Politics
10:28, 11-Jan-2017
New UN chief demands strategic change to prevent conflict
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10:33, 28-Jun-2018
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday demanded the UN and its member states make corresponding changes to their strategies and operations to prevent war and sustain peace.
In his first address to the Security Council after taking office, Guterres highlighted the need to rebalance the approach to world peace and security by preempting and avoiding conflict, instead of being forced to respond to conflict.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) addresses the Security Council ministerial-level open debate on conflict prevention and sustaining peace at the UN headquarters in New York, on Jan. 10, 2017. /Xinhua Photo
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) addresses the Security Council ministerial-level open debate on conflict prevention and sustaining peace at the UN headquarters in New York, on Jan. 10, 2017. /Xinhua Photo
Guterres told the 15-nation council that he has set in motion reforms within the UN system for early detection and action to prevent conflict worldwide.
He also asked for reform to the UN development system to support efforts to build and sustain peace from prevention, conflict resolution and peacekeeping to peace-building and long-term development.
Antonio Guterres, then UN High Commissioner for Refugees, visits families affected by bad weather over the past week during his visit to Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, January 15, 2015. /CFP Photo
Antonio Guterres, then UN High Commissioner for Refugees, visits families affected by bad weather over the past week during his visit to Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, January 15, 2015. /CFP Photo
The Security Council held an open debate on Tuesday morning to discuss visions on conflict prevention and sustaining peace, while conflicts in South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen prove difficult to resolve.
Noting that too many prevention opportunities have been lost because member states mistrusted each other's motives, Guterres said "prevention should never be used to serve other political goals."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) addresses the Security Council ministerial-level open debate on conflict prevention and sustaining peace at the UN headquarters in New York, on Jan. 10, 2017. /Xinhua Photo
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) addresses the Security Council ministerial-level open debate on conflict prevention and sustaining peace at the UN headquarters in New York, on Jan. 10, 2017. /Xinhua Photo
"In taking preventive action, we need to avoid double standards," said Guterres. "But that does not mean that there are no standards at all."
In this regard, Guterres vowed to build more trust between member states and in their relations with the United Nations for effective international cooperation on conflict prevention, "particularly translating early warning into early action."
(Source: Xinhua)
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