The UN and conflict prevention: From rhetoric to concrete action."[M]ake conflict prevention the cornerstone cornerstone Ceremonial building block, dated or otherwise inscribed, usually placed in an outer wall of a building to commemorate its dedication. Often the stone is hollowed out to contain newspapers, photographs, or other documents reflecting current customs, with a view to of collective security in the twenty-first century." (Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1 1997 to January 1 2007, serving two five-year terms. He was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. , Secretary-General, United Nations) In June, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, produced a report outlining the UN's responsibilities in the area of conflict prevention. This article provides an overview of the report and highlights those recommendations, which the international community, and in particular the UN Member States, should support in order to cultivate cul·ti·vate tr.v. cul·ti·vat·ed, cul·ti·vat·ing, cul·ti·vates 1. a. To improve and prepare (land), as by plowing or fertilizing, for raising crops; till. b. a culture of prevention. Kofi Annan uses the report to confront the obstacles which have plagued preventive preventive /pre·ven·tive/ (pre-vent´iv) prophylactic. pre·ven·tive or pre·ven·ta·tive adj. Preventing or slowing the course of an illness or disease; prophylactic. n. measures in the past -- lack of coordination between agencies, lack of political will on the part of Member States -- and produces the most far-reaching measures yet in the UN's history of dealing with global conflict. The report highlights areas in need of reform and pays particular attention to early-warning mechanisms, case-by-case analysis of the root causes of conflict, multi-track diplomacy The term multi-track diplomacy is based on the original distinction made by Joseph Montville in 1981 between official, governmental actions to resolve conflicts (track one) and unofficial efforts by non-governmental professionals to resolve conflicts within and between states , and greater cohesion cohesion: see adhesion and cohesion. Cohesion (physics) The tendency of atoms or molecules to coalesce into extended condensed states. This tendency is practically universal. of efforts by the main preventive organs -- the Secretary-General's Office, the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Department o f Political Affairs Political Affairs has several meanings:
The need to prevent, rather than merely react, to conflicts has been an on-going challenge for the United Nations (UN) and its Member States. In more recent years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time UN's efforts in this area have been backed-up by international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations “NGO” redirects here. For other uses, see NGO (disambiguation). A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by private persons or organizations with no participation or representation of any government. , and civil society groups. Academics, practitioners, and policy-makers have begun to view conflict prevention as a preferred instrument for the creation of peace in a war-torn world. And there is a growing understanding, with the UN leading the way, that there must be greater cooperation between these different actors if a culture of conflict prevention is going to be inculcated into the international community's collective security agenda. In 1992, UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Arabic: بطرس بطرس غالي Coptic: BOYTPOC BOYTPOC ΓΑΛΗ) (born November 14, 1922) is an Egyptian diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from published An Agenda for Peace, and in 1995 the Supplement to An Agenda for Peace, both of which outlined what the future role of the UN in the areas of preventive diplomacy Diplomatic actions taken in advance of a predictable crisis to prevent or limit violence. , peacemaking Peacemaking See also Antimilitarism. Agrippa, Menenius Coriolanus’s witty friend; reasons with rioting mob. [Br. Lit.: Coriolanus] Antenor percipiently urges peace with Greeks. [Gk. Lit. , peacebuilding, and peacekeeping peace·keep·ing adj. Of or relating to the preservation of peace, especially the supervision by international forces of a truce between hostile nations. peace should be. Member States were called upon to throw their weight and financial resources behind efforts to deal with the conflicts that confronted them in a post-Cold War world. Boutros-Ghali's successor, Kofi Annan, has continued to develop the UN's policy and approach to conflict prevention. In 1998, he challenged the international community to re-think its role in managing global peace and security: "human security is, in the broadest sense, the United Nation's cardinal mission. Genuine and lasting [conflict] prevention is the means to achieve that mission." He has also managed to keep conflict prevention on the agenda of the General Assembly during his term in office, and more recently the Security Council issued a resolution that sought to address conflict at all stages -- from peace agreement to post-conflict peacebuilding. (1) In his report to the Security Council in June, the Secretary-General followed up on last year's presidential address and made conflict prevention the focus once again. This year, there were far-reaching recommendations that should guide the UN's future approach to conflict prevention: 2. Conflict prevention must have national ownership. The primary responsibility for conflict prevention rests with national governments, with civil society playing an important role. The United Nations and the international community should support national efforts for conflict prevention and should assist in building national capacity in this field. 1. Conflict prevention is one of the primary obligations of Member States set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, and United Nations efforts in conflict prevention must be in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter. 3. Conflict prevention is an activity best undertaken under Chapter VI of the Charter. The means in Article 33 include negotiation, enquiry, mediation mediation, in law, type of intervention in which the disputing parties accept the offer of a third party to recommend a solution for their controversy. Mediation has long been a part of international law, frequently involving the use of an international commission, , conciliation conciliation: see mediation. , arbitration, judicial settlement, and other peaceful means. It must also be recognized that certain measures under Chapter VII of the Charter, such as sanctions Sanctions is the plural of sanction. Depending on context, a sanction can be either a punishment or a permission. The word is a contronym. Sanctions involving countries: adj. Tending to deter: deterrent weapons. n. 1. Something that deters: a deterrent to theft. 2. effect. (2) 4. Preventive action A preventive action is a change implemented to address a weakness in a management system that is not yet responsible for causing nonconforming product or service. Candidates for preventive action generally result from suggestions from customers or participants in the process should be initiated at the earliest possible stage of a conflict cycle to be most effective. 5. The primary focus of preventive action should be in addressing the deep-rooted socio-economic, cultural, environmental, institutional, political, and other structural causes that often underlie the immediate symptoms of conflicts. 6. An effective preventive strategy requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses both short-term and long-term political, diplomatic, humanitarian, human rights, developmental, institutional, and other measures taken by the international community, in cooperation with national and regional actors. It also requires a strong focus on gender equality and the situation of children. 7. Conflict prevention and sustainable and equitable equitable adj. 1) just, based on fairness and not legal technicalities. 2) refers to positive remedies (orders to do something, not money damages) employed by the courts to solve disputes or give relief. (See: equity) EQUITABLE. development are mutually reinforcing activities. An investment in national and international efforts for conflict prevention must be seen as a simultaneous investment in sustainable development Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. The linkage between environment and development was globally recognized in 1980, when the International Union , since the latter can best take place in an environment of sustainable peace. 8. The preceding suggests that there is a clear need for introducing a conflict prevention element into the United Nations system's multifaceted mul·ti·fac·et·ed adj. Having many facets or aspects. See Synonyms at versatile. Adj. 1. multifaceted - having many aspects; "a many-sided subject"; "a multifaceted undertaking"; "multifarious interests"; "the multifarious development programs and activities, so that they contribute to the prevention of conflict by design and not by default. This, in turn, requires greater coherence coherence, constant phase difference in two or more Waves over time. Two waves are said to be in phase if their crests and troughs meet at the same place at the same time, and the waves are out of phase if the crests of one meet the troughs of another. and coordination in the United Nations system, with a specific focus on conflict prevention. 9. A successful preventive strategy depends upon the cooperation of many United Nations actors, including the Secretary General, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and UN agencies, offices, funds, and programs, as well as the Bretton Woods Bretton Woods can refer to:
10. Effective preventive action by the UN requires sustained political will on the part of Member States. First and foremost, this includes a readiness by the membership as a whole to provide the UN with the necessary political support and resources for undertaking effective preventive action in specific situations. (3) In addition, the following briefly outlines some important developments contained in the Report: Role of Member States The report refers to the role that Member States play in conflict prevention and stresses that they must take the lead: "It is axiomatic ax·i·o·mat·ic also ax·i·o·mat·i·cal adj. Of, relating to, or resembling an axiom; self-evident: "It's axiomatic in politics that voters won't throw out a presidential incumbent unless they think his challenger will that effective preventive action will require sustained political will and long-term commitment of resources by Member States and the United Nations system as a whole if a genuine culture of prevention is to take root in the international community." (4) In the past, states have not seen prevention as being in their national interest, but that appears to be slowly changing. The political will to take effective action in times of conflict is increasingly changing as conceptions of national interest evolve. One reason for this may be that states do not see conflict as a cost-effective way of ensuring a just and peaceful international order. The Carnegie Commission on the Prevention of Deadly Conflict put paid to the notion that conflict pays: "We have come to the conclusion that the prevention of deadly conflict is, over the long term, too hard -- intellectually, technically, and politically -- to be the responsibility of any single institution or government, no matter how powerful. Strengths must be pooled, burdens shared, and labor divided among actors." (5) The report estimates that in the 1990s, the international community spent approximately $200-billion US on seven major interventions -- Somalia, Bosnia, Haiti, the Persian Gulf Persian Gulf, arm of the Arabian Sea, 90,000 sq mi (233,100 sq km), between the Arabian peninsula and Iran, extending c.600 mi (970 km) from the Shatt al Arab delta to the Strait of Hormuz, which links it with the Gulf of Oman. , Rwanda, Cambodia, and El Salvador El Salvador (ĕl sälväthōr`), officially Republic of El Salvador, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,705,000), 8,260 sq mi (21,393 sq km), Central America. (this number does not include Kosovo and East Timor East Timor (tē`môr) or Timor-Leste (–lĕsht), Tetum Timor Lorosae, republic, officially Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (2002 est. pop. ). The international community has to be prepared to pay up-front for prevention even if the benefits lie only in the future. The human cost of war -- death, injury, destruction, displacement displacement, in psychology: see defense mechanism. Same as offset. See base/displacement. -- an d the post-conflict reconstruction efforts far outweigh out·weigh tr.v. out·weighed, out·weigh·ing, out·weighs 1. To weigh more than. 2. To be more significant than; exceed in value or importance: The benefits outweigh the risks. the costs of prevention. The Secretary-General's view is that this approach will help to strengthen, rather than to diminish, sovereignty States such as the UK have welcomed the description of conflict prevention as "being the best protection for a state's citizens against unwelcome outside interference." Role of the Security Council The Security Council was also identified as a UN organ which could play a greater role in identifying windows of opportunity for preventive action. In order to change the present situation, in which many disputes are not submitted to the Security Council until it is too late for their peaceful resolution, this report seeks to give higher priority to early prevention. The report suggests that one such role for the Security Council would be to provide periodic regional or sub-regional reports to the Council on disputes with a potential to threaten international peace and security. Another proposal was for Council to establish new mechanisms through which prevention cases could be discussed in a more sustained and structured way and increased analysis on potential conflict zones could be established through fact-finding missions with multidisciplinary mul·ti·dis·ci·pli·nar·y adj. Of, relating to, or making use of several disciplines at once: a multidisciplinary approach to teaching. expert support. In subsequent meetings, the Security Council has identified the need to take its responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security more seriously, which would mean defining conflict prevention as part of a collective security agenda in the future. On 30 August, Resolution 1366 was passed, committing the Security Council to pursue conflict prevention "by all appropriate means. (6) It also called up Member States to provide the necessary human, material, and financial resources for timely preventive measures and to support the development of a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy which incorporates the initiatives of regional and subregional organizations. The Council has also undertaken to give prompt consideration to early warning situations brought to its attention by the Secretary-General's office, Member States, or the General Assembly or to information supplied by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The UN Secretary General's office could itself be a primary actor by increasing its fact-finding and confidence-building missions to potential trouble spots. The Secretary-General recognizes the need to develop a greater interaction between relevant UN organs and agencies and their regional organizational counterparts. Also, he suggests the establishment of an informal network of eminent persons, which would improve the resource base for preventive action in the UN Secretariat Secretariat, 1970–89, thoroughbred race horse. Trained by Lucien Laurin and ridden by Ron Turcotte, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown in 1973. Secretariat (foaled 1970) U.S. . The UN's Early Warning System could also be enhanced by greater dissemination dissemination Medtalk The spread of a pernicious process–eg, CA, acute infection Oncology Metastasis, see there of information between the Secretary-General's office and the Security Council, in order to put a potential conflict situation on the Council's agenda before it is too late to take preventive measures. To this end he will seek to provide periodic regional or subregional reports on disputes to the Security Council. Role of the Secretary-General's office Role of the General Assembly The report stresses the need for greater interaction on conflict prevention between the Security Council, the General Assembly, and ECOSOC and a move toward a more binding commitment on conflict prevention by the General Assembly There is also a need to develop stronger links with UN country teams in the field who can supply information to the General Assembly on potential trouble spots. Role of non-state actors Non-state actors, in international relations, are actors on the international level which are not states. The admission of non-state actors into international relations theory is inherently a rebuke to the assumptions of realism and other "black box" theories of international The Secretary-General seems determined not to continue the practice of intervening only when a conflict has escalated to the point where military might seems the only solution. Most significant in the UN's evolution in thinking about conflict prevention is the notion that states are not the ultimate purveyors of peace and stability. As the report states, the UN needs to work with, and help strengthen the capacity of, regional partners. This has been a key conclusion of several recent Security Council debates on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Now many international and regional organizations have added the issue of conflict prevention to their agendas (see box), recognizing that effective prevention strategies require the cooperation of both national and regional actors. Of particular significance is that the G8 Summit to be held in Canada next year will address, as it has in the recent past, the issue of conflict prevention. These initiatives are encouraged and supported in the Secretary-General's report. Cooperation between UN agencies is also seen as a key element in tackling conflict. The report addresses the need for the Administrators of UN Funds, Programmes, and Specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. Agencies to consider how best to integrate conflict prevention into their various activities. The use of Inter-Agency Task Forces to strengthen the interaction and cooperation between agencies, UN Country Teams, regional and subregional organizations around a specific theme is also helpful. The initiatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society must not be overlooked. The Secretary-General sees UN strategies being enhanced by the involvement of civil society and private sector actors, particularly in areas where there are no formal international or regional organizations. Multi-track diplomacy -- the use of a wide range of peacebuilding actors, including governments, professional organizations, the business community, churches, media, private citizens, training and educational institutes, activists, and funding organizations -- is one area in which a variety of different actors can play a role in the early prevention and detection of conflict. Because so many current conflict situations have multiple causes, they require a variety of actors to resolve them. Increased funding Donor states must be encouraged to increase their funding for development assistance, which has been at low levels for many years. Although more assistance in itself will neither prevent conflict nor end it, it can contribute to the development of societies that are more just and equitable. As well, support by Member States for the UN Trust Fund for Conflict Prevention must be strengthened. The Fund's assistance to efforts aimed at conflict prevention and peacekeeping -- in Africa, for instance -- is vital. By linking conflict prevention and development, the Secretary-General has greatly enhanced the prospects for global development and poverty reduction in many countries. And by reducing the level and intensity of conflicts, we will significantly enhance prospects for global development and poverty reduction. Overcoming the obstacles The report highlights the following means to overcome some of the obstacles to conflict prevention strategies: * Develop an overall understanding of the various causes behind the outbreak of a conflict, bearing in mind efforts from pre-conflict through to post-conflict stages. * Strongly support the linkage linkage In mechanical engineering, a system of solid, usually metallic, links (bars) connected to two or more other links by pin joints (hinges), sliding joints, or ball-and-socket joints to form a closed chain or a series of closed chains. between conflict prevention and sustainable development when formulating political, economic, social, and development policies and measures. * Encourage Member States to view prevention of conflict as a national security interest. * Increase involvement of non-state actors. * Increase pressure on governments to be open to UN involvement in potential conflict situations. * Increase coordination of early warning systems within the UN system and other international and regional organizations. * View prevention as a long-term process with costs paid in the present, while benefits lie in the future. Conclusion There are many reasons for optimism following this latest report. The need to move from rhetoric to concrete action is clear. The report sent a strong signal to Member States that the implementation of these recommendations should proceed without delay. Like Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway, which have embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. conflict prevention into their wider foreign policy objectives, Canada should welcome this report. The Canadian government was one of the first to support the UN's Agenda for Peace in 1992, and has subsequently woven A woven is a cloth formed by weaving. It only stretches in the Bias directions (between the warp and weft directions), unless the threads are elastic. Woven cloth usually frays at the edges, unless measures are taken to counter this, such as the use of pinking shears or hemming. the goal of preventing wars into its concept of peacebuilding. Thus Canada should seek to lead the way in supporting these recent recommendations by the Secretary-General. As past experience has shown, overcoming the obstacles to a more fully implemented regime of conflict prevention will remain a challenge. However, it is not insignificant to note that since the Agenda for Peace, there has been no change in the importance assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. to the prevention of conflict, no wavering from the idea(l) that prevention is better than cure. Conflict prevention has remained a priority for the UN and its relevant organs and agencies over the years but these statements are the most ambitious and far-reaching expressions of the importance of conflict prevention to date. There is every reason to believe that conflict prevention will continue to dominate discussions in the international arena in the coming years. By the Secretary-General's own admission, implementing the preventive strategies outlined in his latest report will not be easy, but it is certain that he will keep trying. (1.) Security Council Resolution SC/Res/1318, 2000. (2.) Chapter VI of the UN Charter refers to the Pacific Settlement of Disputes; Chapter VII refers to Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression. (3.) Extract from UN Secretary-General's report on conflict prevention, A/55/985-S/2001/57, June 2001. (4.) Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization to the 55th General Assembly Session, Prevention of Armed Conflict, 7 June 2001, A/55/985-S/2001/574. (5.) Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict 1997, Preventing Deadly Conflict: Executive Summary of the Final Report, Washington, DC. (6.) Security Council Resolution 1366 (2001), 30 August 2001; see also Security Council, 4334 Meeting, SC/7081, 21 June 2001. RELATED ARTICLE: Examples of preventive measures which exclude force Preventive Action/Peacemaking (*) * Identification of potential crises areas through early warning * Timely and accurate advice to the Secretary-General * The UN Secretary-General's good offices * Mediation/Negotiations * Public statements and reports by the Secretary-General * Fact finding, goodwill and other missions * Political guidance and support to special representatives and other senior officials appointed by the Secretary-General for political missions * Partnership with funds and programs as well as other agencies in the UN system * Support for UN legislative bodies (Security Council, General Assembly) * Deterrent value of targeted sanctions * Support for Track II initiatives where the UN is not able to play a direct role Preventive peacebuilding (*) * Political guidance and support to special representatives and other senior officials appointed by the Secretary-General for political missions and, in particular, peacebuilding offices * Partnership with funds and programs as well as other agencies in the UN system * Electoral assistance, including technical assistance and support of national electoral institutions and processes * Support for the UN legislative bodies * Cooperation with regional organizations * Outreach Outreach is an effort by an organization or group to connect its ideas or practices to the efforts of other organizations, groups, specific audiences or the general public. to NGOs and civil society, media Some recent international and regional initiatives * G8 -- Miyazaki Summit Initiatives for Conflict Prevention 2000 * OAU OAU abbr. Organization of African Unity OAU n abbr (= Organization of African Unity) → OUA f OAU n abbr (= Organization of African Unity -- Conflict Prevention Management Mechanism (on-going) * EU -- Programme for the Prevention of Violent Conflicts 2000 * ECOWAS ECOWAS Economic Community Of West African States -- Protocol for Conflict Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security 1999 * IGAD -- Terms of reference Terms of reference allude to a mutual agreement under which a command, element, or unit exercises authority or undertakes specific missions or tasks relative to another command, element, or unit. Also called TORs. for Conflict Prevention, Resolution, and Management Program 1999 * OECD OECD: see Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. -- Helping Prevent Violent Conflict Orientations for External Partners and DAC See D/A converter and discretionary access control. DAC - Digital to Analog Converter (Development Assistance Committee) Guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. on Conflict, Peace and Development Co-operation * OSCE OSCE Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe OSCE Organisation Pour la Sécurité et la Coopération en Europe (French: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) OSCE Objective Structured Clinical Examination -- Conflict Prevention Initiatives 1999/2000 (*) Identified by the United Nations Department of Political Affairs The United Nations Department of Political Affairs (DPA) (French: Département des affaires politiques des Nations Unies), (Spanish: Departamento de Asuntos Políticos de las Naciones Unidas |
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