Deputy Secretary-General Stresses ‘Global Reality’ That COVID-19 Compounds Convergence of Overlapping Risks, in Message to Stockholm Forum

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, “Promoting Peace in the Age of Compound Risk”, today:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to join you, on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, for today’s opening session of the Stockholm Forum.  Thank you to SIPRI [Stockholm International Peace Research Institute] and the Government of Sweden.

The theme of “Promoting Peace in the Age of Compound Risk” reflects our global reality:  the convergence of overlapping risks is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many risks, including climate change, environmental degradation, misinformation, radicalization and terrorism transcend borders, reinforcing and amplifying one another.  Women are at the forefront of facing compound risks, as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated.  These compound risks have increased inequalities, especially gender inequality.

Responding to new realities requires inclusive, networked and effective multilateral cooperation, connecting Governments, international, regional and financial organizations.  A multilateralism that is inclusive, with women’s equal and meaningful participation, draws on civil society, includes young people, and benefits from academia, private sector and think tanks such as SIPRI.  A more effective multilateralism, where leadership, solidarity and funding are channelled towards solving our collective challenges.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We need to improve our tools to increase our understanding of the complexities of risks that are interacting and cascading to inform our work.  The Secretary-General’s data strategy and emphasis on innovation are part of these efforts.  We need to leverage the 2030 Agenda as a tool for sustainable development and conflict prevention by reducing risks and vulnerabilities.

The 2030 Agenda offers avenues to address the root causes of conflict by reducing inequalities, strengthening institutions, promoting gender equality, human rights, including women’s rights, strengthening the social contract, and fostering just and inclusive societies.

And we need to prioritize gender equality as an imperative for peace and development.  Societies that side-line half their populations from political and economic life, leadership and decision-making will always be vulnerable to conflict and a drain on development.  Ensuring inclusion requires engagement with civil society, particularly women, young people and their organizations, and understanding gendered dimensions of risks, with disaggregated data and analysis.

Thank you for your engagement and commitment.  I wish all of you an enlightening Forum.