By Fortune Abang
Abuja, July 3, 2024
The United Nations (UN) Nigeria on Wednesday said its maiden peace-building programme tagged: “Summit of the future – new agenda for peace” would advance measures aimed at tackling security related issues.
Mohamed Fall, UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, disclosed this during a national stakeholders consultation in Abuja, ahead of the summit scheduled to hold from Sept.22 to 23, 2024 in New York.
The event, organised by the UN in collaboration with Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), sought to promote the use of dialogue as tool in tackling security challenges.
He said although Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, it has a role to play as regional power in shaping regional and global agenda on peace and security.
“There are a number of idioms that notes how crucial Nigeria is to the subcontinent and the world, the most notable is “when Nigeria sneezes, the whole continent fall sick”.
He said the promotion of peace and security was central to the UN and enshrined in the organisation’s Charter to save generations from the scourge of conflict.
According to him, dialogue has become important towards supporting Nigeria to articulate efforts in tackling peace and security challenges.
“The new agenda for peace is a fresh look at the changing security landscape and a call to reinvigorate collective security system based on principles of trust, solidarity and universality.
“The agenda stresses importance of preventive diplomacy to tackle poverty, inequalities, climate change and closing development gaps that lead to conflict in the first place.
“This will strengthen both the regional peace architecture and the global framework for addressing contemporary threats to peace and security across Africa.
“By assertively participating in these high-level deliberations, Nigerian stakeholders can amplify their nation’s voice and advocate tailored solutions that better reflect realities on the ground,” Fall said.
The Director-General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, underscored the need for stronger international cooperation among institutions and relevant stakeholders to tackle the spate of violent conflicts.
According to him, it has become imperative to tackle root causes of conflict, prevent crises before they escalate and build an equitable world for all.
“As we reflect on the profound challenges that confront us, we must recognise the critical role of solidarity in fostering a sense of shared responsibility and mutual support.
“As we embark on a new agenda for peace, let us heed the call for unity, compassion and collective action, the challenges we face may be daunting but they are not insurmountable.
“Only by embracing this paradigm shift where peace building is viewed as everybody’s business, can we truly create the conditions for lasting peace and security.
“The time to act is now before these threats escalate and engulf us, let us rise to the occasion and fulfill our responsibility as stewards of peace and security for all,” Ochogwu said.
