The United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) will host three of its virtual Coffee Hours at the Berlin Climate and Security Conference 2021 to foster multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed at developing concrete, practical action that addresses climate change and its interlinkages to conflict.

The webinars are set to start from 27 September to 4 October, and will focus on climate change and human mobility, conflict and conflict sensitivity, food insecurity; and the importance of integrating gender perspectives into climate and conflict sensitive projects. UNSSC launched its Coffee Hours series in 2020 to bring leading speakers and UN staff together to engage in conversation on key contemporary issues. The series is known to offer incisive and pointed analysis for UN staff and partners.

“Given the nature of the topics we have chosen this year, I expect robust discussions during the Coffee Hours. The conference features a diverse set of speakers, and there will be plenty of opportunity to share and gain insights on conflict mitigation and climate change adaptation as they relate to sustaining peace”, said Ginevra Cucinotta, Learning Portfolio Manager at UNSSC.

The Coffee Hours will form part of the Berlin Climate and Security Conference, organised in collaboration with a diverse range of organisations. The conference is uniquely designed to offer governments, international organizations, scientists, the private sector and practitioners an opportunity to discuss a range of topics related to climate security. It aims to offer spaces to strengthen and support the community of practice, and explore how more comprehensive climate and security risk assessments can help create a forward-looking and preventative foreign and security policy.

“UNSSC’s active engagement at the Berlin Climate and Security Conference and its continuous offering of the Climate Sensitive Programming for Sustaining Peace online course are just a few of its direct responses to the call of the UN Security Council in the 2020 Arria meeting. Member States have repeatedly stated the need to establish knowledge management platforms and disseminate UN system wide trainings that acknowledge the security dimension of climate change in sustaining peace and policy and planning endeavours. UNSSC continues to stand ready to fulfil this mandate through this, and other initiatives” said Svenja Korth, head of UNSSC’s Peace and Security team.

In a future marred by climate change and conflict uncertainty, this timely engagement of multiple stakeholders is crucial. The recent release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a stark reminder to act on conflict and insecurity trends that may exacerbate security risks, migration and other challenges worldwide.

UNSSC’s first Coffee Hour on the Berlin Climate and Security Conference calendar, on 27 September will be the “Human mobility, climate change and conflict: identifying sustainable responses” session. It will bring together a powerhouse panel of speakers to discuss sustainable responses to address the needs of migrants, refugees and local communities.

The next Coffee Hour on 28 September, features leading experts from the Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), to highlight the best practices for mitigating climate risks, and supporting peacebuilding activities. The session titled “Food insecurity, climate change and conflict sensitivity: identifying sustainable pathways for peacebuilding” will address the links between food insecurity, conflicts and climate change

Gender transformative practices will be front and centre at the “Integrating gender perspectives into climate and conflict sensitive projects” session. This Coffee Hour will review advancements in programming within the gender, climate, security nexus. It features an interactive discussion with practitioners who will offer participants an opportunity to learn from experts who have integrated gender into climate security programming across different emerging contexts.

Admission to the UNSSC Coffee Hours at the Berlin Climate and Security Conference 2021 is free. Interested participants are invited to register here. Follow the conversation on social media using the #BCSC2021 #Learn4Climate #UNSSCforClimateAction hashtags.