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World's first humanitarian summit focuses on root causes of conflicts

Xinhua, May 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

The world's first-ever humanitarian summit is determined to focus more on the root causes of the ongoing conflicts rather than symptoms for their solutions, said UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson on Monday.

Some leaders present for the World Humanitarian Summit joined a roundtable discussion on the issue of "political leadership to prevent and end conflicts," part of multi-faceted exchanges over how to make the current humanitarian aid system better to cope with the worst level of human sufferings since World War II.

Eliasson, speaking to reporters after the discussion, said there was "a great degree of unity" among the leaders about the fact that the international community has been focusing too much on the ongoing crises while underestimating the pre-conflict phase and conflict resolutions.

"We start to realize that the life of conflicts is much longer than we usually think of," he noted, saying the "burning houses and dying children" is only a small part of the whole conflict.

He said the world leaders have also seen the need to extend the definition of conflict in a way that would include "listening to the first vibration on the ground and act over that signal."

In Eliasson's view, prevention of conflicts is a competitive advantage of UN.

Xavier Bettel, prime minister of Luxembourg, told reporters that high spirit of solidarity in Europe will cross its borders and a "common will" will be soon adopted to overcome humanitarian crises.

Bettel also urged the international community to meet each year to assess progress being made so as to make the summit a real success.

Erastus Mwencha, deputy chairperson of African Union, told Xinhua that there is a strong need to develop a mechanism at the local level to deal with the needs of displaced people and to coordinate the humanitarian assistance in Africa.

He stressed the need for political leadership to help the 15 million people in need in Africa. "Otherwise the aid becomes a problem in itself," he added.

"Political leadership to prevent and end conflict" is considered as one of the most important commitments set by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for the Istanbul summit that involves delivering concrete policy and operational commitments.

The two-day summit is drawing some 5,200 participants, including 65 heads of state and government. Endit