The reform of international institutions, particularly the Security Council, rebuilding trust, and enhancing regional partnerships are critical to making multilateralism work for the peace and security of future generations, speakers underlined on Sunday during an interactive dialogue at the Summit of the Future.
Speakers underscored this in the session titled “Enhancing multilateralism for international peace and security”.
Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s president, said in his introductory remarks, "Threats including terrorism, climate change and pandemics require collective action, shared responsibility, and most importantly, the revitalisation of multilateralism.”
He noted that his country knows the transformative power of peacebuilding, reconciliation and cooperation and called for boldness and innovation in reforming the global institutions.
Also in introductory remarks, Simon Harris, Taoiseach of Ireland, said that the United Nations is struggling to respond to the challenges of violent conflict. A principled and consistent approach by all Member States is a “minimum requirement to restore belief in what we can achieve”. He called for terminating the “outdated use of the veto” in the Security Council. “We have a huge responsibility to our citizens and to future generations,” he underscored.
International peace and security — the theme of today’s dialogue - is one of the five main pillars of the Pact for the Future, an intergovernmental negotiated, action-oriented outcome adopted at the Summit of the Future today. The global security landscape is undergoing profound transformation.
In 2022, conflict-related deaths reached a 28-year high, while global military expenditures hit a record $2.24 trillion.
Need for equal representation and inclusivity Coalition-building and partnership to generate the political will for change
Past successes point the way
“No one is truly safe where others are still entrapped by wars, famine, health outbreaks, rising sea levels, as well as political, economic and social exclusions,” said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia, one of three speakers making scene-setting remarks.
Today’s unprecedented crises lay bare the limitations of our current international systems, she added. “No system however good can long endure if it cannot adapt to its changing environment and circumstances.” She called for more representative and accountable international institutions.
Speaking about the need for inclusivity in peace and security, the former President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, said the peace process in his country has been widely recognized for its participation of women, youth and indigenous communities. He underlined that the “world has not lived up” to the commitment of including women in conflict resolution. “I am a witness of the role of women in peacemaking.” Expressing concern about the implications of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in nuclear systems, he called for more dialogue between nuclear States to better understand potential risks.
The President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, Comfort Ero, said the Pact of the Future has excluded a section on how climate change is reshaping conflict risks, meaning it “does not address a major emerging challenge”. “For now, these are words on paper, but they are also openings to revitalize the UN.”
Preventing and resolving conflict is about reviewing policies, reforming international institutions and “generating the shared political will to address the crises we face — together” via coalition-building and regional partnerships.
