How Can Investment in Development Help Prevent Conflict?

United Nations, June 20 (NationPress) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the necessity of investing in development to avert conflict. He stated that prevention is the most effective approach to combat instability and that investment in development serves as the best preventive strategy during a Security Council debate focused on poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict.

"Peace is not established in conference rooms. It is nurtured in classrooms, clinics, and communities. Peace flourishes when individuals have hope, opportunities, and a stake in their future," he remarked on Thursday. "By investing in development today, we are investing in a more peaceful tomorrow."

He cautioned that the global community is losing momentum in this domain, according to Xinhua news agency.

"After decades of consistent advancement, we are now experiencing a development crisis. A decade following the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, two-thirds of the targets are still unmet," Guterres explained. "Developing nations are suffering from limited fiscal capacity, overwhelming debt, and soaring prices."

He described the development engine as faltering. "We must rekindle both domestic and global commitments to channel public and private financing toward areas of highest need. Immediate debt relief is essential for nations burdened by unmanageable debt. Additionally, we must reform the global financial system to align with current realities and the urgent demands of developing nations."

The UN Secretary-General expressed alarm over the destructive cycle of conflict and poverty.

He noted that the flames of conflict are often ignited and sustained by ongoing poverty and escalating inequalities. "Time and again, we witness conflict destroying lives and institutions, erasing development achievements, and displacing millions. Simultaneously, we observe how poverty, underdevelopment, inequality, injustice, hunger, and exclusion can trigger instability and conflict."

It is no accident that nine of the ten nations with the lowest Human Development Indicators are presently embroiled in conflict. Moreover, 40% of the 700 million individuals living in extreme poverty reside in conflict-affected or fragile environments, and the situation continues to deteriorate.

Solutions remain elusive due to rampant geopolitical distrust and divisions. The global economy is decelerating, trade tensions are escalating, and aid budgets are being reduced while military expenditures rise. If these trends persist, by 2030, two-thirds of the world's impoverished will reside in conflict-affected or fragile countries, warned Guterres.

The message is unequivocal: the further a nation strays from sustainable and inclusive development, the closer it approaches instability and potential conflict. "Let us reaffirm our commitment to the solidarity and multilateral spirit that has characterized our organization for nearly eight decades. We must ensure that the fruits of peace, prosperity, and security are accessible to all."