DR ‹ › On the occasion of the opening of the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Omar Hilale, who also serves as president of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), hosted the executive directors of the World Bank on Monday at UN headquarters in New York. The meeting formed part of a strategic dialogue aimed at redefining the partnership between the UN's peacebuilding architecture and the Bretton Woods institution. Speaking at the third edition of this dialogue, following previous sessions held in Washington in June 2024 and September 2025, Hilale stressed that peace is not only the foundation of sustainable development, but a prerequisite for it. Citing supporting data, the PBC president noted that more than half of the world's population living in extreme poverty is found in contexts of fragility, conflict, or violence (FCV). Drawing on the recent PBC visit to the Central African Republic, which he described as successful, Hilale highlighted the progress achieved by Bangui, including improved security conditions, the gradual extension of state authority across the country, and a firm commitment to transitional justice. Outlining priorities for joint action, he identified four key areas to strengthen UN–World Bank cooperation in support of Central African national priorities: mobilizing additional funding for community reintegration, supporting ongoing reforms in the security and justice sectors, assisting the country's engagement with the World Bank's Prevention and Resilience Allocation (PRA), and reinforcing the joint monitoring framework bringing together the UN, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Union. Hilale also announced that the first UN Peacebuilding Week will be held in New York from June 22 to 26, as mandated by the UN General Assembly, under the theme «Partnership for Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact».
