Ambassador Mike Kiboino
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 (NNN-KBC) — There can be no true defence of human rights in countries and regions beset by poverty and armed conflict, said Kenya’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Ambassador Mike Kiboino.
He was speaking during an open debate on investing in people to enhance resilience against complex challenges in the context of building and sustaining peace.
Koboino urged the United Nations Security Council to be more responsive to advisory competencies of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and be innovative in peacekeeping including mandating and funding regional peace operations.
The debate comes against a backdrop of the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War and a consequent, pervasive sense of insecurity around the world.
He explained that there is no way to protect peace when citizens have no decent livelihood.
Adding that: “There is no chance to promote peacebuilding by investing in people-centred development while cutting the core budget of development agencies.”
Recalling that peacekeeping was invented to further the defence of international peace and security, Koboino urged that this same spirit be used to harness the Peacebuilding Commission’s potential and innovate in the area of peacekeeping, particularly in mandating, funding and equipping regional peace operations.
“There is no way to effectively prevent protracted armed conflict without financing peacebuilding in line with the General Assembly resolution 76/305 adopted in September last year.” He said.
Speaking at the same forum, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, stated that peace- the United Nations’ raison d’être — “is now under grave threat”, observing that people’s sense of safety and security is at an all-time low in almost every country.
Six out of seven worldwide are plagued by feelings of insecurity, the world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War and 2 billion people a quarter of humanity live in places affected by such conflict. Recalling the Secretary-General’s words that “the world is at a key inflection point in history,” she underscored the need to rethink efforts to achieve sustainable peace.
“There is only one route to durable peace,” she stressed the route of sustainable development saying it is the only reliable tool with which to break through cycles of instability and address the underlying drivers of fragility and humanitarian need.
She stressed that investments in development, people, human security and shared prosperity are also investments in peace.
Similarly, she noted, however, that such investments have fallen short in recent years.
“When we fail to meet the development needs of our time, we fail to secure peace for our future,” she said, urging the Council to consider the fundamental role of sustainable development in securing peace for current and future generations. — NNN-KBC
