Bolstered United Nations Role, Member States’ Support Essential to Better Manage Conflict, Build More Secure World, Speakers Tell General Assembly
Identifying key threats and engaging in a strategic reflection about today’s challenges to international peace and security, speakers discussed the means available and institutions required for an effective collective security architecture as the General Assembly convened a high-level thematic debate on the topic.
The number of civil wars had tripled in the past 10 years and that violent conflict drove 80 per cent of all current humanitarian needs, said Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaking on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Given the complexity of today’s conflicts, the Organization had launched several policy reviews focusing on prevention, long-term political solutions and solid partnerships.
Concrete results were already being seen in several areas, including the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping in September 2015, stronger partnerships with regional and subregional organizations, and the adoption by the Peacebuilding Commission of new working methods, as well as the implementation of strong measures to root out sexual exploitation and abuse. However, the United Nations system could not achieve it alone, he said, calling upon Member States to contribute in political and financial areas. “We welcome the steps you have taken so far, but in some areas, rhetorical commitments have so far not translated into concrete action,” he said.
Mogens Lykketoft (Denmark), President of the General Assembly, said the challenge was to build on the current momentum and to respond to the overarching recommendations from the three reviews on peacebuilding, peace operations and women, peace and security. Drawing attention to emerging threats, including cybercrime and global terrorism, he underscored the need for a multilateral approach and greater attention to the United Nations role for a more sustainable world. As proven by the Iran nuclear deal framework and Security Council action on Syria in December 2015, the Organization could still help in resolving differences.
In the ensuing discussion, keynote speakers took up the future of peace and security in a complex world. Espen Barth Eide, Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum, presented seven main drivers of change, ranging from demography to geopolitical competition, and technological advances to governance. He stressed that corruption and short-sighted leadership were limiting growth and destabilizing societies, while cohesion, mistrust and marginalization were threatening social stability.
Despite remarkable progress, the world was becoming more dangerous, with less of a “feel good factor” today than when the Berlin Wall had fallen and the cold war had ended, said Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former President of Indonesia. Amid global warming, zero-sum geopolitical rivalry, rising hatred and intolerance, and spiralling conflicts, it was crucial to allow the United Nations a more robust role in managing global affairs.
In a similar vein, Amre Moussa, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, said the world was looking to the United Nations for action. However, in order to lead change, the Organization needed reform, which in turn would require vision and boldness. In that regard, the priority must be reforming the Security Council, with better representation for developing countries and the “P5” voluntarily refraining from the use of their veto power. Also essential was to empower the General Assembly to shoulder its responsibility, he emphasized.
“The mistake is to fight fire with fire,” said Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate and a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, stressing the need to prevent violent incidents all around the world. Warning against growing militarism, she emphasized that world leaders must allocate their resources to build constructive dialogue.
The focus of the afternoon panel was “Sustainable peace in a world of risks: Is the United Nations effective in preventing and resolving conflicts?”. Panellists discussed how the Organization could remain the preeminent relevant actor and credibly respond to threats emanating from non-State and transnational actors. They also addressed whether the available instruments and policies within the United Nations context were adequate.
The Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 11 May, to conclude its thematic debate.
Opening Remarks
MOGENS LYKKETOFT (Denmark), President of the General Assembly, said the United Nations had been founded with one overriding objective: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Over the past 70 years, the Organization had mobilized thousands of peacekeepers and established a clear legal framework for the conduct of war and the protection of human rights. Despite significant achievements, the Organization had failed in Srebrenica, Somalia and Rwanda.
Drawing attention to emerging threats, including civil conflicts, terrorist attacks and sexual violence, he said a multilateral approach was needed to create a more sustainable world. The Iran nuclear deal framework and Security Council action on Syria in December 2015 had proved that the United Nations could still help global and regional powers resolve their differences. However, the challenge was to build on the current momentum and to respond to the overarching recommendations from the three reviews recently carried out on peacebuilding, peace operations and women, peace and security.
Focusing on issues that emerged strongly from the reviews, he stressed the need for political solutions to inform every aspect of the United Nations approach to sustaining peace. In the medical field, it was more cost-effective and more humane to invest in prevention before a cure was needed. However, to put prevention at the heart of the peace and security architecture, the international community needed to forge a consensus on a crucial set of budgetary, institutional and cultural reforms. Further, he said that the global study painted a grim picture of progress in implementing Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. It was the time for specific actions and leadership to move that Agenda forward.
On partnership, he noted that the reviews encouraged the United Nations to improve how it worked with other key actors. A greater attention must be given to securing strategic partnerships with regional organizations in a way that leveraged the best of both actors. In addition, the Organization needed to find ways to provide opportunities for greater involvement of Member States who wished to play roles in global peace and security. Finally, he noted that changes were taking place in areas ranging from cybercrime to global terrorism. In tackling such challenges, it was essential to pay greater attention to the United Nations role.
JAN ELIASSON, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, noted that the number of civil wars had tripled in the past 10 years and that violent conflict drove 80 per cent of all current humanitarian needs. Conflicts today were more complex and intractable. Against that background, several policy reviews were launched last year. They had three common messages: prevention was the Organization’s central mission, a higher priority needed to be placed on the search for inclusive, long-term political solutions, and the importance of solid partnerships in order to succeed. Together, the reviews represented an action-oriented road map towards a more effective United Nations, complemented by the Sustainable Development Goals and the Human Rights Up Front initiative.
The Secretariat was implementing roughly 90 per cent of the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s response to the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, he said. Last month’s General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on the peacebuilding architecture review had provided new impetus and tools to focus on longer-term peacebuilding, while the Global Study on Women, Peace and Security showed the central role of women in peace and security efforts. There was tremendous potential for youth as well. Concrete results were already being seen in several areas, such as the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping in September 2015, stronger partnerships with regional and subregional organizations, the adoption by the Peacebuilding Commission of new working methods and the implementation of strong measures to root out sexual exploitation and abuse, which would strengthen trust in peacekeeping.
The United Nations system was committed to reform, but it could not achieve it alone, he said. It needed Member States to champion change in political and financial ways. “We welcome the steps you have taken so far, but in some areas, rhetorical commitments have so far not translated into concrete action,” he said. That was particularly the case for conflict prevention, with the Organization having yet to galvanize support for even modest proposals to revitalize its conflict prevention capacities. He pleaded with Member States to urgently consider contributing to the Peacebuilding Fund, which was facing a funding shortfall. Proposed measures and changes could not be achieved overnight. They would require more work and commitment within the United Nations system, including by the next Secretary-General, as well as the continued active engagement — with a sense of urgency — from Member States in order to maintain the momentum for change.
Future of Peace and Security: Interlinkages in a Complex World
ESPEN BARTH EIDE, Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum, discussed seven main drivers of change in international peace and security. Regarding demography, he drew attention to the degree of urbanization, and said more people were living in cities than in rural areas. Given the current population growth rates, there had been a growing tension over access to resources. Further, geopolitical competition among global and regional powers for political and economic influence was raising tensions. Among other issues, poor governance, corruption and short-sighted leadership were limiting growth and destabilizing societies, while cohesion, mistrust and marginalization were threatening social stability. Turning to hybrid threats, he underscored that changing threat scenarios were arising from a more interconnected world. Technological advances had both posed security challenges and provided opportunities for the world to solve them.
Keynote Speakers
SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, former President of Indonesia, said despite remarkable progress, the world was becoming more dangerous, with less of a “feel good factor” today than when the Berlin Wall had fallen and the cold war had ended. Against a backdrop of global warming, an unhealthy zero-sum geopolitical rivalry, rising hatred and intolerance, spiralling conflicts and, worst of all, the risk of complacency with the poverty of solutions, the international community could only address those risks by allowing the United Nations a more robust role in managing global affairs.
While the United Nations had exhibited its effectiveness in rallying global support for climate change and sustainable development, he said, the Organization had struggled to find relevance at times. In that regard, he pointed to the Syrian conflict, how to deal with spreading terrorism, addressing security in Asia and how to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals were implemented.
Elaborating on those themes, he recalled making early suggestions on enforcing a ceasefire in Syria to end the conflict and launch a transition period. But, the Security Council had only taking action in early 2016, he said, adding that the best way forward was for the five permanent Council members to forge a common position on the issue of international peace and security. While abolishing veto power was nearly impossible, the unity of the “P5” members would enforce ceasefire agreements in Syria and other conflict-affected areas, while considering the deployment of peacekeeping forces to ensure results on the ground.
Turning to the threats of extremism, radicalism and terrorism, he said new mindsets, approaches and solutions were needed because military action alone would not solve the problems. Pushing back on Islamophobia and reducing tensions between Islam and the West were among the steps needed to avoid misunderstandings that could trigger new violence. The conditions that bred terrorism needed to be addressed. In Asia, hotspots of danger, notably on the Korean Peninsula and the East China Sea, involved three of five of the Security Council permanent members. Going forward, strategic collaboration between the United Nations and regional architectures would become more important.
Recalling his experiences as a peacekeeping veteran in the former Yugoslavia, he said he had directly witnessed the suffering experienced by women and children in conflict situations. Their protection must be ensured and women must be involved in managing conflicts. The empowerment of women was critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the success of which could make communities, nations and the world more peaceful. Remaining optimistic, with a strong spirit for cooperation, was the only way to keep the United Nations relevant and to ensure prosperity, he said, adding that a better and safer world was very much possible.
LEYMAH GBOWEE, 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate and a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, said since January 2016, 414 violent incidents had taken place all around the world, and thousands of individuals had been killed. “The mistake is to fight fire with fire,” she said, decrying growing militarism. It was crucial that world leaders allocated their resources to build constructive dialogue rather than militarism. Drawing attention to the key role played by women in maintaining peace and security, she emphasized that their unique skills and Member States’ political will were essential for success.
AMRE MOUSSA, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, said that, 70 years ago, the founding fathers of the United Nations probably did not envision the risks the world was facing today, such as terrorism, climate change and natural disasters. Such enormous challenges should be added to the Security Council’s agenda, he said. The world was looking to the United Nations for action, but in order to lead change, the Organization needed reform, which in turn would require vision and boldness.
Reforming the Security Council should be a priority, he said. The Council should address international peace and security in a broad way, with better representation for developing countries and the “P5” voluntarily refraining from the use of their veto power. Whenever 14 of the 15 members of the Council voted in favour of a resolution, such an expression of global will should not be easily dismissed.
Another important proposal would be to empower the General Assembly to shoulder its responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, he said. The serious problems facing the world, as well as the paralysis from which the Security Council often suffered, strengthened the argument for General Assembly involvement. The 2015 resolution on revitalizing the work of the Assembly was a step in the right direction. He commended the High-Level Independent Panel on Peacekeeping Operations for underscoring the primacy of politics and a shift from conflict management to conflict resolution, which should be the rationale of United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions. He went on to highlight a review of partnerships with regional organizations such as the League of Arab States and the African Union.
Panel Discussion
The General Assembly then held a panel discussion on “Sustainable peace in a World of Risks: Is the United Nations effective in preventing and resolving conflicts?”. Moderated by Dr. Bruce Jones, Vice-President and Director, Brookings Institution, it featured presentations by Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon; Alexandre Marc, Chief Technical Specialist, Conflict and Violence, World Bank Group; Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser, International Peace Institute; Saba Ismail, Executive Director, Aware Girls, Pakistan; and Sarah Cliffe, Director, New York University Centre on International Cooperation.
Mr. JONES, opening the discussion, said that after 20 years during which war had been in decline, that trend was reversing. Transnational threats and non-State actors had become more visible, and challenges were emerging in a time of growing geopolitical tension. In many cases, where such tensions existed, the United Nations was the only venue for conflict resolution, he said, describing himself as an optimist about United Nations reform.
The Foreign Minister of Ethiopia emphasized the need for State institutions to be strengthened in order to address internal vulnerabilities. The United Nations could not handle today’s security challenges without cooperation with regional and subregional organizations. Respect for the principles of international law was also critical for big and small countries, and regional organizations should be taken seriously, with the principle of subsidiarity adhered to. With regard to fighting terrorism and violent extremism, changing mindsets and counter-radicalization were very critical. Double-standards needed to be avoided in the manner in which issues were handled. The next Secretary-General should be bold in implementing the recommendations of the three major reviews. The next step should be “implementation, implementation, implementation and walking the talk.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway said the United Nations had the most suitable mandate to address the growing security challenges. However, the Organization must be engaged in reforms to strengthen its ability to meet new demands and deliver services in the most effective and efficient ways. Particularly, in the area of prevention, the Organization must step up efforts. Acknowledging that the availability of tools was essential to move forward, he noted that the United Nations must work closely with regional organizations for successful results.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mali discussed how the United Nations could rely on regional organizations. While acknowledging the existing partnerships with the African Union, he stressed that they must be based on shared responsibility. In the case of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), it was crucial to discuss what was working and how the transition would take place given the changing security landscape. Describing terrorism as the biggest threat in the region, he underscored the need to strengthen cooperation among all relevant stakeholders. For its part, the Government had developed a training programme for security forces. However, the lack of financing was a challenge.
The Foreign Minister of Eritrea noted the possibility of conflict of interests, saying that regions had to be respected and accommodated. He also raised the issue of de facto situations, with interventions taking place in situations in which Chapter 8 had not been invoked.
The Foreign Minister of Thailand brought up the changing nature of threats and the centrality of the United Nations and the Security Council, and the need to strengthen the pivotal role of the Secretary-General. It was important for the United Nations to apply the right mix of tools at its disposal, including early warning and peacebuilding. The next Secretary-General needed to be an activist Secretary-General, leading a renewed call for multilateralism and mobilizing the entire United Nations system.
Mr. MARC, making a PowerPoint presentation, said the end of the cold war saw the quasi-disappearance of inter-State conflict. However, civil war and political violence increased dramatically. The “big culprit” was the Middle East, an area in which a lot of attention was required. Displacement had reached levels not seen since the Second World War, but there had been periods of massive refugee crises in the 1990s which did not have such an impact on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. A related factor was a big change in the nature of conflict, with the proportion of civilian casualties much higher. Interpersonal violence had killed nine times more than warfare at any time in last 20 years, he said, adding that much of that violence was linked to drugs. Sexual violence had become a common weapon of war, making reconciliation more difficult.
Being much less institutionalized, conflicts were crossing borders, he said, with all conflicts in West Africa in the last 20 years assuming a regional form. While there had been huge progress towards more democratic and inclusive forms of government, the risk of conflict was high during that phase between autocracy and democracy. Currently, about 45 per cent of the world’s poor lived in countries affected by conflict, violence and political crisis. Such countries had been unable to reduce poverty, unlike those in peaceful situations.
Following the presentation, several delegates made comments and asked questions about the partnerships with regional organizations, geopolitical risks, and early intervention.
The representative of Sweden said that sexual violence was used as a weapon in many conflicts as it was silent, effective and very damaging. The international community had the necessary tools, but did not know when to intervene as the issue was complex. In that regard, she said creating meaningful partnerships with regional and subregional organizations could make a positive contribution.
The representative of the African Union said current conflicts were complex and extremely multifaceted. To address such challenges, the international community must go beyond consultations and field visits. The quality of partnerships and complementarity was essential for successful outcomes. “We should not reinvent, but improve the existing tools,” he said.
The representative of Brazil, noting that different problems required different responses, said taking a “one-size-fits-all” approach was not appropriate. Regarding the United Nations peacekeeping operations, he stressed that it was essential to have an honest conversation on what they could accomplish.
Also speaking were representatives of Finland and Mali.
Ms. KAAG described how she had led a disarmament mission in Syria at a time of war and “without a script”. In Lebanon, the Organization had been working under a good offices’ mandate since 2006. The situation had long changed fundamentally, but the tools remained the same. Political goals and deliverables were not being benchmarked. Boundaries in the Middle East were disappearing, and the Organization could not deliver if Member States demanded a separate presence with a separate individual at the helm. Non-State actors never emerged in a vacuum, she said, noting such factors as failure of governance, oppressive Governments and lack of human rights. Inclusive multilateralism was the only way forward. Not enough attention was paid to reconciliation, which was painful, but the only way to help rebuild a society. The Organization was overpromising but under-delivering.
Mr. MAHMOUD said there was a need to engage in a conceptual shift that “freed prevention from conflict”. That meant making peace, not conflict, the starting point. When analysing conflict, the tendency had been to focus on the causes of conflict, rather than factors associated with peaceful and resilient societies. Every country had some degree of resilience, often residing in the people. He cited a need to integrate prevention as a function of inclusive politics, good governance and sustainable development. The road maps provided by the 2030 Agenda and the Peacebuilding Agenda made that easy. “We the Peoples” should be integrated into everything, he added, explaining that without the views of those concerned, the problem could not be defined. Article 99 of the United Nations Charter needed to be interpreted differently, not only for early warning and preventative diplomacy, but also good offices.
The representative of Egypt, drawing attention to the increasing number of conflicts around the world, said there were differences between the mandate and tasks of the United Nations peacekeeping missions. Regarding national ownership, he underscored the need to reactivate its role. Unfortunately, in practice, he had witnessed marginalization rather than inclusion.
Ms. ISMAIL said she had grown up in an area where people had joined in military groups and had been killed in the name of jihad. In order to create conducive environment to eliminate extremism and build peaceful coexistence, she had started Aware Girls, an organization dedicated to human rights, women’s empowerment and gender equality in Peshawar. Council resolution 2250 (2015) urged Member States to consider setting up mechanisms that would enable young people to participate meaningfully in peace processes and dispute resolution. Further, she said, young people were hopeful as it was a historic moment, recognizing the role of young people in peacekeeping.
The representative of Uganda acknowledged the need to categorize problems based on impartiality. He said that while a diplomatic approach was necessary in Cyprus to resolve tensions there, fighting Boko Haram and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) required different responses.
Ashraf Swelam, Director of the Cairo Center for Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa, began a presentation of seven key conclusions from regional workshops. All the discussions, he said, called for a paradigm shift that emphasized the primacy of politics. Politics should lead the wide spectrum of United Nations intervention. In that regard, the concept of sustaining peace was highlighted over and over again. Sustaining peace could serve as a bridge to connect the three pillars of the United Nations, he said, adding that consultations had also emphasized a need for peaceful settlement of disputes, with a shift of mentality from conflict management to conflict resolution.
Adriana Abdenur, of the Igarapé Institute, said that, without exception, there had been deep frustration at the regional workshops with the lack of reform at, and lack of representation in, the Security Council. In the absence of short-term change, some concrete measures could be taken, such as enhancing cooperation between the Council and regional organizations, as well as deeper consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries in decision-making. There was also agreement on the need to empower the General Assembly so that it could act in the realm of peace and security, especially when the Security Council had been unable to respond to conflict. Partnerships with regional organizations under Chapter VIII received considerable attention at the workshops, but there was also mention of such regional organizations.
National ownership was a true benchmark for peace and security that required engagement with a wide number of actors, but to be meaningful, it could not be treated as a box-ticking exercise, she said. Elections were seen by the United Nations and the international community as the main indicator of national ownership of peace processes, but in some situations, rushing into elections prematurely could be a driver of conflict.
Cedric de Coning, of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, said women’s participation in peace processes was a precondition for inclusivity, national ownership and durable peace. It was unfortunate that the United Nations lacked women’s leadership and women in senior-level positions. On institutional reform, he stressed the need for the Organization to transform the way it worked. At the strategical level, the Secretariat must build on the momentum gained with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and the Paris Agreement. Regarding sustainable financing, funds for peace interventions must be more predictable for successful results.
The representative of Ecuador, speaking after the presentation, underscored the need to empower the General Assembly. As outlined by the Charter, the body had the right to consider issues related to the maintenance of international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and arms regulation. It could also make recommendations to Member States or to the Security Council.
Also speaking were representatives of Ethiopia and France.
Ms. CLIFFE, weaving together some of the comments made, said it was very clear today that Member States were giving strong renewed attention to prevention, given a five-fold increase in conflict over five years after a long period of decrease. Peace and security was an area in which the credibility of the United Nations was declining. Many people spoke about strong and capable institutions, as well as to whether the Security Council was fit to deal with today’s geopolitical landscape. However, as it took time to build institutions, other tools were needed for deployment in situations of escalating risk. Early consensus on risk was needed, but in the past it had been hard for States to have such a conversation due to sovereignty concerns.
She went on to discuss the United Nations ability to deploy a range of tools that would give societies breathing space while they built up their own institutional capacities, but cautioned against such space becoming an excuse for freezing a conflict. It was also critical to manage external stresses, given that external factors were a key part of many conflicts. Looking at prevention meant thinking hard about different kinds of prevention — what they had in common and what their differences were.
Mr. JONES said several speakers had emphasized putting a political framework up front, together with the notion of inclusion. Related to that was cooperation with regional organizations, though there was no discussion of the challenge of cooperation with regional organizations that were themselves divided. With many conflicts having transnational and non-State actor dimensions, there was also a more complicated geopolitical environment to deal with. Big debates were still to be had on the use of force, both in the international system as a whole and in peacekeeping. Other considerations included human rights and the under-discussed role of youth. Today’s panellists were an important resource that the United Nations could draw upon. It was vitally important to reinforce the Charter, he said, adding that the centrality of the Organization remained essential in managing threats to peace and security.
Closing Remarks
Mr. LYKKETOFT, President of the General Assembly, noted that the debate would strengthen the Organization’s response to emerging needs. Given the existence of new challenges, the Organization must change its problem-solving approach. While it was impossible to solve global, regional and national crises only by military means, more efforts were necessary to fight corruption and improve mediation and peacebuilding activities.