New York, 9 June 2020
There is more than enough food in the world to feed our population of 7.8 billion people.
But, today, more than 820 million people are hungry.
And some 144 million children under the age of 5 are stunted – more than one in five children worldwide.
Our food systems are failing, and the...
New York, 8 June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is a sharp reminder of how we are all intimately connected -- to each other and to nature.
As we work to end the pandemic and build back better, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity – and responsibility -- to correct our relationship with the natural world, including the world’s seas and oceans.
We rely on the...
The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) was established on 3 June 2020 by Security Council resolution 2524, for an initial period of twelve months. The Mission was headquartered in Khartoum and had a mandate spanning the entire country.
UNITAMS’ overarching objective was to support the Sudanese democratic transition. To that end, the Mission was mandated by the Security Council to assist the political transition, progress towards democratic governance, in the protection and promotion of human rights and sustainable peace, as well as to support peace processes and the implementation of peace agreements, peacebuilding, civilian protection and rule of law, and the mobilization of economic and development assistance and coordination of humanitarian assistance.
On 3 June 2021, the Security Council adopted resolution 2579 (2021) extending the mandate of UNITAMS by a further twelve months. The resolution retained the Mission’s original strategic objectives, while prioritizing some elements of the mandate, including: ceasefire monitoring as part of Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) implementation; support to the implementation of the National Plan for Civilian Protection; support to the peace talks; support to the implementation of power-sharing arrangements per the JPA; support to the constitution-drafting process; and capacity-building of the Sudan Police Force and the justice sector.
UNITAMS complemented the ongoing work of the United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes on the ground and worked closely with the Sudanese transitional Government and the people of Sudan in support of their democratic transition.
On 3 June 2022, the Security Council renewed the mandate of UNITAMS for a further year until 3 June 2023, according to resolution 2636 (2022). The mandate of the Mission was renewed again on 3 June 2023 for an additional six months, according to resolution 2685 (2023).
On 1 December 2023, the Security Council passed resolution 2715 (2023), which determined the termination of UNITAMS’ mandate on 3 December 2023, and stipulated for the Mission to complete the transfer of its tasks, where appropriate and feasible, to United Nations agencies, funds and programmes by 29 February 2024.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Central Asia – The impact of COVID-19 on preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism
Women's role essential for a global ceasefire
Group of Friends of the Peacebuilding Fund discuss COVID-19
PBC meeting on socio-economic response to COVID-19 in peacebuilding contexts
|
|
Security CouncilNew special political mission for Sudan
Central AsiaCentral Asia Launch of essay contest ColombiaRuiz Massieu: the implementation of the peace agreement is an achievement of Colombia and for Colombia
PalestineUnited Nations Forum on Palestine
OutreachElectoral assistance in focus at meeting with member States
Conflict-related sexual violenceLaunch of handbook
|
Subscribe to This Week in DPPA by clicking here: Sign Up Now
Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
The Secretary-General recognized the findings of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (August 2021) -- that the world is facing unprecedented risks from climate change and that every region is affected – as a “code red for humanity”. Inevitably, given the magnitude of the climate emergency, its cascading effects extend beyond the environmental sphere and into the social and political realm. While climate change is rarely – if ever – the primary cause of conflict, it can act as a risk multiplier, exacerbating underlying vulnerabilities and compounding existing grievances.
Understanding and responding to climate-related security risks has become a strategic priority for the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), as is reflected in its Strategic Plan for 2023-26. Such risks are highly context-specific, with impacts that vary across regions, countries and communities, requiring integrated analysis and responses as women, men and youth are affected in different ways. The risks are greatest where past or current conflicts have undermined the capacity of institutions and communities to absorb the additional stress brought on by climate change or adapt to the changing environment.
As the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, stressed in a briefing to the Security Council in 2020, climate change has major implications for our ability to prevent conflict and sustain peace around the world. This is true in contexts where DPPA manages special political missions (the majority of which are deployed in highly climate vulnerable countries according to the ND-GAIN Index) as well as in non-mission settings, where DPPA supports UN Resident Coordinators on conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding, including through the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention.
DPPA is making targeted efforts to adapt its practices and methods to a climate changing world, including by integrating climate change considerations into analytical and planning mechanisms as well as into prevention, mediation and peacebuilding strategies. Key activities include targeted analysis, coordination for action, environmental approaches to prevention, and the development of new guidance in DPPA core areas, such as the mediation of armed conflict. In line with its Security Council mandate, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia was the first UN field mission to deploy dedicated capacity on climate security to assess climate-related security risks, develop appropriate risk management strategies, and report findings to the Security Council. Similar efforts are underway in other contexts where the Council has recognized the adverse effects of climate change, among other factors, on stability. Since climate-related security risks are not felt equally by everyone, DPPA pays particular attention to the impact on women as well as the potential of women as agents of change.
Given the complex nature of the linkages between climate change, peace and security, DPPA pursues in integrated approaches and multi-layered partnerships. In an effort to promote approaches that combine peacebuilding with resilience and adaptation efforts, DPPA, through the Peacebuilding Fund, invests in a growing number of climate-sensitive peacebuilding projects around the world. The Department also seeks to strengthen partnerships with regional organizations, governments, civil society, and the research community to build on existing capacities, support local solutions, and strengthen the global evidence base on climate-related security risks.
An important component of DPPA’s efforts to understand and address the linkages between climate change, peace and security is the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM). Established in 2018 as a joint initiative between DPPA, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and joined by DPO in late 2021, the CSM seeks to help the UN system address climate-related security risks more systematically. See the CSM 2023 Progress Report here.
To this end, the CSM supports field missions, UN Resident Coordinators and regional organizations to conduct climate security risk assessments and develop risk management strategies. The CSM has also established a UN Community of Practice on Climate Security as an informal forum for information exchange and knowledge co-creation. The group – which convenes around more than 500 personnel from 25 UN entities – meets every few weeks and is open to all UN staff interested in this topic.
An additional priority for the CSM is capacity building to help strengthen our collective ability to advance prevention and sustaining peace in a climate-changing world. Jointly with partners, the CSM has developed a toolbox to help foster a shared approach to the analysis of climate-related security risks and shape integrated and timely responses. The toolbox is available to all practitioners and contains the following guidance documents:
Please enquire here for more information.
Violent conflict is complex; its causes and consequences are not fixed in time or place. To better understand how to prevent and resolve conflict, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs studies the factors contributing to violence and how to address them. As it strives to innovate to meet emerging challenges in the realm of global peace and security, DPPA is, for example, researching and experimenting with new approaches that leverage digital technology in mediation and prevention, and is looking at the potential links between climate change and conflict.
This Handbook is intended to serve as a practical guide to support the implementation of the CRSV mandate by United Nations Field Missions, including Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions. It serves both as a guidance for civilians, military, and police personnel deployed to United Nations Field Missions and as a pre-deployment orientation tool for future Mission personnel.
In a newly published paper, the United Nations argues that the COVID-19 emergency underscores the inadequacy of the frameworks governing the economic and administrative relationships between Israel and Palestine. While welcoming Israeli-Palestinian cooperation to deal with the health crisis, the UN warns that, if current trends continue, the achievements of the Palestinian Government over the last quarter century will fade, the peace and security...
In countries suffering from conflict, readjusting to life in a peaceful society is a challenge, both for former fighters and the wider community. Since the spread of the COVID-19 crisis, the UN is having to refocus many of its programmes, aimed at reducing violence in communities, and rehabilitating combatants.
To honour the more than 3,900 women and men who have lost their lives under the UN flag since 1948, Secretary-General António Guterres laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers’ memorial on Friday, International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Iraq - Individual responsibility essential to confront COVID-19 Virtual Talk on Indigenous Peoples, COVID-19 and Conflict Prevention
|
|
Eid al-FitrAfghanistan
PeacebuildingNew members of advisory group appointed
|
Subscribe to This Week in DPPA by clicking here: Sign Up Now
Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
The global coronavirus pandemic is testing the multilateral system like never before and the Security Council must stop the “infighting”, and step up to the challenge, the European Union’s foreign policy chief told the 15-member body on Thursday.
In observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, on Friday, Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to pay tribute to all the UN blue helmets who have lost their lives since 1948.
Innocent civilians trapped in violence now face “a new and deadly threat” from COVID-19, the UN chief told the Security Council on Wednesday, warning that the pandemic is “amplifying and exploiting the fragilities of our world”.
For the first time, the UN Military Gender Advocate award has been awarded to two UN peacekeepers: Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo, a Brazilian Naval officer, and Major Suman Gawani, of the Indian Army.
African countries have “demonstrated commendable leadership” battling the COVID-19 pandemic, but more nations across the continent where conflict prevails, should heed the UN call for a global ceasefire to push back the deadly virus, said the Secretary-General on Monday.
The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the announcement by the Afghan Government and the Taliban of a ceasefire to mark the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims around the world.
In several countries afflicted by years of armed conflict, The UN assists with law and order issues, including policing expertise. This work is being challenged, as never before, by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this interview with UN News, Luis Carrilho, head of the UN Police Division, describes how the virus is affecting the ability of his colleagues to keep the peace.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday condemned a fresh wave of intercommunal violence in the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan, that has left hundreds dead across 28 villages in Jonglei State, according to local authorities.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19DiCarlo: Risks related to COVID-19 especially high in conflict settingsThe impact of COVID-19 on conflict dynamics and mediation was on the agenda when Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo addressed the Antalya Diplomatic Forum on 19 May. “Though the COVID-19 pandemic is foremost a health crisis, it also has wide-ranging humanitarian, economic, and human rights dimensions. And it risks hitting conflict settings especially hard,” Ms. DiCarlo said. The pandemic has not stopped peacemaking, though it has profoundly affected it, Ms. DiCarlo noted, before adding that, even with limitations, remote dialogue can create opportunities and make peace processes more inclusive, enhancing participation of women, young people and others. Read her full remarks here Watch the event here "We must build back better" The Under-Secretary-General also headlined an event organized by the Atlantic Council around the question: “Will COVID-19 Exacerbate or Defuse Conflicts in the Middle East?” Ms. DiCarlo said the pandemic has thrown up some opportunities for cooperation in the region, but in some cases had only made matters worse. “I think we will overcome COVID-19, I believe so, though obviously not unscathed. It will take a lot of vigilance and hard work, at the UN, between individual states or groups of countries, in civil society, among many of you. But we have a chance to go beyond recovery. We can safeguard the progress achieved over the last 75 years that helped societies prevent, resolve and rebuild from violent conflict. But we can do more. We must build back better,” the Under-Secretary-General concluded. Read her full remarks here Watch the event here
Somalia: COVID-19 – impact and response
Afghanistan: Accurate information empowers communities in the fight against COVID-19
Africa Dialogue Series: A call for continued political dialogue
Security CouncilPedersen: "We must at all costs avoid reversion to the all-out fighting and abuses and violations” |
|
Williams: "We must enable responsible Libyans to write their own future."
Mladenov: Urgent actions need to preserve the prospect of a two-State solution DiCarlo: “Venezuela is mired in a deepening protracted crisis that only Venezuelans can resolve” Swan: “The consequences [of COVID-19] for Somalia are acute”
Women, Peace and Security2020 Virtual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development
|
Subscribe to This Week in DPPA by clicking here: Sign Up Now
Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are acute for Somalia, but the Horn of Africa nation is doing what it can with the resources it has, even as it looks ahead to its first direct elections in a half-century, the top UN official in the country said on Thursday.
Negotiations remain the only way to overcome the ongoing political deadlock in Venezuela, especially given the potentially far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Negotiations remain the only way to overcome the ongoing political deadlock in Venezuela, especially given the potentially far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Thank you Mister President,
Venezuela is mired in a deepening protracted crisis that only Venezuelans can resolve.
Attempts at reaching a negotiated solution have been unsuccessful in spite of significant international facilitation efforts. The path of negotiation seems to be stalled.
In a letter to the President of the Security Council, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela stated that on 3 and 4 May, and I quote, “armed groups of mercenaries and terrorists, organized, trained, financed and protected by the Governments of the Republic of Colombia and the United States of America, illegally entered the Venezuelan territory,” unquote. According to the letter, the “declared objective” was “perpetrating criminal acts” against the Venezuelan people and “[to] carry out selective assassinations of high officials of [the] Government”, including President Nicolás Maduro.
The letter pointed to the involvement in the operation of an “extremist sector of the Venezuelan opposition”, referring explicitly to “Deputy Juan Guaidó”, who is recognized by a group of Member States as the “interim president”. According to the letter, the operation was “frustrated by the Venezuelan authorities” and, as of 13 May, the Prosecutor General of Venezuela had confirmed the arrest of 47 people in relation to the operation.
The Governments of Colombia and the United States have rejected allegations by the Venezuelan Government regarding their involvement. The leader of the Venezuelan opposition has also denied involvement in the operation and called for establishing a “national emergency government.”
Mister President,
On 4 May, through his Spokesperson, the Secretary-General affirmed that “we stand against any escalation of the situation in Venezuela” – and that “the way to resolve the situation is through political dialogue, as well as full respect for human rights.”
There is heightened concern regarding the stand-off and the absence of any serious negotiations between the main political parties in Venezuela, especially amid the potentially far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Until restrictions imposed by the pandemic forced the suspension of its activities, the Applications Committee of the National Assembly, established to work on the selection of members of the National Electoral Council, was the only formal space bringing together lawmakers from the Government and the opposition. The Committee was also significant in that it was poised to lay the groundwork for necessary agreements between the Government and the opposition over the electoral calendar and process. Legislative elections are due before the end of the year.
We have taken note of the position of members of the opposition who have called for presidential elections to take place together with legislative elections.
We call on the main political actors to engage in a constructive negotiation to create conditions conducive to the holding of credible, inclusive and participatory elections.
Mister President,
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Assembly has called for a global response based on unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation. The UN’s COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan includes Venezuela.
The 2020 Plan is expected to request some $750 million to cover humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable Venezuelans and support the response to the pandemic. More funding is urgently needed.
The Government of Venezuela has been calling for “a humanitarian agreement for health and peace among all political sectors”.
While such calls are welcome, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has received reports of detentions of political leaders and journalists reporting on COVID-19 and threats and intimidation against health workers for expressing, for example, concern about the lack of equipment to fight the pandemic or for giving information on the number of cases.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern about the excessive use of force in some countries, including Venezuela, in the context of protests for access to basic rights – such as food, water and medicine.
Politicization of humanitarian aid in Venezuela has continued during the pandemic and remains a major concern. Humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations and our partners across the country is governed by the principles of independence, humanity, neutrality and impartiality.
Mark Lowcock, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator has asked all parties to respect this principled humanitarian approach and not manipulate the needs-based assistance.
Another concern is the nationwide fuel shortages, a key operational constraint for humanitarian organizations trying to sustain their response. The Venezuelan Government attributes the fuel shortages to unilateral sanctions. While available social and economic indicators show that the economic crisis predates the imposition of economic sanctions, the measures are exacerbating an already critical situation.
Mister President,
In his address to the G20 on 26 March, the Secretary-General appealed for the waiving of sanctions that could undermine countries’ capacity to respond to the pandemic.
And in her update on Venezuela to the Human Rights Council on 10 March, the High Commissioner noted that “despite exceptions to allow imports of medicines, food and humanitarian supplies, public services and the general population continue to suffer from the impact of over-compliance from the financial sector.” In the context of the pandemic, she has recently affirmed that “humanitarian exemptions to sanctions measures should be given broad and practical effect”.
Mister President,
The UN system will continue strengthening its human rights and humanitarian action in Venezuela as well as its response in support of Venezuelan refugees and migrants outside the country.
According to official figures, as of early May, close to 5.1 million refugees and migrants have left Venezuela. More than 80 per cent of this population can be found across countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since the start of the pandemic, there are reports of Venezuelans returning to their country due to the loss of livelihoods.
Eduardo Stein, the Joint UNHCR-IOM Special Representative for Venezuelan refugees and migrants, has said that “the pandemic exposes them to even greater hardship as many are now struggling to survive, away from home.” He urged the international community “to generously provide support” through the regional response plan for Venezuelans, which to date has only 4 per cent of the required funds.
In a statement on 15 May, the European Union and the Spanish Government announced plans to convene an “International Donors Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin American countries”. The conference will take place on 26 May and will be supported by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Mister President,
The Secretary-General has repeatedly called for a negotiated solution among Venezuelans. He has supported international facilitation efforts and offered his good offices as well, if needed and the parties request them. We remain convinced that a real negotiation among Venezuela’s main political actors is the only way forward. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, an agreement that strengthens democratic governance, with full respect for human rights and the rule of law is more urgent than ever.
We therefore call on all main political actors to resume serious negotiations.
And we urge all Member States to stand behind this call.
Thank you.
New York, 21 May 2020
Today the United Nations is launching “Verified”, an initiative to combat the growing scourge of COVID-19 misinformation by increasing the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information.
“We cannot cede our virtual spaces to those who traffic in lies, fear and hate,” said United Nations Secretary-...
The UN’s Middle East peace envoy issued a stern warning on Wednesday against any unilateral action – including an Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank – that could undermine diplomatic efforts to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
Thank you for the opportunity to take part in this timely discussion about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Middle East conflicts.
Let me preface my remarks by stressing that, even before the pandemic, the global environment for conflict resolution was already extremely challenging. The Middle East and North Africa region provides ample evidence of that reality. Turmoil and instability have long wracked many MENA states. Violent conflicts have drawn in regional and global powers and actors, displaced millions and collapsed state and local institutions. Mass protests rocked Lebanon, Iraq and Iran just last year as citizens rose up demanding reforms.
And COVID-19 has only made matters worse.
This is why, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a global ceasefire so that all efforts could be aimed at fighting the pandemic. He did so to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance and create space for diplomatic engagement. His call has resonated around the world: 115 Member States have endorsed his appeal, as have regional organizations, civil society, religious leaders and 24 armed groups. And our UN Middle East envoys have followed the Secretary-Genera’s appeal with a call of their own aimed specifically at the conflicts in the Middle East.
But regrettably, this impressive groundswell of support has not yet translated into positive change on the ground, in the Middle East or elsewhere.
In Yemen, despite the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire by Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Coalition the fighting is ongoing.
In Syria, cease-fire agreements remain fragmented and fragile. Humanitarian coordination and supply across frontlines remains insufficient, underlining the need for continued and expanded cross-border assistance. And progress on the UN-led political process remains elusive, despite our efforts.
In Libya, where the parties have called for humanitarian truces at various times in the past, the conflict has intensified.
Now, we knew that turning the global ceasefire call into tangible gains on the ground was not going to be easy. We knew it would require great political will and commitment from the conflict parties, first and foremost. And we knew that the appeal required broader international support, especially from those backing conflict parties, politically or with weapons. If we are to see a positive effect on violence, those with influence on combatants must exercise that pull.
Regrettably, at the apex of multilateral diplomacy on peace and security – the UN Security Council – there is still no unified position in response to COVID-19 and its impact on conflict.
The Secretary-General and our UN envoys and special representatives continue to exercise good offices and cajole and support conflict parties in pursuit of dialogue and cooperation. These efforts now rely mostly on the use of secure digital tools and platforms.
In Libya, for example, working groups established in Berlin have met remotely. In Yemen, our Special Envoy is making a concerted effort to expand the space for political talks, including a national ceasefire, through remote and in person meetings. In Syria, while the next meeting of the Constitutional Committee remains pending, the Special Envoy has engaged civil society and the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board virtually to harness initiatives for confidence building.
Although we recognize that the limitations of processes in which face-to-face meetings are restricted, the increased use of technology has the potential to create new opportunities, enhance the inclusivity of peace processes, for example, including the participation of women and young people.
Let me outline what I perceive as some of key risks and challenges for our conflict prevention and resolution efforts as we go forward.
One is the destabilizing effects of the economic fallout of the pandemic, which can lead to civil unrest and violence. As the countries slowly lurch back to life from weeks of lockdown, the demands for economic recovery may grow beyond the capacity of many states. The rate of unemployment is skyrocketing. And the decline in oil and gas prices is further straining national finances. We have already witnessed protests, some violent, in Lebanon – dubbed by protestors as a “hunger revolution” – and also Iraq, against a coronavirus curfew.
Also the risk of serious human rights violations and shrinking civic space increase under the guise of fighting the pandemic. We have seen discrimination in accessing health services, increased cases of domestic violence and an overall disproportionate impact on women and female-headed households. Refugees and internally displaced persons as well as detainees and abductees, many living in crowded and squalid conditions, have been particularly vulnerable. Migrant workers in the Persian Gulf have faced growing pressure to return home. They are most vulnerable to high prices and food shortages. Migrants have limited access to healthcare and face crowded living conditions.
Also, the threat of terrorism remains alive. Terrorist groups may see a window of opportunity to strike while the attention of most governments is turned towards the pandemic. There are reports that ISIL has tried to exploit the pandemic in Iraq and elsewhere, launching new initiatives and intensifying propaganda.
Moreover, actors in conflict settings could exploit the confusion created by the virus to press their advantage leading to greater escalation of violence and further complicating efforts of peaceful resolution.
But despite these risks, the pandemic has also been a catalyst for much needed cooperation and dialogue. There are encouraging examples of this in the Middle East:
Israel and the Palestinian Authority are coordinating their efforts, with UN support, on tackling the common threat posed by the pandemic. While we are encouraged that the COVID-19 crisis has created new opportunities for cooperation, the dangerous prospect of annexation by Israel of parts of the occupied West Bank, casts a darker cloud on the peace process. And the Palestinian leadership’s harsh reaction to such steps, by declaring an end to all cooperation with Israel yesterday, adds to these concerns. We continue to strongly urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders to build on recent cooperation, reject unilateral moves and take steps towards peace.
In the Persian Gulf region, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar have provided much-needed medical equipment and humanitarian assistance to Iran. And Qatar has facilitated the transportation of stranded Gulf Cooperation Council citizens back to their home countries.
However, the pandemic does not seem to be the olive branch it could have been for overcoming political differences and poisonous divisions among the Persian Gulf countries.
Prior to this pandemic, the Secretary-General had underscored the urgent need for effective crisis management systems and lines of communication in the Persian Gulf region. That need is much greater now than ever before. Any miscalculation in the current atmosphere can lead to consequences that could overwhelm the mechanisms that are currently in place.
Let me close by stating the obvious: There is no good time for a pandemic.
But COVID-19 hit at a particularly difficult moment. The international community and the rules-based order built after WWII are under attack as never before, and great-power rivalry is intensifying. The global cooperation and solidarity that are essential to facing threats like the pandemic comprehensively cannot be taken for granted. The novel coronavirus does present an opportunity to make progress in peace and security, even in the Middle East. But it could also push multilateral efforts closer to the edge.
I think we will overcome COVID-19, I believe so, but though obviously it will not be unscathed. It will take a lot of vigilance and hard work, at the UN, between individual states or groups of countries, in civil society, among many of you. But we have a chance to go beyond recovery. We can safeguard the progress achieved over the last 75 years that helped societies prevent, resolve and rebuild from violent conflict. But we can do more. We must build back better.
Thank you.
New York, 20 May 2020
As COVID-19 spreads across the continent, Africa has responded swiftly to the pandemic, and as of now reported cases are lower than feared. Even so, much hangs in the balance.
In recent years Africans have done much to advance the well-being of the continent’s people. Economic growth has been strong. The digital revolution has taken hold. A free trade area has been agreed. ...
