Making the ‘Pact for the Future’ a Pact for Peace

Peace is a common good. Oftentimes it eludes us, in part because of our own actions and omissions. However, it is undeniable that peace has never been so coveted as it is today. 
While presenting ‘Our Common Agenda’, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres characterised our era as the “biggest shared test since the Second World War, where humanity faces a stark and urgent choice: a breakdown or a breakthrough”. The findings on progress towards attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs) are instructive.  High levels of poverty compound already complex socio-economic realities, which outdated education systems cannot address. Food systems, unless transformed, will not allow us to eradicate hunger by 2030, leaving a projected 2 billion people food insecure by 2050. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragilities of global health systems, underscoring the need for collective solutions. Gender inequality continues to hinder social progress. Essential services such as water, sanitation, affordable and sustainable energy, and decent employment, prerequisites for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, are moving backwards in relation to the SDGs and the aspirations of African Union Agenda 2063. Infrastructure for inclusive, safer, sustainable and resilient human settlements is lacking. We are experiencing unprecedented extreme weather events and climate patterns.

On the peace and security front, multilateralism is evidently under severe strain. We are witnessing mistrust among nations and competition among great powers; a growing sense of global instability, turmoil and polarization; increasing militarisation; and flagrant challenges to the normative order and international law, including instances of disregard for the most fundamental principle of the territorial integrity of sovereign states. The institutions and mechanisms established to promote cooperation and understanding between states, and to prevent ‘the scourge of war’, have become inadequate, at times putting into question the viability of peace.

On 22-23 September, the General Assembly of the United Nations will hold the Summit of the Future, designed to forge a global consensus on what our common future should look like and what we can do today to secure it. The summit will call for decisive action on sustainable development, financing for development, international peace and security, technology and innovation, youth and future generations, and transforming global governance. A peace, security and development nexus approach must be central to these efforts, to ensure peace, security and shared prosperity, rooted in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. In a world in transition, expectations are high that the ‘Pact for the Future’ will reflect principles of unity, equity, inclusivity and solidarity, aligned with the realities of the 21st century, and where peace reigns.

Strengthening preventive diplomacy for peace is essential. This requires making greater use of the United Nations as an inclusive arena for diplomacy; enhancing the Secretary-General’s ‘Good Offices’ role; strengthening collaboration between the United Nations and regional organizations such as the African Union; and building stronger national prevention strategies. Reforming the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, is also vital to make it more representative, agile, responsive, accountable and resilient, reinforcing its ability to facilitate a rules-based peaceful international order.

The Secretary-General has also prioritised response to conflict, including through conflict prevention and management, peacekeeping and AU-led peace support operations, and addressing root causes of conflict. Innovative financing mechanisms for peace support operations are crucial, particularly in Africa, which faces significant vulnerabilities, to more effectively respond to evolving asymmetrical threats and a changing security landscape. This in turn should make the United Nations Security Council more credible since more than 70 percent of its agenda focuses on Africa. 
By adopting, in December 2023, resolution 2719, the Security Council provided itself another tool for a more tailored response to address peace and security challenges in Africa, through greater collaboration with regional intergovernmental bodies, notably the African Union, consistent with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.
We are at a pivotal moment in global history, with a unique opportunity to make bold and more intelligent choices for future generations. The stakes cannot be higher. Sounding the alarm bell, Secretary-General Guterres stressed that “The world is faced with a stark choice: reform or rupture”, and warned that “it may be our last chance to act decisively and responsibly.”
On this International Peace Day, I echo the Secretary General’s call: Now is the time to re-embrace global solidarity and find new ways to work together for peace; …to renew the social contract between governments and their people within societies; …to rebuild trust in global institutions, and embrace a comprehensive vision of human rights where gender biases are eradicated and the promises of a world free from discrimination are realized; …to ensure young people and succeeding generations are change agents better prepared for the challenges ahead; …to build a stronger, more networked and inclusive multilateral system that is anchored within the United Nations and works for all of humanity.