UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on all parts of the UN system to focus on the prevention of conflicts as a priority.
The number of countries experiencing violent conflict is higher than it has been in 30 years, and low intensity conflicts have increased by 60 percent in the past 10 years, said Guterres at a security Council open debate on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations.
"We are overwhelmingly managing crisis and conflict, when we should put far more effort into preventing them from happening in the first place," he said, adding that rather than launching humanitarian aid operations to save lives, "we should be in a position to invest in reducing the need for aid."
Besides saving lives and protecting people from harm, the UN chief said that prevention also makes economic sense.
According to a recent UN-World Bank study, prevention would save some 34 billion U.S. dollars in damage in countries that avoid war, and these benefits are compounded over time to reach over 140 billion dollars after 15 years, said Guterres.
Guterres said that UN's work to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, from human rights and humanitarian affairs to gender equality, environmental protection and combatting climate change, has a role in preventing conflict.
"Sustainable development is an end in itself, and must be considered as such. But it is also one of the most effective tools for prevention. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will make a significant contribution to tackling root causes and building lasting peace," he added.
