'Sustaining Peace More Complex Than Ever, As Wars Rage'

Keeping the peace has become more important but also more complex in a world of proliferating conflicts, that are becoming more "intertwined", Volker Türk, Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the UN has said during a high-level meeting of the General Assembly, spotlighting financing for peacebuilding.

Türk laid out the "multiple, compounding risks" which are stacking up - from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to climate change, to the threats posed by emerging technologies. "Peacebuilding is the responsibility of the entire UN system - as was recognized in the landmark 2015 resolutions on the peacebuilding architecture. Our unique approach seeks to build a foundation for peaceful societies through addressing root causes and drivers of conflict," he said.

Turk pointed to examples in the Central African Republic, where the Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund is supporting the implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, through improved violence prevention efforts in Bambari, in alliance with multiple UN and civil society organisations. In the DR Congo's restive and vast Kasai region - where UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, is coming to an end - the Fund has supported efforts to reintegrate nearly 500 ex-combatants. He encouraged all member states, to advance solutions, and make commitments, to address the financial gap for preventing conflict, and building the institutions necessary for long-term peace.