MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2018) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday addressed the problem of short-lived peace initiatives in conflict zones, urging Security Council members to be creative and focus on prevention.
"The Central African Republic, for example, has suffered overlapping national and local conflicts for decades. Yet some 15 peace agreements have been signed there since 1997," he told the gathering.
The UN chief said he had made "diplomacy for peace" a main goal of his tenure but added member states "must make prevention our priority," including investment in mediation, peace-building and sustainable development.
Guterres warned that as peace accords become more elusive and political will wanes, the international community needs to be "bold and creative" about using all capacities available for mediation.
He praised his special envoys for hard work leading political processes in Libya and Yemen and heading a peacekeeping operation in Mali, but stressed new ways of engagement should be pursued for a more inclusive approach.
