United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon appointed Professor Jean-Marie Guéhenno to chair the newly created Senior Advisory Group for the Review of International Civilian Capacities at the United Nations.

The Review of International Civilian Capacities is a key component of the agenda for action outlined in Mr. Ban’s 2009 Report on Peacebuilding in the Immediate Aftermath of Conflict.

The overall goal of the review is to improve the international response in the aftermath of conflict by strengthening the availability, deployment and appropriateness of civilian capacities for peacebuilding. These steps are considered crucial to prevent relapse into conflict and lay the foundations for sustainable development.

The group’s responsibilities include identifying changes that can be made within the UN to ensure its capacities can be deployed effectively and efficiently, and to identify Member States which can support those efforts.