Development Is ‘The First Line Of Defense Against Conflict,' Guterres Tells Security Council
19 June 2025
Ambassadors met to debate how poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment are fuelling conflict and instability, at a time when hostilities are increasing and demand for humanitarian aid is rising as resources dwindle.
Every dollar spent on prevention could save up to $103 in conflict-related costs, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Sustainable development critical
Conflicts are proliferating and lasting longer, said Mr. Guterres. At the same time the global economy is slowing and trade tensions are rising, as aid budgets are being slashed while military spending soars.
He warned that if current trends continue, two thirds of the world's poor will live in conflict-affected or fragile countries by the end of this decade.
'The message is clear,' he said. 'The farther a country is from sustainable and inclusive development, the closer it is to instability, and even conflict.'
Give peace a (fighting) chance
The Secretary-General highlighted how the UN has worked to advance the three pillars of peace, development and human rights.
These efforts began with its establishment 80 years ago and continue today, 'guided by the simple principle that prevention is the best cure for instability and conflict, and there is no better preventive measure than investing in development,' he said.
'Development gives peace a fighting chance. It's the first line of defence against conflict. But right now, we're losing ground,' he said, noting that 'the engine of development is sputtering.'
World falling short
Currently, two-thirds of the targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are lagging 10 years after adoption.
'The world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030,' he added.
Furthermore, 'developing countries are being battered and bruised by limited fiscal space, crushing debt burdens and skyrocketing prices.'
Fix the 'engine'
The Secretary-General pointed to the fourth Conference on Financing for Development, which begins next week in Spain, as an important moment 'to fix and strengthen this essential engine.'
He called for renewed commitments towards securing public and private finance for the areas of greatest need, providing urgent relief for debt-laden countries, and reforming the outdated global financial architecture.
The Council debate 'could not be more prescient,' said Kanni Wignaraja, the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
Break the cycle
Global human development has stalled just as violent conflicts have surged to levels not seen in eight decades, she said, before presenting three priorities for investment to help break the cycle, including protecting household economies.
'In fragile settings, where peace and security have been shattered, development that goes directly to the local level becomes the first line of peoples' defence and survival. And their hope for recovery,' she said.
'From these local economies - where livelihoods are restored, water and electricity can flow again, women's businesses in particular reopen, farmers can trade food, and there is basic finance to allow markets to stay afloat – from this, comes the resources to build back broken capabilities and resilience.'
Address systemic imbalances
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf Ali, recalled how the continent loses billions of dollars annually to conflict, which could be channeled into schools, hospitals, infrastructure and innovation.
He said the international community must also acknowledge that poverty and underdevelopment 'are not confined within national borders" but are global challenges that require global response.
'If we are to uphold international peace and security, we must address the systemic imbalances – economic, political, and institutional – that continue to fuel deprivation, exclusion, and instability across regions,' he said.
In this regard, the AU called for enhanced support to African-led peace operations, particularly those deployed in regions where poverty and underdevelopment are deeply entrenched.
Collective action required
The debate was convened by Guyana, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month.
The country's Foreign Minister, Hugh Todd, remarked that with the world 'at a critical juncture where the interlinkages between peace, security and development have never been more pronounced,' collective and decisive action is required.
He cautioned against 'prioritizing only political solutions in conflicts where poverty and underdevelopment feature prominently,' as creating conditions for socio-economic stability and well-being are also critical for peace.
Mr. Todd urged countries to address issues such as lack of access to education, underemployment, exclusion, and greater participation of women and youth.
'Currently, the global youth population is the highest in history, with most young people concentrated in developing countries,' he said.
'For us to harness their full potential, they must be given adequate economic opportunities and be involved in decision making on peace and security.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Groups Representing Millions Have A Message To Those At UN Climate Talks In Bonn
June 18, 2025 Climate justice and human rights activists gather to condemn the UN climate talk's failure to end the corporate stranglehold over climate action. Climate justice groups, women and gender activists, youth, Indigenous and local community leaders, artivists, and members of the global campaign to Kick Big Polluters Out gather outside conference venue where Big Polluters and Global North governments seek to orchestrate their get out of jail free card and escape accountability for the climate crisis. Today, the climate justice movement, youth from around the world, human rights activists, women and gender groups, and members of the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition joined forces to protest outside of the UN climate talks taking place over these two weeks. The start of the climate talks happening in Bonn were delayed due to an agenda fight where polluting Global North governments like the EU refused to even discuss the need for them to do their fair share of climate action. While the United States– the worlds' largest historical emitter–is notably absent from these talks, their fingerprints of obstruction and undermining are all over these halls, as is the poisonous influence of the fossil fuel industry, industrial agriculture, and other polluting industries. While corporations and governments that are knowingly fueling the climate crisis and directly enabling systemic violence in Palestine, Sudan, and elsewhere act as though it's 'business as usual,' activists rallied to make clear that they refuse to be silenced. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading During the protest, people dressed up in suits as corporate executives were slowly covered in coal, oil, blood, and money–clearly illustrating Big Polluters' deadly profit-at-all-costs agenda. The protest featured visuals by the Artivists Network. 'We implore the UNFCCC to let us know who you really serve. Do you have us come from all corners of the world and all walks of life with little to no resources or support…just to be reminded that when we enter these halls, we are expected, yet again, to play your games?' said Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos of Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. 'What sort of business are you doing behind closed doors? Our lives are not pawns for you to move around, letting us think that we come here to actualize real solutions, only for you to allow for the ones that have caused these problems to slither silently through the halls.' Civil society and protestors also called out the organizers of the talks specifically for their decades-long failures to address the undue influence of Big Polluters. For three decades, the UNFCCC has done next to nothing to protect these talks from undue influence. Even more, they invite Big Polluters to sponsor and bankroll the climate talks, and to have a heavy hand in the outcomes of the talks. This is a primary reason for the failure of global climate collaboration. According to Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network: 'The UNFCCC must shift its focus away from the false solutions of the fossil fuel industry and towards centering Indigenous Peoples and our solutions. Fossil fuels as well as agribusiness and pharma have no place in these decision-making halls. The UNFCCC must be about people-centered solutions from the world's majority and not a handful of powerful executives.' The activists, who hail from all around the world, are echoing their demands for: An Accountability Framework that ends the ability of Big Polluters to write the rules of climate action. Next steps must include requiring a publicly available conflict-of-interest disclosure for all participants in climate talks, discussion between governments and civil society on how to protect these talks, and agreeing a Roadmap to Accountability that can reinstill faith and integrity of this process by ensuring Big Polluters cannot continue to undermine and obstruct. No more allowing Big Polluters to bankroll the climate talks. End Big Polluter-fueled genocide and systemic violence, including a Global Energy Embargo for Palestine. Center the lived experiences and expertise of communities on the frontlines and reset the capitalist, colonial system so it protects people and the planet. 'We are still here fighting back. We are still here to raise the voices of our communities from back home,' said Pang Delgra, Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development. 'We know that if we do not hold the line, if we do not continue to speak the truth, they are going to lock us into extinction.' Note: Kick Big Polluters Out is a coalition of more than 450 organizations across the globe united in demanding an end to the ability of Big Polluters to write the rules of climate action. We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine as well as with all those who face systemic injustice and fossil-fueled violence around the world.
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Scoop
World News In Brief: Global Investment Plunges, Hurricane Season In Haiti, Rising Cholera And Hunger In South Sudan
19 June 2025 Their latest data shows that the outlook for international investment this year 'is negative', a sharp course correction from January, when 'modest' growth seemed possible. The reasons for this range from trade tensions and tariffs whose main effect has been a 'dramatic increase in investor uncertainty', said UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. She said that investment in renewable energy, water and sanitation fell by some 30 per cent and that agriculture saw a 19 per cent drop in investor confidence. Only the health sector saw an increase of nearly 20 per cent, Ms. Grynspan said, although that only accounts for 'less than $15 billion globally'. 'Very real consequences' 'Behind those numbers are very real consequences. Jobs not created,' she said. 'Infrastructure not built, sustainable development delayed. What we see here is not just a downturn. It is a pattern.' Ms. Grynspan also cited 'growing geopolitical tensions' in addition to rising trade barriers around the world as reasons for the fall in global investment for development. In critical sectors as hi-tech industries and rare earth minerals, governments are also tightening screening measures on proposed foreign investment, the UN agency noted. Supplies to limit hurricane impact in Haiti critically low The Humanitarian Country Team in Haiti warned Wednesday that funding and pre-positioned contingency supplies are critically low ahead of what is forecast to be an above-average hurricane season. Haiti is highly vulnerable to extreme weather, with 96 per cent of the population at risk. Forecasts project 12 to 19 tropical storms and up to five major hurricanes this year. The alert comes as the fragile island nation grapples with a worsening humanitarian crisis. Armed gangs control much of the country, the collapse of essential services and growing displacement have left 5.7 million people food insecure, 1.3 million displaced and 230,000 living in makeshift shelters ill-equipped to withstand severe weather. Limited preparations Humanitarian actors have pre-positioned limited stocks of essential items, but they are at a record low for a hurricane season posing such high risk. For the first time, Haiti will begin the hurricane season without pre-positioned food supplies or the financial resources necessary to initiate a rapid response. Meanwhile, UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA) is coordinating missions with UN agencies and partners to assess how to safely resume aid operations in high-need areas, following their suspension on 26 May due to insecurity. 'I am deeply concerned for communities, families, and vulnerable groups who have already been affected by violence and are living in precarious conditions,' said Ulrika Richardson, Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, calling for immediate support. As of mid-June, the $908 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is just 8 per cent funded. Worsening cholera and hunger in South Sudan OCHA raised the alarm on Thursday over rising malnutrition and cholera cases in war-torn South Sudan. An estimated 2.3 million children under five urgently need treatment for acute malnutrition, a 10 per cent increase since last July. This crisis is unfolding amid the world's most severe cholera outbreak this year, with almost 74,000 cases and at least 1,362 deaths reported as of 16 June. The start of the rainy season and waning immunity risk a significant surge in infections. UN response The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for South Sudan is only 20 per cent funded. Despite limited resources and many challenges, the UN and partners have scaled up efforts, delivering vaccines and life-saving aid to contain the disease and protect the most vulnerable. 'This dire situation is a stark reminder that we need funding urgently to expand food assistance, to expand nutrition and expand health services to those who need it the most,' said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at the daily briefing in New York.
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Scoop
World Refugee Day: Telling Their Stories
19 June 2025 While hotspots include Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Palestine, displacement affects every region of the world. In the lead-up to World Refugee Day, Friday, the UN is spotlighting the importance of solidarity with refugees through support, solutions, and the power of storytelling. Zahra Nader: Reporting from exile Ahead of World Refugee Day, UN News spoke with Zahra Nader, a refugee, journalist and women's rights activist from Afghanistan. At age six, Nader and her family fled to Iran after the Taliban first took power, where she was denied access to education and faced racism. Returning to Afghanistan years later, the stark contrast between life in exile and the opportunity to attend school ignited her passion for journalism and advocacy. In August 2021, while she was pursuing a PhD in Canada, the Taliban regained control, shattering her dreams of returning home to teach and conduct fieldwork. ' I felt as a journalist who grew up in Kabul, who became a journalist there, I have a right and responsibility to tell these stories of women in Afghanistan,' she said. 'This is really inhuman, for half of the population of a country to be stripped of their basic human rights because they were born female.' Channeling that pain into action, she founded Zan Times, an Afghan women-led newsroom in exile documenting human rights abuses in Afghanistan, particularly those affecting women. Despite limited funding and growing risks to her reporters, Nader continues her work to ensure that Afghan women are seen and heard. She described the situation in Afghanistan as ' the most severe women's rights crisis of our time ', calling international action insufficient and warning that inaction emboldens the Taliban and its misogynistic ideologies. Despite her trauma and current inability to return, Nader remains optimistic and urges young Afghan women to resist through learning and preparing for a better future. 'I am hopeful, and I want to be also part of that change, to envision a better future for Afghanistan, and do my part to make that future happen.' Barthelemy Mwanza: From survival to leadership On Thursday, UN Video featured the story of Barthelemy Mwanza, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who is now a youth leader and advocate. At 18, Mwanza was caught between pressure to join an armed tribal group involved in nationwide conflict and his father's plea to stay out of the fight, a decision that could have cost him his life. To survive, he fled to the Tongogara refugee camp in Zimbabwe. Emotionally overwhelmed from being displaced from his home country, 'It really made me cry to say 'Where am I?'' Mwanza said. 'Later on, I was like, 'Till when will I continue to cry? Shouldn't I look at the future?'' He began volunteering with UNHCR, leading more than 5,000 young refugees through initiatives tackling gender-based violence, youth protection, and climate action. Now resettled in Ohio, United States, Mwanza continues to collaborate with UNHCR to elevate refugee voices, inspire climate action and share his story. Empowering and advocating for refugees on a global stage 'was one of my dreams, and now I can really see that it's coming to life,' he concluded.
