Nothing to report during this period.

Syria

Following a request by the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria (OSE-Syria), an expert on transitional justice mobilized through the SBT mechanism was assigned to review the draft transitional justice law. MSU’s inputs were duly considered, consolidated with OSE-Syria’s comments, and incorporated into the UNCT recommendations to be submitted to the National Commission on Transitional Justice in Syria.

Abyei

Building on previous support provided in 2025, two SBT experts in process design and climate change, environment and natural resources issues provided remote advice to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), the Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (OSE-HOA), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) project team. The experts provided process advice which included technical inputs on the integration of climate and peacebuilding considerations into a planned series of dialogues which aim to promote inter-communal trust-building. This would take place through inclusive and participatory planning for building resilience to climate change and conflict climate-resilient agriculture in Abyei, with a special focus on women and youth groups. This support is ongoing and expected to continue into the next quarter.

Libya

During the reporting period, an SBT expert on gender and inclusion continued to provide both remote and in-person strategic advice to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Senior Leadership and the Gender Advisory Section (GAS) during all the phases of the Structured Dialogue (SD). This included guidance on gender-responsive measures and interventions to promote the safe and meaningful participation of Libyan women in the SD. The expert also contributed to the preparation of the meetings of the Libyan Women’s Caucus of the SD and advised on strategies to strengthen the integration of women’s priorities into SD recommendations.

In addition, in March and April, two MSU staff members designed and supported two rounds of remote facilitation training to 22 UNSMIL staff to strengthen their facilitation capacity. The training was focused on four thematic tracks: Economy, Security, Governance and Human Rights/National Reconciliation.  Building on these efforts, a process design expert mobilized through the Standby Team Mechanism delivered a third virtual round of training fully in Arabic to 12 Libyan facilitators of the SD and one additional UNSMIL facilitator. Each of the three cohorts benefited from six hours of interactive training and received a comprehensive set of resource materials to support continued application of the skills acquired.

Madagascar 

A process design expert held a virtual working session with officials from Madagascar’s Ministry of Refoundation. During the discussion, the officials emphasized the importance of inclusive national consultations to address the root causes of the country’s recurrent political crises. Participants explored options for designing a strategy for nationwide consultations, planning a pilot phase, and strengthening the capacity of local facilitators who will lead local dialogues. The training process is expected to begin with a training of trainers workshop. Following the session, MSU and the East Africa Division finalized the Terms of Reference for the deployment of the process design expert, which will be made available to the Government of Madagascar for its consideration. 

South Sudan

During the reporting period, MSU continued to provide mediation support to United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) with respect to the mission’s work in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). 

As part of a remote assignment with UNMISS, an SBT constitutional expert contributed to a high-level dialogue on subnational boundaries and political representation organized by the Council of States of South Sudan from 17–19 March 2026. The expert delivered a presentation on “Upper Legislative Chambers and Subnational Political Representation: Comparative Experiences and Perspectives,” providing a comparative analysis of second chambers in federal systems. The session, attended primarily by members of the country’s two legislative houses, generated discussion on existing legal frameworks and their implementation, particularly regarding the constitutional role of the Council of States. The expert also participated in other sessions, including discussions on the delineation of state boundaries. 

Sudan 

Since the previous reporting, MSU staff continued their support to the Office of the Personal Envoy for Sudan (OPESG-Sudan) by participating in meetings and strategy sessions with Sudanese stakeholders and other multilateral organizations. 

During the reporting period, a process design expert mobilized through the Standby Team Mechanism conducted work on consensus-building and promoting strategic de-escalation, drawing on various roadmaps and vision documents developed by Sudanese actors, including the Port Sudan authorities, the Tasis founding charter, the Sumoud vision, and documents submitted by prominent Sudanese personalities and youth groups. This work helped to identify steps to engage the relevant parties in a process that builds upon points of convergence and aims at supporting efforts to address the existing divergences including through deescalation. 

Bangladesh

In March, MSU initiated preparations for the deployment of an SBT constitutional expert to support the International IDEA (IIDEA) in Bangladesh that will take place in April. MSU engaged in initial coordination with IIDEA to clarify the objectives, scope, and logistical arrangements of the mission. Preparatory steps have included internal planning sessions between DPPA-DPO’s Asia and the Pacific Division (APD) and the expert to ensure readiness for deployment. The request aims to provide in-person advisory support to IIDEA as part of ongoing consultations with government counterparts, civil society actors and members of the international community following recent elections and a constitutional reform referendum. The expert will contribute by providing comparative perspectives on constitutional reform processes, including potential scenarios, scope of reform, and areas of potential consensus among stakeholders. 

Pacific Islands Forum 

At the request of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, a SBT expert on climate change, environment and natural resources issues was deployed to Brisbane, Australia to support a Regional Climate Security Dialogue (16-18 March). The expert provided process advice and expert input on integrating environmental governance, conflict sensitivity, and community-led mediation considerations across sessions, as well as technical recommendations on approaches to climate, peace and security risk assessment into the Outcomes Document.

Strengthening Mediation Capacity

SBT and staff online and in person engagements (webinars, panels, consultations)  

During the first quarter, multiple experts from the SBT mechanism and MSU staff participated in different virtual discussion formats as panellists, speakers, and moderators. They also acted as expert facilitators in various capacity building exercises for the UN and its partners including: delivering a presentation on adaptive climate governance in the MENA region a Chatham House exchange; contributing to a workshop on “mid-level commanders in comparative perspective”, organized jointly by the University of York and Montreal University; or delivering a lecture on security strategies for graduate students at the University of Los Andes; contributed to a scenario based planning exercise for the international stabilization force in Gaza convened by the International Peace Institute (IPI) and participated in a Frontline Security Management: Reality Testing Workshop convened by Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). MSU staff also participated in the following events: a workshop in the UN’s Place in a Changing Mediation Landscape organized by the International Peace Institute, a Commission on the Status of Women Side Event on women’s participation in peace processes co-organized by Finland, Lichenstein and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and a workshop on “Digital Peacemaking: Integrating Tech and AI in Conflict Resolution” organized by Conciliation Resources and Build Up.

Group of Friends of Mediation

On 5 February, the Group of Friends of Mediation convened an expert-level meeting to provide an opportunity for representatives of the MSU Standby Team to brief members on their work in the field and to engage in an interactive exchange on current mediation practice. The meeting was opened by the co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Mediation, namely the Permanent Representations of Finland and Türkiye. The session featured briefings by three members of the SBT—covering gender and inclusion, as well as process design—who shared insights from their recent field engagements across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. Participants engaged in a substantive discussion on lessons learned, challenges, and emerging trends in mediation, with particular emphasis on inclusive process design, and multi-stakeholder dialogue. The meeting provided a valuable platform for strengthening dialogue between Member States and the United Nations on advancing effective mediation support.

Digital Technologies

On 4 March, MSU convened the quarterly online meeting of the CyberMediation Network. The session consisted of an expert briefing by Professor Claude Bruderlein from Harvard University. Drawing on findings from the 2026 AI Negotiation Forum Survey and a recently published article co-authored by Professor Bruderlein, the session examined the responsible integration of AI into negotiation and mediation workflows. The discussion offered valuable reflections on the distinct opportunities AI presents at different stages in negotiation or mediation processes - highlighting how it can enhance effectiveness, rather than focusing solely on efficiency.

Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisors

From 2 to 6 February, the 2026 Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers convened at UN Headquarters to report for duty and gather for the Team’s annual retreat. Members of the outgoing 2025 Standby Team also joined. Throughout the week, the Team engaged in in-depth discussions on key mediation themes, including Member State engagement in peace processes, interstate ceasefires, leveraging climate, peace and security considerations for inclusive process design or exploring mediator-advisor dynamics. Colleagues also spent some time diving deeper into ways to isolate and demonstrate the impact of its short-term operational deployments. Members of the Standby Team also met with UN senior leadership, the UN Group of Friends of Mediation, and conducted more than 20 bilateral meetings with DPPA-DPO regional divisions, desks, and thematic offices to discuss emerging and ongoing mediation support needs.

Economic dimensions in peace processes

MSU conducted internal consultations within DPPA on a non-paper on the economic dimensions of peace processes drafted during 2025. Consultations covered 11 country and regional contexts, including Ukraine, Moldova, Sudan, Libya, DRC, Yemen, Colombia, Myanmar, Cyprus, Haiti and Papua New Guinea. The consultations validated demand for more systematic approaches to economy informed conflict analysis and process design. Three recurring priorities were raised throughout the consultations: the need for practical guidance on engaging economic actors whose interests influence conflict dynamics; the importance of tools and check-lists that political officers can apply in real time; and the value of process-specific support in integrating economic considerations into a mediation strategy.