Joint UNCT – UNAMID Communique / UN Country Team, UNAMID expand partnership of peace process and development in Darfur

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, December 13, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has pledged to combine their efforts to work together in implementing specific initiatives including: voluntary returns, human rights and justice, institutional capacity development, and peace building and reconciliation.

This important milestone was reached today in the second session of the UNAMID/UNCT Joint Secretariat which concluded today at UNAMID's headquarters in El Fasher, North Darfur.

In the run up to the two-day session, the joint working groups produced matrices setting out the existing activities implemented in collaboration between the UNCT and UNAMID.

The Joint Secretariat expressed their satisfaction with the work produced by the working groups and specifically with the innovative ideas proposed as part of the new joint activities. These proposals, which are now to be developed into more elaborate concept notes, will be submitted to the High Level Committee at the UNCT/ UNAMID meeting, scheduled to take place in February 2013.

The Joint Secretariat was established under the UNAMID/UNCT Vision Strategic Framework to oversee the work of the six UNCT/UNAMID joint working groups created within the framework of the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.

The concrete implementation of the joint activities will provide an additional opportunity to the parties to increase their collaborative efforts in support of sustainable peace in Darfur.