20 January 2015
At Security Council Debate, UN Secretary-General Links Development, Human Rights, Security
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the importance of addressing the interdependence of the three pillars of peace and security, development and human rights during an address to the UN Security Council.

He highlighted the UN intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda as “an important opportunity to broaden the development agenda and highlight the fundamental importance of inclusive societies in building a more peaceful world.”

United Nations19 January 2015: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the importance of addressing the interdependence of the three pillars of peace and security, development and human rights during an address to the UN Security Council. He highlighted the UN intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda as “an important opportunity to broaden the development agenda and highlight the fundamental importance of inclusive societies in building a more peaceful world.”

The 15-member UN Security Council held a debate on inclusive development for the maintenance of international peace and security, in New York, US, on 19 January 2015.

Ban said he was encouraged that Member States had paid attention to peace, security and human rights during debates on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the post-2015 development agenda and a new agreement on climate change. He observed, for instance, that the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) called for inclusive, representative decision-making and linked peace with social inclusion and access to justice for all. He said his synthesis report on post-2015 emphasizes the need for strong and responsive institutions and underscores the role of justice in building peaceful, inclusive societies.

Ban also discussed the importance of, inter alia: tackling persistent exclusion and inequality; addressing discrimination against women and girls; extending social security provision; and strengthening institutions of governance and political representation. He said gender equality and women’s empowerment are critical to ensure women’s participation in reconciliation and reconstruction, and underscored the need to prioritize economic, political and social inclusion in post-conflict societies to rebuild trust among communities.

At the meeting, the Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement that reaffirms its commitment to sustainable peace and underlines the relationship between security and development and the importance of this relationship to sustainable peace. The Statement also encourages Member States to develop a UN common approach to inclusive development. [UN Press Release] [UN Secretary-General Statement]

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