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UNGA president calls for strengthening UN's capabilities in safeguarding peace, security

Xinhua, May 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft said on Tuesday that the UN must become "more relevant, more credible, more legitimate and more capable" in order to better deal with threats to peace and security.

Speaking at a high level thematic debate on Peace and Security here, Lykketoft recalled the times that the UN has succeeded and failed in meeting its objective -- "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

"It has mobilized hundreds of thousands of peacekeepers and billions of dollars for peace operations," he said.

"It has established a clear legal framework for the conduct of war and the protection of human rights; and helped reduce the risks posed by the world's deadliest weapons," he added.

At the same time, Lykketoft also pointed out that "despite significant advancements following the end of the Cold War, in Srebrenica, Somalia and Rwanda, when the United Nations was perhaps needed most, it failed abysmally."

In order to "respond to today's and tomorrow's threats to peace and security, the United Nations must become more relevant, more credible, more legitimate and more capable," he noted.

"As we revitalize the entire UN peace and security approach, we must ensure that a gender equality perspective is incorporated into that overall approach and that women are more involved in both preventing and resolving conflicts," he said.

Lykketoft also underlined the need to find ways to provide opportunities for greater involvement to those member states who wish to play greater roles in global peace and security.

"And we need to strengthen relations with actors like the World Bank and other actors in the financial and private sector that can contribute to building stable and prosperous societies with jobs," he added.

The debate held here on May 10-11 is a platform to identify key threats and engage in a strategic reflection about today's challenges to international peace and security, according to the UN.

The event will also allow for a consideration about the means, tools and instruments available within a UN-context to tackle these challenges as well as the responsibilities and institutions required for an effective collective security architecture. Endit