The Sustaining Peace Agenda emerged from the 2015 Advisory Group of Experts review of the UN peacebuilding architecture and was formalized in twin resolutions adopted on 27 April 2016: General Assembly resolution 70/262 and Security Council resolution 2282. These identical resolutions redefined "peacebuilding" to encompass activities aimed at preventing the outbreak, escalation, continuation, and recurrence of conflict, addressing root causes, and moving toward recovery and reconstruction.
The agenda marked a conceptual shift in three ways:
- Continuum, not phase. Peace is no longer treated as something built only after a ceasefire; sustaining peace spans prevention, mediation, peacekeeping, and recovery.
- Whole-of-system responsibility. It is framed as a task for the entire UN system — the General Assembly, Security Council, Peacebuilding Commission, ECOSOC, and country teams — rather than a niche concern of post-conflict missions.
- National ownership with inclusive participation. Governments lead, but civil society, women, and youth are explicitly recognized as essential actors, linking the agenda to the Women, Peace and Security agenda (UNSCR 1325) and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda (UNSCR 2250).
The 2018 report of the Secretary-General on peacebuilding and sustaining peace (A/72/707–S/2018/43) elaborated operational priorities, including more predictable financing for the Peacebuilding Fund, closer UN-World Bank cooperation reflected in the joint Pathways for Peace study (2018), and strengthened prevention diplomacy.
A central, recurring obstacle is financing. The Secretary-General has repeatedly called for assessed contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund, but member states have resisted; the Fund remains reliant on voluntary donations. The 2020 and 2025 peacebuilding architecture reviews revisited these gaps, and the 2024 Pact for the Future reaffirmed sustaining peace as a guiding concept while linking it to the broader prevention agenda promoted in Our Common Agenda.
For delegates, the framework is most often invoked in Peacebuilding Commission debates, Fourth and Sixth Committee discussions on conflict prevention, and resolutions touching on transitions from peacekeeping missions.
Example
In April 2016, the UN General Assembly and Security Council adopted parallel resolutions 70/262 and 2282 launching the Sustaining Peace Agenda, reframing peacebuilding as a system-wide responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional peacebuilding focused on post-conflict recovery. Sustaining peace covers the full conflict cycle — prevention, response, and recovery — and treats it as a responsibility of the whole UN system.
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