Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, at the Ambassadorial-level Meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission on South-South and Triangular Cooperation for building and sustaining peace - July 29th, 2025

Chair, Excellencies, colleagues,

Brazil commends the organization of this timely debate on South‑South and triangular cooperation for peacebuilding and sustaining peace. We strongly support the permanent inclusion of this item on the PBC’s agenda.

The principles that guide this cooperation — respect for sovereignty, national ownership, equality, non‑conditionality and mutual benefit — are the very foundations of effective peacebuilding, turning solidarity into concrete results on the ground and fostering mutual learning. And improving and promoting South-South and triangular cooperation with the focus on countries that seek the PBC’s support is a most concrete and effective means of strengthening the Commission’s role and ultimately the entire UN Peacebuilding architecture.

As a developing country, Brazil has advanced successful solutions to many of the challenges common to developing countries. For nearly four decades the Brazilian Cooperation Agency has coordinated hundreds of South-South and trilateral cooperation initiatives, many with countries emerging from conflict. With partners mostly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, we also have developed projects in Asia – such as in Timor Leste – and in the Middle East – specifically in Lebanon and Palestine.

Through the IBSA Fund, established with India and South Africa, in 2004, we have supported projects in more than thirty countries. The Fund supports projects on a demand-driven basis through partnership with local governments, national institutions and partners.

The projects it supports serve as tangible expressions of solidarity, aimed at benefiting the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. They focus on advancing food security, combating HIV/AIDS, expanding access to safe drinking water, and promoting quality education and gender equality — all contributing to the broader goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and thus the holistic vision that we strongly support for the UN peacebuilding and conflict prevention action.

Building on the discussions initiated by the expert-level meeting of May on this topic, Brazil strongly supports that the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) works closer to the PBC in identifying opportunities for South-South and trilateral cooperation to advance peacebuilding priorities, based on national ownership. The idea of stablishing a joint repository of initiatives could be especially positive in this regard.

Further synergies with the Peacebuilding Fund could also help to leverage initiatives promoted by SSTC-focused funds, like the IBSA fund. Considering the catalytic nature of the PBF, its resources could be channeled to projects that are already being developed or are planned to be developed by other funds. Financing supporting programs that strengthen the impact of projects developed by other funds could also be considered. The PBSO-PBF-UNOSSC partnership could help identifying opportunities for that kind of joint initiatives.

Mr. Chair,

South‑South and trilateral cooperation strongly shows that communities once divided can become architects of their own resilience. By pooling our experience, resources and determination, we can transform promises into durable policies and build a peace that is truly by and for all. Brazil remains fully committed to that shared endeavor and welcomes the PBC’s increased role in promoting South-South and trilateral cooperation with countries actually or prospectively on its agenda.

Thank you.