UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A German envoy said Monday that the root causes of conflict remain unaddressed, while noting that the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) must speak with one voice.
"Root causes of conflict remain unaddressed, impeding development and sustainable peace," Jurgen Schulz, deputy permanent representative of Germany to the United Nations, told the UN General Assembly debate on the annual PBC report and the secretary general's report on the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).
"Too often and too easy, the conflict cycle starts over again," he noted.
The German envoy called on the international community to deal with the causes of conflict with "political commitment" and "long-term planning."
"We believe the PBC has the potential to provide timely, realistic and concrete advice," he said, noting that "the PBC is strongest when it speaks with one voice and has all members engaged."
"If we can agree on priorities and how to address them in a strategic and practical way, we enhance the PBC's practical and political value. To get to this point, we shouldn't shy away from addressing also the difficult questions in a spirit of collaboration and partnership," he added.
Schulz also noted that Germany welcomes PBF's priority areas, such as "cross-border programming, transitions, gender equality and women and youth empowerment."
The PBC is an intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in conflict affected countries. It is composed of 31 member states, elected from the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council. The top financial contributing countries and the top troop contributing countries to the UN system are also members.
The PBF is the organization's financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent conflict.
