Speakers in General Assembly Urge Stronger Partnerships, Political Will to Implement Proposals for Improving International Peace, Security Architecture
Concluding a two-day high-level thematic debate today, speakers in the General Assembly urged greater political will and the strengthening of partnerships to swiftly put in place improvements to the international peace and security architecture proposed recently by key United Nations panels.
In the remaining two interactive sessions as well as in the conclusion of a general exchange of views, speakers urged implementation of recommendations made by the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, the Peacebuilding Architecture Review and the Global Study on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, as well as a series of coordinated, independently organized regional workshops and seminars.
In addition to the interactive sessions and general debate, the Assembly today also heard an announcement by David Nabarro, Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Food Security and Nutrition, that the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) today launched an Alliance for Food Security and Peace, fronted by four Nobel Laureates, including 2008 Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who then addressed the meeting via teleconference from Rome, along with FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva.
In closing remarks after the day-long debate, General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft (Denmark) said that the meeting had shown that the recommendations in the three United Nations reviews and other processes provided “a very solid basis” from which to move forward. “Discussions these past few days demonstrate that across the membership, there is a feeling that we are at a watershed moment in terms of both the challenges we are facing in maintaining international peace and security and the way we must tackle those challenges”.
He added that “Ultimately the shift we need — in mindset, in our financing and partnership mechanisms, in our systems and operations — will only happen if it is supported and driven by Governments and leaders around the world. I hope that you and your leaders will rise up to this challenge”.
Interactive Session 2: “Leading by Example — Innovative Partnerships and Responses”
Moderated by Susana Malcorra, Minister for Foreign Relations of Argentina, the Session heard introductory remarks by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, former President of Sri Lanka and current Chairperson of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation, and Abdusalam Hadliyeh Omer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia. Interventions were also heard by Gert Rosenthal, Chair of the Advisory Group of Experts on the 2015 review of the peacebuilding architecture, Magdy Martinez-Soliman, Assistant Administrator and Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Asma Mansour, Tunisian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.
Ms. KUMARATUNGA relayed her country’s experience in years following what she called “a very destructive war”. The opposition had been crushed, she said, but the country did not win peace because the Government did not undertake a peacebuilding process. After a change of Government, however, the two major political parties were brought together through a common vision. “This makes things very easy,” she said. “Military means are not sufficient to end a conflict,” she stressed. Deep-rooted causes must be dealt with. In Sri Lanka’s case, accusations of human rights violations during the conflict also had to be addressed.
For those reasons, a reconciliation mechanism had been set up working very closely with United Nations agencies, she said. Creative programmes had been instituted to change attitudes. Equal rights had been accorded to minorities and for that purpose a new constitution was being drafted with the participation of the former opposition. In schools, children of the four major communities were being brought together for the first time in their lives. Young professionals were being brought together in workshops and through arts festivals. Psycho-social support was being provided for those traumatized during the conflict. In districts damaged by conflict, including those dominated by minorities, five-year development plans were being implemented. In addition to United Nations agencies, bilateral partnerships were being developed to support these programmes.
Mr. OMER said that he found some similarities between the situations in his country and in Sri Lanka. During Somalia’s decades of civil war, there had been many attempts at reconciliation between factions, which paved the way for today’s progress. Political will on all sides was crucial, including international support for domestic political will. Somalia was steadily turning towards peace and progress, he stressed, because all Somalis now had a voice, as well as responsibilities. Much work remained to be done, and to accomplish it more coordination across the United Nations systems was needed.
The “vast bank” of the Organization’s expertise, he said, must be utilized holistically under national ownership, incorporating local knowledge and building on local successes. Such activity must be backed by partnership strategies for institution-building. Post-conflict peacebuilding required a full analysis of all situations in order to harness the coordinated efforts of the full United Nations systems, all partners and local populations.
Mr. ROSENTHAL said that the experiences of Sri Lanka and Somalia illustrated that the process of changing hearts and minds was not abstract; it consisted of getting people to talk to each other, particularly young people. Somalia’s experience showed also the importance of local ownership. Another lesson from both experiences was the importance of partnerships. The fact that each society must develop its own modalities for sustaining peace showed the importance of innovation. Both Sri Lanka and Somalia showed that the proposals in recent reports could be translated into reality.
Mr. MARTINEZ-SOLIMAN stressed that statements also showed that the priority of peacebuilding was now accepted throughout the United Nations system. Sustaining peace had to become a core activity at both the international and local level. They also showed that peacebuilding must be embedded in politics with all segments of society involved. That was a central tenet of the Peacebuilding Commission. He called for more funding for peacebuilding as well as more coordination with regional organizations.
Ms. MANSOUR said that it was important to define what peace means to people so that local populations could be engaged. In Tunisia, young people did not have the means of expressing themselves. Most young people were forced to follow a path not of their choosing. Greater communication in that area might shed light on why so many young Tunisians were joining the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh). For sustainable peace, young women must be listened to in particular. Media must be used to change the narrative, showing young people who were making real changes.
Her organization had profiled several entrepreneurs in that context, she said, including one young man named Adnan who was using social media in rural areas to bring to light the situation of herders, receiving many death threats in the process and running into problems of corruption. The United Nations could support such entrepreneurs with assistance for training people, in order to engage in creative efforts to bring about sustainable peace. Support to schools to integrate human rights into education was also critical, as was educating people about the role of the United Nations.
Following those statements, several speakers stressed the importance of young people, partnerships and coordination among United Nations entities in strengthening peacebuilding efforts.
The representative of Finland, in addition, stressed the importance of transitional justice in peacebuilding. She noted that the presence of many Somali immigrants in her country was essential in understanding how peace in Somalia could be supported.
Mr. MARTINEZ-SOLIMAN outlined United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) support to post-conflict countries in the areas of rule of law and conflict prevention. He underlined the links between peacemaking and development functions. The development community, he stressed, was not separated from political efforts.
The representative of Algeria said that ending war was the most noble international goal of the United Nations, and should be accomplished through the combined efforts of the entire international community. In that context, African countries should not be left out of any forums.
The representative of Paraguay said conflicts must be addressed through a long-term perspective. As the national level was key in finding solutions to root causes of conflict, dialogue and education was critical, especially in States with a diversity of cultures. Families also had a part to play in that regard.
Interactive Session 3: “Responsibility for Implementation: Beyond the Current Conundrum”
Moderated by Espen Barth Eide, Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum, the third dialogue heard statements from panellists Jose Ramos-Horta, Chair of the Independent Panel on Peace Operations; Alain Le Roy, former Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping and current Secretary-General of the External Action Service of the European Union; and Alvaro Esteban Pop, Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Mr. RAMOS-HORTA outlined some recommendations of his 2015 report, including the importance of addressing the political context of peacekeeping. It was critical for United Nation Headquarters to empower rather than control peace operations. Greater accountability by managers was needed, as was smoother transitions between different phases of missions. Among other recommendations, it was crucial to build inclusive partnerships between member States. Without them, the United Nations was stretched too thin and, in the end, impotent. There were limits to what the Organization could do in any case, as national factors were essential.
Mr. LE ROY, agreeing on the importance of partnerships for support to peace and security, expressed hope that the recommendations of the three recent reports on peace and security would be swiftly implemented. He stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation between the European Union, the African Union and the United Nations, which he noted had begun decades ago. He also gave examples of European support for conflict management and prevention in Africa. Europe played an important role in all major international conflicts of the past year. Coherence of cooperation in such areas must be a major factor in the election and introduction of the next Secretary-General. Financing of United Nations peace efforts must be reformed, and more emphasis place on support to regional organizations, to which Europe was contributing.
Mr. POP, introducing the subject matter of the Indigenous Forum and the Declaration of Indigenous Rights, said that indigenous peoples were increasingly experiencing militarized conflict in their localities, and often suffered due to their identities and minority status, through sexual violence, child recruitment and usurpation of resources. Abuse of resources occurred during peacetime as well, adversely effecting peoples in many ways. He called for a new set of ethics for producing wealth that protected indigenous peoples, as well as inclusion of such peoples in peace negotiations. Fair management of resources and intercultural dialogue to prevent conflict was important and should utilize the skills and wisdom of indigenous peoples to succeed.
Following those presentations, representatives of organizations and Member States emphasized the importance of implementation of recommendations of recent reports. To overcome obstacles in that regard, some stressed the role of regional organizations.
The representative of the African Union said implementation tools developed in the African context must be further explored and better utilized. For example, the African Union had experience in deploying missions suited to areas where peace did not yet exist. Regional organizations also had a critical role to play in counter-terrorism. Funding mechanisms had to be further refined. In a comprehensive approach to ending conflict, every United Nations entity had to play a major role.
The representative of Cyprus said that various kinds of peace support had been tested in his country, and he described partnerships that supported certain areas of the peace process. More could be done in that area, he suggested.
The representative of Egypt stressed the importance of conflict prevention and a continuum of response in conflict resolution. Continuum did not mean that all problems were dealt with through the same machinery, but through a holistic perspective. As outside actors often spurred conflict, he suggested consideration of the end of intervention.
The representative of Pakistan said that it was important to prevent sexual abuse by peacekeepers but at the same time ensure that the issue did not become the major narrative of peacekeeping.
The representatives of Turkey, Algeria and Sweden also spoke in the exchange.
Announcement from the Food and Agricultural Organization
Following this morning’s first interactive session, David Nabarro, Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Food Security and Nutrition, announced that the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) today launched an Alliance for Food Security and Peace, fronted by four Nobel Laureates, including 2008 Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who then addressed the meeting via teleconference from Rome, along with Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General.
Mr. DA SILVA said that not only food security but also disputes over land and water as well as other root causes were critical to address to prevent conflict. For that purpose, there must be greater investment in rural areas, in support of livelihoods and other necessities. Hunger and want in the mist of plenty was a fundamental cause of war, he affirmed. All sectors of society must be harnessed to ameliorate that situation.
Mr. YUNUS said that the creation of the Alliance was indeed significant, coming in the first year of the 2030 Agenda. He outlined the many conflicts fed by food crises and stressed that not only quantity but availability of food must be addressed. Financing was for people to themselves work to provide the food that would be available in the market. Banking schemes were an important part of the initiative. It was critical, in addition, to expand the opportunities from mere production to the full range of entrepreneurship, through enhanced partnership. He emphasized that the Alliance was an action-oriented initiative.