pledge to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. H.E. Berenice Owen-Jones, Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, announced the commitment at a high-level peace forum in Accra on May 28.
“And we will increase our voluntary contribution to the UN Peacebuilding Fund to $15 million per year,” she declared at the Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace Forum.
The forum, which convened leaders from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and regional civil society groups, focused on enhancing regional cooperation and amplifying women’s roles in political transitions.
According to Owen-Jones, the move reflects Australia’s belief that peacebuilding systems must be restructured and empowered to deliver on their mandate.
“We must also reform the peacebuilding and conflict prevention architecture. It is not working,” she stated.
Australia will also support national prevention strategies during its term on the Peacebuilding Commission, reinforcing its belief that local solutions are essential for lasting peace.
The increased funding commitment comes as conflict hotspots proliferate across West Africa and the Sahel, further emphasizing the urgent need for well-resourced and inclusive peacebuilding.
Watch the live forum via link below