Just-in-time reporting from the UN Security Council session on Futureprofing trust for sustaining peace

China: Without trust and the rules and order built thereupon, humanity will once again be subject to the law of the jungle. The world is now beset with a serious trust crisis. Amongst the various complex issues is a series of intersecting and deteriorating deficits in development, peace, security, and governance, as well as the longstanding deficit in trust. Nothing undermines more easily the political trust between countries than blowing hot and cold or breaking promises in international relations, playing around with and not respecting the agreements they signed, and willfully going back on and hollowing out the political commitments they made. Nothing damages more easily the mutual trust in the area of security than forming exclusive military blocs, stirring up regional tensions, and seeking absolute security for oneself at the expense of the security of other countries.

Albania: Cooperation requires goodwill, and genuine commitment, it requires trust. Trust is the glue that holds people and societies together. It gives institutions lasting legitimacy and helps individuals and groups remain engaged in the long and arduous process of building lasting peace. As witnessed so many times, its absence can result in disruption, violence, and conflict. The recent tragic events in Sudan show where the breaking of trust can lead to, a catastrophe that is tearing the country apart.

Viet Nam: Without mutual understanding and trust, differences become more difficult to address, which in turn can escalate into tensions, disputes, and even wide-scale violence. Second, in building trust, we need to acknowledge that it cannot be caused or manufactured. It rests on the principles of fairness and equality. All actors in international relations, especially the major powers, need to act in good faith and uphold responsibility while taking into full consideration the legitimate interests of all parties and stakeholders. Multilateralism and respect for international law, including UN Charter, should be the core elements of trust-building.

Ukraine: Irresponsible behavior of just one country totally undermined trust. It is not only in Ukraine that people believe that the Council is incapable to deliver this promise. And that is why we like the title of this open debate, that trust should be proved in future. Ukraine firmly stands for its restoration. Trust is built on a foundation of fairness and justice.

United Kingdom: Trust in national and international institutions is central to their legitimacy and to the fabric of society, as we have heard today. And yet that trust in both has been severely tested. Today, we face complex and interconnected challenges to peace, security and development. To overcome these, we have to rebuild that trust. President, Switzerland’s concept note should chime with all of us.

Vice-President and Professor of Security, Leadership and Development, Kings College London: We know, for example, that advances in science and technology are critical drivers of war and peace in the future, and that determinants of where power lies, who has agency, and how that agency is exercised is underpinned by this. But we don’t know enough about how the evolution of science and technology in the future will change power and agency. We also now know, for example, that advancement in artificial intelligence is leading to advancement in capacity or capability of systems, and that there’s less advancement of human ability to control them. As such, the sheer speed of breakthroughs in science and technology is matched only by the scale of our inability to anticipate the implications on politics and society, and on war and peace. There’s therefore an urgent need to develop a sense of things to come, to imagine the future of peace and war, to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer pace of change.

But in recognizing that our chronological thinking limits our capabilities to comprehend the complexities of intertwined time frames of events, it is important to see future peace and war not as isolated events, but part of a broader experiential continuum. The multidimensional nature of reality will likely generate multiple features of peace and war. This requires, certainly, bringing into focus the empirical reality of people and places that are often peripheral to global policy decision-making on peace and war. And I think we’ve heard at least our earlier speakers speak about this. In cultures, for example, that form part of the majority world, current, past, or future leadership of opinions on security, war, and peace are not readily under the influence of elites that we can predict

Anticipatory methodologies for understanding peace and war in the future must also seek to bring science and people together. Creating scientific breakthroughs with future people, by that I mean those who will govern the world in 2050, is of vital importance if we’re to circumvent the tyranny of now and the temptation to simply fix power and agency in expectation of a sequential future that concurrently succeeds the present. The reality is different from this. The 10-year research agenda that I co-lead at the African Leadership Center at King’s College London and in Kenya in collaboration with IDS at the University of Nairobi asks one central question. How will perspectives of peace and the state change among those who will govern the world in 2050?

I am not about to rehash them here, but it is worth noting that the report underscores the importance of anticipatory action, while calling also for increased transparency on peace and security, including increased investment in peace. Without a systematic and inclusive connection between science and people, particularly the future people I described earlier, and without a collective imaginary about the future of peace, there will be less certainty about the agency of global and regional institutions to shift the tide towards sustaining peace in the future. Institutions that will be relevant to the future of peace must today facilitate an approach that accommodates multiple futures and enables a seamless connection between science and future people across the diversities, so that they can unleash their own agency for the pursuit of peace. Including future people in norm development, for example, are important elements of imagining the future of peace and war, thus connecting the world as it ought to be with how it really is empirically. Beyond regulation, part of the norm-setting task of institutions will include the facilitation of investment and interventions to make technology, including AI, safer and peace-leaning.

Azerbaijan: Justice is a fundamental building block of peacebuilding, sustainable peace, and peaceful international order. It is also critical that the United Nations continue mobilizing the world against racism and confronting hate speech, hatred of all kinds, misinformation, disinformation, and the incitement to division, violence, and extremism. Intercultural and interreligious dialogue at the national and international levels is one of the important avenues within the broader objectives of peacebuilding, sustaining peace, and reconciliation. In this connection, we recognize the important role played by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Strengthened global solidarity, multilateralism, and common efforts grounded in the Charter of the United Nations and international law are the most effective ways to achieve the goals of peace, inclusive, sustainable development, and human rights for all.

China: We should firmly anchor our belief in the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, practice true multilateralism, deepen mutual trust, and promote and build global partnerships. Major countries should take the lead in standing up for integrity, cooperation, and the rule of law, uphold mutual trust, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, pursue broad-based consultations, and lead by example in building a solid foundation of trust for the international community to create conditions for lasting peace. We should recognize that building broad-based and solid trust is key to lasting peace and security in post-conflict countries. The international community should respect the development paths and systems independently chosen by people of all countries, pursue political settlement of differences and disputes, advocate cooperation and dialogue, refrain from imposing solutions or indiscriminately applying UCMs, and help consolidate mutual trust in the countries concerned instead of creating chaos. The UN should better leverage mediation, good offices, and the peace-building mechanism.

Ethiopia: That entails us to approach our shared values and goals within the realm of national policy choices. Furthermore, respect of national ownership entails embracing indigenous solutions and policy choices of states. To this end, we must make sure that discretion and prerogatives related to financing peacebuilding activities do not compromise this fundamental principle. Third, equal participation and representation of states is a critical element of building trust. Africa’s representation in the organs of the United Nations, including this very Council, is obviously unjust.

Georgia: To this end, the new agenda for peace must rest upon the reinforced commitment to fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, and the better protection and realization of human rights.

Ecuador: They are based on trust and solidarity, and therefore we need to facilitate the participation of youth in preventing and resolving conflicts and include them as well at all levels of the decision-making process in accordance with Resolution 2419. Trust among nations is a crucial component for fostering peace. This is the result of a series of conditions that must be cultivated within member states of this organization, that is, by its societies and its leaders. The search for the underpinnings leading to lasting peace has been a long-standing concern. Mr. President, I would like to recall here the contribution of philosopher Immanuel Kant in his 1795 essay entitled Perpetual Peace.

Sierra Leone: Madam President, I congratulate you and the delegation of Switzerland on assuming your maiden presidency of the Security Council and thank you for convening this important open debate. I also thank the briefers for their important contributions. Future-proofing trust for sustaining peace is a timely and relevant topic given our present-day reality as we strive to strengthen multilateralism and build trust in a multilateral rules-based system. This, in turn, has to lead to a situation where peace and security can be maintained and conflict prevented. Sierra Leone strongly believes that the international community, including the United Nations system, can do more to build peaceful and resilient societies.

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Jordan: Evolving challenges and threats require a Security Council that leads and advances international efforts to build peaceful and resilient societies. The Council can effectively contribute to sustaining international peace and security by addressing the root causes of conflicts, assisting in the cessation of hostilities, strengthening conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, ensuring accountability for crimes, promoting justice, and guaranteeing the full, equal, and meaningful participation of all stakeholders, including women and youth, throughout the peacebuilding processes. In this regard, we emphasize the importance of fully implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 of the year 2000 and 2250 of the year 2015, and formulating inclusive and people-centered policies in political processes and peace efforts. In addition, strengthening partnerships with regional organizations, civil societies, and other relevant stakeholders are vital to further support local actors on the ground and ensure a functional and consistent approach to sustaining peace. Such partnerships should be part of an integral approach for peacebuilding.,

Malta: Inclusive peacebuilding requires adequate financing, which recognizes the specific needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations, including their health, education, livelihoods, access to land and their participation in decision-making. Mistrust is a precursor to conflict. Communities around the world are becoming increasingly divided by disruptive actors who stand to gain from division and polarization. We must address the rhetoric of hate, which often precedes conflicts. Malta underlines that investment in early warning systems, which help identify the elements fracturing stability and eroding a trust within fragile communities, is critical.

New Zealand: This responsibility is conferred by the entire UN membership and the council acts on our behalf. A year on from Russia’s invasion and 30 years since contemporization efforts began in the agenda for peace, reform of the Security Council remains long overdue. Building trust and confidence in peacebuilding and sustaining peace necessitates inclusion. Can sees the need for greater inclusion in several places. First, we must deliver on our commitments to realize the full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership of women in all aspects of peace and security, as noted by many of the speakers this morning.

Malta: Millions of people live in conflict-affected countries in situations where the very foundational elements necessary for trust, both within societies and between citizens, their governments and the international community, are lacking. The Security Council must increasingly strive to build and engender trust in the United Nations in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Charter. Respect for human rights and international law are crucial pillars for building trust between citizens and the institutions that serve them. The promotion of these normative frameworks through good-faith negotiation efforts at the level of various UN bodies, including the Security Council, is essential. A comprehensive vision for human rights that counters inequalities, prioritizes sustainability and offers human security must be reflected in the daily lives of individuals if we are to reinvigorate trust in multilateralism.

Sri Lanka: And we need to work together in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation to create a world that is safe, that is just, that is sustainable for all of us. We need normative frameworks. Mr. President, in the context of the relevant Security Council resolutions regarding normative frameworks, we must examine how international human rights law can enable accountability while embodying predictability, which are essential components in building trust, if we are to future-proof trust. The rule of law, Mr. President, a social contract between governments and their people anchored in democracy, human rights, and the elimination of inequalities are vital in sustaining peaceful and resilient, trusting societies. The Security Council must creatively use its toolbox and channels, as well as its unique global voice, to ensure that global normative frameworks remain effective in sustaining peace in the light of current and emerging threats to peace and security.

Portugal: As we see it, communities are more likely to have trust in the process if the conflict or situation it aims to address is timely and transparently identified as an emerging threat, including through early warnings and strategic foresight. If the solutions to respond to it are designed in consultation with these communities, and if their implementation is carried out in close contact and coordination with the communities, the voices are necessary not just to design the measures, but also to determine whether the process is effective or needs to be amended. Let me also refer two points on what concerns communication. Firstly, to commend the recent strategic review of the Secretariat of Strategic Communications across UN peacekeeping operations, acknowledging the need for the UN system and the member states to perform better in the area of crucial importance. Secondly, as today is the World Press Freedom Day, it is worth reminding that trust requires a social environment where people can express themselves freely, where human rights are respected in their entirety, and where free and independent media contribute to promoting democracy and to ensuring that institutions are accountable to the people they serve.’}]

India: Will we be able to credibly improve the Council’s effectiveness at any stage when it is a fact that we don’t even have a time frame for concluding the decadal discussions on Security Council reform? And can we actually be future-proofing trust for sustaining peace through the Council till we arrive at credible answers to these core questions? Madam President, the reform of the UN Security Council is the fundamental starting step towards future-proofing trust for sustaining peace. Multilateral institutions must be made more accountable to their membership. They must be open and welcoming to a diversity of viewpoints, particularly from the global south.

Ghana: Third, in strategically partnering with regional arrangements under Chapter 8 of the Charter, the Security Council can tap into the scientific and data-driven approach of peace-building through the early identification of patterns and drivers of violence, and consequently, an improvement of conflict prediction and stronger early warning systems. This cost-effective approach helps to better allocate peace-building resources, and we commend in particular support for national and regional early warning systems, such as the 2002 AU Continental Early Warning System and the ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network. Fourth, it goes without saying that prioritizing efforts in addressing the root causes of instability is the surest way to sustain peace. We encourage further investment in non-kinetic measures in tackling the underlying causes of instability through the adoption of a multidimensional approach that empowers at all levels critical agents of change, such as women and the youth, in their development, conflict prevention, and governance processes. Commitment to the implementation of the Youth Peace and Security Agenda, as well as the Women’s Peace and Security Agenda, are critical enablers in amplifying their voices and harnessing their contribution to this noble cause.

Lebanon: And here I would mention the displaced persons crisis in my region. Mr. President, it must be noted that all too often and for too long, palliative care is chosen over the treatment of crises and conflicts. And yet this will not be enough to achieve real permanent solutions. What then can the council do to address the root causes of crises that undermine international peace and security? As mentioned in your concept note, an inclusive approach is necessary.

Ecuador: This key data makes it possible to focus efforts on a given region, facilitating the decision-making process and the response measures in providing timely humanitarian aid. The full, fair and meaningful participation of women in all social and political spheres, as well as the leadership role of women in peacebuilding efforts, are essential measures for fostering peaceful societies. The Security Council and the UN system must implement Resolution 1325, in particular by including women in the negotiating mechanisms and negotiating process, as well as implementing peace agreements. What better way, President, to future-proof trust, intergenerational trust? Our youth have creative and adaptive tools whose effectiveness can last for decades.

Malta: Investing in ICTs, especially among refugees and internally displaced persons in conflict-affected areas, can improve protection and increase the diversity of peacebuilding actors. However, it can also increase risks to human rights defenders. Gender-responsive legislation and regulation is needed to explicitly address online hate speech, harassment and abuse, especially against women human rights offenders. The modern era continues to generate increasingly complex challenges that this Council must contend with if it is to remain relevant. In our Common Agenda, the Secretary-General identified building trust and countering mistrust as our defining challenge.

This is another avenue where the Council can strengthen cooperation with the Peacebuilding Commission, increase the gender responsiveness of peace operations and engage more meaningfully with civil society organization and independent actors. Similarly, as climate-related security risks are a reality to many communities, particularly those in conflict, adaptation and mitigation efforts could offer entry points for peacebuilding, helping to foster trust within the society. It is our responsibility to empower communities with the tools to identify dangerous rhetoric. Media information literacy and digital literacy must also be bolstered globally to allow citizens to discern the truth of information they are shown, especially in the burgeoning age of artificial intelligence. Information and communication technologies are crucial tools for peacebuilders to mobilize and advocate, to monitor and report on violations, to raise funds and to provide services.

Ghana: It is equally important to leave no one behind by embracing at the national and local level a culture of peace that, among others, broadens awareness creation and the reinforcement of traditional and new institutions that pick up early signals of conflict and addresses them. This should include a system of laws and practices that ensures the rights and human security of all citizens are assured. Finally, the Secretary General’s new Agenda for Peace provides us with a great opportunity to advance confidence and build trust towards peace. Furthermore, the promotion of transparency around the use of armaments, compliance with the rules of engagement, prioritizing the use of diplomatic tools to address evolving threats are useful elements to consider. Additionally, proposing new ideas for boosting relationships, such as the UN-AU relationship, integrating gender perspectives into decision-making, are all useful elements that can enhance confidence and trust-building in the new Agenda for Peace.

Lebanon: In this regard, the edifying briefings this morning from three briefers from the United Nations, Youth and Academia, only confirmed the importance of mobilizing a wide range of actors to build peace. Local actors, young people, women, civil society, they are all key stakeholders who have their role to play at every stage of the process of peace and conflict and crisis prevention and resolution. This human capital that needs to be tirelessly invested in is what makes Lebanon so strong. The council and the entire United Nations system can promote their role and consult them more. What’s more, the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission should be able to meet and exchange more regularly.

Viet Nam: That approach needs to be mainstreamed in the mandates of all UN peacekeeping and peace-building missions. Fourth, trust is also an essential element in developing comprehensive solutions to address the root causes of conflicts such as poverty, hunger, inequality, and violence. The international community must foster greater transparency and inclusion in our common efforts to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Likewise, trust and trust-building should be the key components in the new Agenda for Peace proposed by the Secretary-General. Madam President, as a nation who has overcome the devastating wars to secure our independence and sovereignty, as well as the difficult post-war reconstruction and reconciliation, Vietnam attaches utmost importance to trust and trust-building in our domestic and foreign policies to maintain national unity and enhance international integration.’