Human Development ‘Lights the Way to Hope’, Secretary-General Tells Security Council in Day-Long Debate on Peace through Development
Noting that the Sustainable Development Goals are “off-track”, the Secretary-General told the Security Council today that no peace is secure without inclusive and sustainable development which leaves no one behind.
Speaking in the debate on the promotion of sustainable peace through common development, Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Human development lights the way to hope — promoting prevention, security, and peace”. He added that advancing peace and sustainable, inclusive development must go hand-in-hand.
Developing countries — particularly least developed countries — are being battered by a “perfect storm of crises”, including crushing debt burdens, evaporating fiscal space, and soaring prices, he said. With 85 per cent of the Goals missing their mark, he called on the international community to act with greater urgency and ambition.
He proposed a set of concrete actions that the international community can take now — including a Sustainable Development Goals Stimulus of $500 billion a year to reduce debt burdens and release resources for long-term, affordable financing from multilateral and private sources. “To secure peace and advance development, we must jettison the self-defeating logic of zero-sum competition, recommit to cooperation, and summon the courage to compromise,” with the Council at the heart of this vital effort.
President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, briefing the Council, said poverty alone does not explain violence. She emphasized the interconnectedness and mutual reinforcement of development, peace, security and human rights, and underscored the need for technologically inclusive development. The growing concentration of wealth in the hands of the few has increased inequalities in developing countries while also creating poverty and speculation, she said.
Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, said major wars can be addressed through diplomacy rather than violence. By addressing the underlying political and economic factors, the Security Council can establish conditions for peace and sustainable development. It is vested with considerable powers and able to enforce its resolutions if it chooses to do so.
In the ensuing debate, many speakers supported the promotion of development to prevent conflict, while also highlighting that novel and innovative development solutions are needed, as well as reforms to current mechanisms and frameworks and requisite finance.
China’s representative, whose delegation holds the Council’s rotating presidency for the month, said “development holds the master key” to solving all problems and is the basis for promoting peace and protecting human rights. He called for mutual respect and common development in support of peace, and on developed countries to fulfil their obligation to provide assistance to developing countries, allowing them to benefit from digital technology, clean energy and artificial intelligence.
The representative of Gabon called for massive investments in development, focusing in particular on education, poverty eradication and youth employment to protect them from networks of violence and exploitation. The international community also should move beyond the multilateral sphere to mobilize the public and private sectors, including civil society, to establish a genuine global pact for socioeconomic development.
Societies which fairly distribute the dividends of development are less likely to see social unrest and discontent, Chile’s delegate said. The Council must adopt a sequential approach when it comes to developing peace operation mandates, setting forth long- and medium-term goals involving verification on the ground and implementation strategies.
The representative of the United Arab Emirates pointed to the relationship between vulnerability, climate change and armed conflict, and called on the Council to embrace innovative approaches to see conflicts through a climate-sensitive lens. “We have a window of opportunity to integrate climate action and development. It is critical to seize this moment.” She urged a quantum leap in climate financing.
Leaving no one behind has become difficult to achieve, and virtually impossible after the pandemic and various conflicts, said Ecuador’s speaker. He urged more attention to the needs of countries in conflict or transition, as well as the complementary work of peacekeeping and special political missions to facilitate access to multilateral financing. Over-indebtedness, due to an unjust financial architecture and limited access to concessional financing, contributes to fragility, he said.
The representative of the Russian Federation said that development issues must first and foremost be dealt with by the Organization’s specialized platforms, including the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Organization’s development system. Weighing in, however, he said developed countries are not honouring their Official Development Assistant and climate finance obligations to the Global South yet are eagerly increasing weapons deliveries to conflict zones.
Briefings
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said the vital link between development and sustaining peace has defined the United Nations, which was built on three pillars — peace, development and human rights, from the very start. “Development by itself is not enough to secure peace. But development is essential,” he emphasized, adding that no peace is secure without inclusive and sustainable development that leaves no one behind, as recognized in the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Development gains are often among the first casualties of war; the closer a country is to conflict, the farther it is from sustainable and inclusive development. Nine of the 10 countries with the lowest human development indicators have experienced conflicts or violence in the past 10 years. “Inequalities and lack of opportunities, decent jobs, and freedom can breed frustration and raise the spectre of violence and instability,” he said, noting weak institutions and corruption, environmental degradation, and violent extremist and terrorist groups, among factors that aggravate insecurities and corrode effective governance.
“Human development lights the way to hope — promoting prevention, security, and peace”, so advancing peace and advancing sustainable, inclusive development must go hand-in-hand, he said. Noting that 85 per cent of “SDG” targets are off- track, he called on the international community to act with far greater urgency and ambition. Developing countries — particularly least developed countries — are being battered by a perfect storm of crises, including crushing debt burdens, evaporating fiscal space, and soaring prices. Moreover, escalating climate catastrophe, widening inequalities, and worsening unemployment and poverty, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and unequal recovery, combined, is “a recipe for social strife, political instability, and, ultimately, open conflict,” he warned. “We must do more to support countries in dire straits,” he said, adding that he has been advocating for bold steps to make global institutions — including the international financial architecture — more representative of today’s realities, and more responsive to the needs of developing economies.
He proposed a set of concrete actions that the international community can take now – including an “SDG” Stimulus of $500 billion a year to reduce debt burdens and release resources for long-term, affordable financing from multilateral and private sources. “Each and every day, the women and men of the United Nations are bringing to life the link between peace, development and justice in our work around the world,” he said. UN country teams are spearheading efforts to support national priorities for sustainable and inclusive development, while UN peacekeeping operations are assisting Member States as they manage and resolve conflicts. His special envoys and the Organization’s special political missions are facilitating political processes and mediating and preventing the eruption of open conflict. He called on Member States to strengthen the Peacebuilding Commission and enhance its effectiveness. The Security Council, in particular, could more systematically seek the Commission’s advice on the peacebuilding dimensions of the mandates of peace operations, he emphasized.
“We are proud of our work. But we also know that more must be done to join up humanitarian, peace and development efforts,” he continued. Underlining the Organization’s commitment to more firmly link actions for peace with the “SDGs”, he urged more determined action to strengthen prevention, anchored in full respect for all human rights. He also called for “the transformation of gendered and intergenerational power dynamics across the board”, stressing: “It is past time for action to ensure women and young people’s meaningful participation and leadership in decision-making, eradicate all forms of violence against women and uphold women’s rights.” The New Agenda for Peace sets out a vision for preventing conflict, sustaining peace and advancing development that “applies to everyone, in all countries, at all times”. “To secure peace and advance development, we must jettison the self-defeating logic of zero-sum competition, recommit to cooperation, and summon the courage to compromise. The Security Council must be at the heart of this vital effort,” he said.
DILMA ROUSSEFF, President of the New Development Bank, said that cooperation among countries that are conducive to dialogue and consensus is a guiding principle for achieving peace and development. She recalled that, in 2011, when she was President of Brazil, she proposed a debate on the interdependence between security and development, emphasizing that reconstruction and revitalization of economy are crucial elements for long-term development. Noting that sustainable peace requires taking into account the causes of the social-economic situation, she said that poverty alone does not explain violence. Not all individuals or groups suffering from poverty resort to aggression, she observed, stating that social, political and economic exclusion can fuel conflicts.
Emphasizing the interconnectedness and mutual reinforcement of development, peace, security and human rights, she underscored the need for technologically inclusive development. The growing concentration of wealth in the hands of the few has increased inequalities in developing countries while also creating poverty and speculation. Noting that the weak regulation of international finance has failed to prevent recurring rises linked to financialization, she said that regulatory measures recommended after the 2008-2009 financial crisis have failed to prevent the occurrence of new speculative bubbles or excessive liquidity problems. Moreover, since the last global financial crisis, globalization has weakened, in addition to being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions.
“We have a mission to empower the UN and reform the Bretton Woods institutions,” she said, advocating against double standards applied during crises. She recognized that the climate crisis has not been addressed conforming to the decisions made at international environmental forums, noting that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change have never materialized. Stressing that the poorest countries need resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, she unscored the need for consensus between developed and developing countries. She also observed that many countries have not reached the third industrial and technological revolution, emphasizing that the technological gap and digital divide create inequalities.
JEFFREY SACHS, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University, said today’s meeting takes place at a time of major wars in Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, Syria and the Sahel. These wars may seem intractable, but all four could be ended quickly by Security Council agreement. For one thing, major wars are fed from the outside, both with external finances and armaments. The Council could agree to “choke off” these wars by withholding such external means, which would require agreement among the major Powers. These wars result from economic and political factors, which can be addressed through diplomacy rather than violence. By addressing the underlying political and economic factors, the Council can establish conditions for peace and sustainable development.
He said that the war in Ukraine has two main political causes — the attempt by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to include Ukraine, despite the timely and repeated objections by the Russian Federation, and the East-West ethnic division in Ukraine. The Council could quickly end the war by addressing its underlying political and economic causes. He recommended the Council’s establishment of a new peace and development fund to mobilize financing for Ukraine and other war zones leading to recovery and long-term sustainable development. The war in Israel and Palestine could be ended quickly if the Council enforces the many resolutions it passed over several decades, such as those calling for a return to the 1967 borders, the end of Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories, and the two-State solution. The Council should immediately recognize the State of Palestine and welcome it as a full UN member, with East Jerusalem as its capital and with sovereign control over the Islamic holy sites.
The Council could similarly end the war in Syria, which erupted in 2011 when several regional Powers and the United States joined forces to topple the Government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, he said. This deeply misguided regime change operation failed, but it triggered a prolonged war with enormous bloodshed and destruction. All five permanent Council members are in full agreement that all regime-change attempts are now permanently ended and that the Council intends to work closely with the Syrian Government on reconstruction and development. On the economic side, Syria's best hope is to become closely integrated into the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region. As for the war in the Sahel, it has similar roots, given that NATO Powers similarly aimed to overthrow the regime of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, which quickly spilled over to the Sahel’s impoverished countries.
All five permanent member countries and indeed the whole world have suffered adverse consequences from the continuation of these wars. All countries are paying a price in terms of financial burdens, economic instability, risks of terrorism and risks of wider war. The Security Council is in a position to take decisive actions to end the wars before they escalate into even more dangerous conflicts. It is vested with considerable powers by the UN Charter when it has the resolve of its members. It can introduce peacekeepers and even armies. It can impose economic sanctions on countries that do not comply with Council resolutions. It can provide security guarantees to nations and it can make referrals to the International Criminal Court to stop war crimes. In short, the Council is certainly able to enforce its resolutions if it chooses to do so. For the sake of global peace, let the Council now choose to end these wars.
Statements
ZHANG JUN (China), Council President for November, speaking in his national capacity, said “development holds the master key” to solve all problems and constitutes the basis for promoting peace and protecting human rights. Convening the open debate to advocate for a broader view of security issues, his delegation called for mutual respect and common development to support maintaining international peace. Some countries use democracy and human rights as a pretext to “blatantly interfere” in other States’ internal affairs and to impose governance models. “We must fully respect each country’s right to choose its own development path” and governance model according to national conditions, he said. Externally imposed models are often incompatible with local environments and have generated more problems. He rejected protectionism and attempts by certain developed countries to obstruct cooperation by building barriers. Developed countries have the obligation and responsibility to provide assistance to developing countries, allowing them to benefit from the emerging industries of digital technology, clean energy and artificial intelligence, he added.
MANUEL JOSÉ GONÇALVES, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said sustainable, inclusive development is the only way to achieve durable and resilient peace. He called for bold measures to put the SDGs on track, lest increasing inequality in and between countries raise the potential for conflict. To ensure peace, he advocated a comprehensive and coordinated approach among Member States with an emphasis on common development. Economic, social and inclusive development should be given the same attention as military matters.
He noted that his country established the Northern Integrated Development Agency to promote the integrated socioeconomic development of the affected provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa, and improve the quality of life of communities, and promote sustainable peace, social cohesion and resilience to conflicts. He called on Member States to promote development through technology provision, economic investment and development assistance.
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States) said that the promotion and strengthening of human rights are not conflict drivers, as others have said. However, proactive action is necessary, given the difficulties in taking action after conflict has broken out. As conflict is the number-one cause of hunger, which is a driving force of conflict, “it is our job to disrupt that cycle”, noting that in 2022, the United States provided over half of the budget of the World Food Programme (WFP) budget. Together with the Group of Seven, it is committed to mobilize $600 billion in new investment by 2027 through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. As the world’s major economies mobilize financing for development, responsible and transparent lending must be ensured. The United States has been working with a broad coalition to evolve the multilateral development banks and to expand by hundreds of billions of dollars the availability of safe, sustainable financing, especially for the poorest countries, she added.
NICOLAS DE RIVIÈRE (France) said that in light of the magnitude of international tensions, it is the duty of the Member States to revisit and review their means of action and tackle the root causes of conflict. Noting that the conflicts are intrinsically tied to development, he emphasized that climate change and environmental degradation are additional factors of instability. The New Agenda for Peace offers an opportunity for collective commitment of nations, as it merges developmental support for political processes, respect for human rights and the delivery of peacekeeping operations. France has contributed to this strategy’s development, contributing to the mobilization of $16 billion for the Great Green Wall project, which aims to combat the effects of climate change, deforestation, food insecurity and poverty, from Senegal to Djibouti.
https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15501.doc.htm
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