No peace is secure without sustainable development, UN chief says

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said development by itself is not enough to secure peace, adding that no peace is secure without inclusive and sustainable development.

“And no failure is more calamitous than the failure to prevent conflict. Indeed, development gains are often among the first casualties of war,” Guterres said at a Security Council meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security.

The UN chief said the closer a country is to conflict, the farther it is from sustainable and inclusive development.

“Nine of the ten countries with the lowest Human Development Indicators have experienced conflicts or violence in the past ten years,” he said.

“Inequalities and lack of opportunities, decent jobs, and freedom can breed frustration and raise the spectre of violence and instability,” he added.

The UN is built on three pillars: peace, development, and human rights, according to Guterres.