The United Nations Middle East peace efforts are centered in its Department of Political and Peacemaking Affairs. This department plays a central role in efforts to prevent deadly conflict and build sustainable peace around the world.

This group provides support to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and his envoys in their peace initiatives, as well as to UN political missions around the world. It is also an agile platform for crisis response, capable, with the assent of countries concerned, of rapidly deploying mediators and other peacemaking expertise worldwide and cooperating closely with regional organizations on the frontlines of conflicts.

This Department of Political and Peacemaking Affairs was established on 1 January 2019 following the reform of the United Nations peace and security infrastructure, which brought together the former Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office. DPA and the former Department of Peacekeeping Operations (now the Department of Peace Operations, or DPO) also merged their previously parallel regional divisions to create a single structure to provide more coherent political analysis and strategic advice in the service of prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding after conflict.

Rosemary A. DiCarlo heads this organization, serving as Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. She manages the department, advises the Secretary-General on matters affecting global peace and security, carries out high-level diplomatic missions and provides guidance to peace envoys and political missions in the field. She brings more than 35 years of experience in public service and academia. During her distinguished career with the United States Department of State, she served, among other functions, as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. In that capacity, she represented the United States at the Security Council, General Assembly and other United Nations bodies. Prior assignments included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and Director for United Nations Affairs at the National Security Council in Washington, D.C. Her overseas tours took her to the United States Embassies in Moscow and Oslo. Ms. DiCarlo graduated from Brown University with a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in comparative literature, as well as Slavic languages and literature.

United Nations Middle East Peace

United Nations Middle East Peace

Department of Political and Peacemaking Affairs

Telephone: (+ 1) (212) 963-1234

Office Location

405 East 42nd Street

New York, NY, 10017

USA