UN chief stresses importance of conflict prevention

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed the importance of conflict prevention in face of "not only a quantitative but also a qualitative change in threats to international peace and security."

"Prevention must be at the center of everything we do. It is better to prevent conflict than to manage it," he told the UN Security Council.

Prevention avoids tragic human suffering and it even saves money. Though hard to quantify and typically undertaken far from the media spotlight, prevention is a sound investment that brings ample, visible dividends, he said.

"Development is one of our best instruments of prevention, and the 2030 Agenda gives us enormous potential."

Respect for all human rights -- not only civil and political, but also economic, social and cultural -- is an essential element of prevention, he said.

"In the lead-up to the outbreak of widespread violence, we often see increases in repression, the closing of space for civil society and the rise of sectarianism. We must invest in social cohesion, so that all people feel they have a stake in society."

Gender equality is closely linked with resilience, and women's participation is crucial to success, from conflict prevention to peacemaking and sustaining peace, he said. "Where women are empowered, societies flourish and peace processes have a better chance of taking hold."

He also called for more efforts to address the systematic violence faced by women before, during and after conflict, and to pursue justice for perpetrators as an essential part of post-conflict healing and recovery.

Prevention also includes preventive diplomacy -- efforts to respond promptly to signs of tension and to forge political solutions, said Guterres. Enditem