United Nations Department of Political Affairs

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**Department of Political Affairs**
UN HQ
Org type:	Department of the Secretariat
Acronyms:	DPA
Head:	Under-Secretary-General Nigeria Ibrahim Gambari
Status:	Active
Established:	1992
Website:	http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/index.html
Parent org:	United Nations Secretariat
Portal:	United Nations Portal

The United Nations Department of Political Affairs (DPA) (French: Département des affaires politiques des Nations Unies), (Spanish: Departamento de Asuntos Políticos de las Naciones Unidas) is a deparment of the Secretariat of the United Nations, was established in 1992, whose focal point is Peace Building. The Under-Secretary-General is Nigerian scholar and diplomat Ibrahim Gambari.

The DPA is tasked with resolving ongoing conflict, preventing new problems from arising and promoting peace in areas that have recently emerged from conflcit. To achieve these, the department has four main responsibilities. First, the department is responsible with the monitoring and assessment of developments in the political sphere. In so doing, the DPA reports and advises the Secretary General in relations to the promotion of peace. Third, the department provides to member states assistance for elections. Finally, the DPA provides support to the Security Council.

1 Recent news
2 Staffing
3 Budget
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Recent news

November 10, 2006 - Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari, in Myanmar for four days (November 9 - 12) to encourage greater respect for human rights there, met with leaders of the junta in Nay Pyi Taw. On November 10, in Rangoon, he met for approximately one hour with Nobel laureate and Aung San Suu Kyi. [1] The day before his visit, Secretary-General Kofi Annan "urged the junta to show 'tangible' steps forward' on human rights, democratic reform and national reconciliation." [2]

November 9, 2006 - Assistant Secretary-General Angela Kane, briefed the Security Council on the shelling that took place in the town of Beit Hanoun (Arabic: بيت حانون‎) and urged both sides to resume dialogue. She said: "We hope that both Israelis and Palestinians will, in the wake of yesterday’s tragedy in Beit Hanoun, pause and reflect on the fact that the conflict between them will not be resolved by force, and that ways must be found to bring about negotiations". [3]

[edit] Staffing

Ibrahim Gambari (Nigeria) - Under-Secretary-General
Tuliameni Kalomoh Namibia - Assistant Secretary-General
Angela Kane Germany - Assistant Secretary-General

The DPA employs approximately 250 people at the United Nations headquarters in New York City and more than 750 people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.