Statement by H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the UN, 2026 Joint Meeting of ECOSOC and PBC “From Risk to Resilience: Advancing Social Cohesion Through Job Creation In Peacebuilding Contexts”

22 June, 2026

Thank you, Mr. President

Thank you Mr. Chair,

As Armenia holds the Vice-Presidency of ECOSOC and serves as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission, we welcome this joint meeting and encourage further interaction between the two bodies.

The 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review twin resolutions reaffirm the value of strengthened ECOSOC–PBC cooperation, in accordance with their mandates. We believe such regular exchanges can contribute to a more coherent and integrated approach to sustaining peace.

Dear colleagues,

In fragile and conflict-affected settings, unemployment, underemployment and economic exclusion can deepen grievances, erode trust in institutions and undermine social cohesion. Addressing these risks requires sustained investment in inclusive economic opportunities and decent work.

We place particular emphasis on youth and women, who are often disproportionately affected by unemployment and exclusion, yet remain indispensable agents of recovery, social cohesion and peace. Employment-focused peacebuilding efforts should therefore prioritize skills development, entrepreneurship and economic participation.

Armenia recognizes that women’s full and meaningful participation in economic and public life is essential for building inclusive and peaceful societies. Through its Gender Policy Strategy and National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, Armenia promotes women’s economic empowerment and leadership, while supporting social inclusion, including in border and refugee-hosting communities.

Armenia also implements targeted employment and self-employment programmes for displaced persons. More than 20,000 of them are currently engaged in formal employment, supporting both livelihoods and social inclusion.

We underscore the importance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as drivers of job creation and local development, and stress the need for stronger partnerships among governments, international financial institutions, the UN system and local stakeholders.

We also believe that education, skills development and employment opportunities are mutually reinforcing investments in prevention and sustaining peace. Earlier this month, the Armenia-initiated General Assembly resolution “Education for Peace” was adopted by consensus and co-sponsored by around 100 Member States. [The resolution reaffirms education as a key driver of peace, tolerance, human fulfilment and sustainable development, and an important foundation for achieving full employment and poverty eradication.]

Finally, we believe that job creation should be viewed not only as an economic objective, but also as an investment in prevention, recovery and sustaining peace. We encourage the UN system to continue supporting nationally owned and coordinated approaches that link employment, social cohesion and resilience, while responding to the specific needs of communities on the ground.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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