1st LD Writethru: 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 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.

He saw "qualitative change" in threats to international peace and security.

The perils of nuclear weapons are again front and center, with tensions higher than they have been since the end of the Cold War. Climate change has emerged as a threat multiplier. Water scarcity is a growing concern, as demand for fresh water is projected to grow by more than 40 percent by the middle of the century, he said.

Inequality and exclusion feed frustration and marginalization. Cybersecurity dangers are escalating, as some of the same advances in technology that have generated so many gains have also made it easier for extremists to communicate, broadcast distorted narratives of grievance, recruit followers and exploit people, noted the UN chief.

The number of armed conflicts has declined over the long-term, but in the Middle East and parts of Africa, conflicts have surged, he observed.

Conflicts are becoming more intractable. They are longer -- more than 20 years on average -- meaning that the people they displace are spending ever increasing amounts of time away from their homes and communities.

They are more complex, as armed groups compete for control over state institutions, natural resources and territory -- and as extremist groups with absolutist demands leave little room for diplomacy, he said.

There is also a multiplication of political factions and non-state armed groups -- with hundreds of armed groups in Syria alone -- and an increase in the regionalization and internationalization of conflicts, he said.

External military and financial support to conflict parties prolongs civil wars, and fuels wider tensions as local fights become proxies for larger rivalries, he said.

Conflicts are more linked with each other, and with the worldwide threat of terrorism. And transnational drug smugglers and human traffickers perpetuate the chaos and prey on refugees and migrants.

"Let us work together to enhance the (Security) Council's focus on emerging situations, expand the toolbox, increase resources for prevention, and be more systematic in avoiding conflict and sustaining peace," said Guterres.

He emphasized the importance of unity of the Security Council.

"Without it, the parties to conflict may take more inflexible and intransigent positions, and the drivers of conflict will push situations to the point of no return, again and again. But with unity, we can advance security and well-being for all." Enditem