19 May 2016: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Mogens Lykketoft has provided conclusions and observations from the High-Level Thematic Debate on ‘A World of Risks – A New Commitment for Peace.’ In the outcome document, Lykketoft observes that the full range of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an “essential corollary” to efforts in pursuit of peace and security. As a concrete follow-up to the event, Lykketoft will invite UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to brief UN Member States on implementation of the recommendations emerging from the recent reviews on peace operations, peacebuilding, and women, peace and security.

The High-Level Thematic Debate took place from 10-11 May 2016, in New York, US.

According to the document, the UN needs to: continually emphasize its diplomatic and preventive functions; seek new partnerships at political and operational levels; explore effective mechanisms for mandate implementation; restore the credibility, reputation, performance and accountability of UN missions and operations on the ground; tighten the range of tools available – including a feed-back loop from planning and analysis through implementation, monitoring and evaluation to adaption – as well as the evidence of which preventative approaches work; address fragmentation including by enhancing the Peacebuilding Commission’s (PBC) role as a bridge between the UNGA and the UN Security Council; continue to deliberate ways for the UN to contribute effectively to international coordination on, prevention of and response to terrorism and violent extremism; develop more long-term and effective ways to partner with civil society and the private sector in protection and peace efforts and peacebuilding undertakings; and enable a global partnership to realize the benefits and manage the costs associated with migration and refugee flows.

Lykketoft further notes that participants said: Member States should provide the needed capacities and capabilities to enable effective mandate implementation; the next Secretary-General should continue to emphasize the need to sustain peace across the whole spectrum from prevention to recovery, as well as the primacy of the political framework in the search for peace; and the next Secretary-General should appoint special representatives “of the highest integrity and diplomatic skill” to lead peace efforts, continue to address gender issues, and promote the role of women in peace and security, both in policy and in leadership positions.The conclusions note the “key importance” of continued attention to Security Council reform.

The document also stresses the need for a “clear and effective” interplay between diplomatic, security and developmental efforts both within the Secretariat and with UN agencies, funds and programs, and international financial institutions. It calls for attention to establishing sound budgetary and management mechanisms for context-specific and local approaches to analysis, planning and monitoring for prevention, protection, resilience and peacebuilding. [Outcome of High-Level Thematic Debate] [IISD RS Story on the High-Level Thematic Debate]