Resident Coordinator's speech: Rotary Action Group for Peace - Asia-Oceania Network of Peacebuilder Clubs Launch

Distinguished Rotarians, Members of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, Esteemed Guests,

It is an honor to speak before such a dedicated assembly of peacebuilders and advocates for a more peaceful world.

I congratulate you on the launch of the Asia, Australia & Oceania Network of Peacebuilder Club.

I want to thank the Rotary Action Group for Peace for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts and express our appreciation of your work and network.

I would like to focus in my intervention on the intrinsic link between peace and development, zoom in on the SDGs and progress on the 2030 Agenda and other related global frameworks adopted by UN member States. I will highlight some global and regional facts and trends, then shed some light on the Summit of the Future to be convened at the UN HQ in September, as a momentous event for the world to come together and chart a new course for global action towards a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous future.

Please allow me first to share some background on my role as UN Resident Coordinator and highest-ranking representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General and the UN system at the country level.

Covering Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam, I lead and coordinate the efforts of 22 UN agencies, funds, and programs to support national development priorities, working closely with governments, civil society, academia, the private sector and other stakeholders to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieve a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future. 

Resident Coordinators and members of the UN country teams are advocates for human rights, gender equality, and social inclusion, ensuring development efforts benefit all, especially the most vulnerable.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is our guiding framework. Achieving progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that no one is left behind creates conditions conducive to lasting peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Peace and development are intrinsically linked, each reinforcing one another in a powerful cycle of positive change. Sustainable development cannot thrive in environments plagued by conflict, just as peace cannot flourish in conditions of severe inequality and deprivation. =

Addressing root causes of conflict such as poverty, inequality, lack of opportunities, reduces the likelihood of conflict and fosters peaceful, harmonious societies. Sustainable environmental practices and climate resilience efforts prevent conflict over resources and displacement. Additionally, effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are vital in reducing grievances, building trust and fostering stability.

A peaceful environment is essential for development efforts and investments to be sustained and effective. 

Today, the world is confronting crises on an unprecedented scale. From the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change and humanitarian emergencies, global challenges are testing our resilience. Conflicts and threats of conflict and are plaguing many parts of the world, destroying lives, disrupting communities, reversing hard-won development gains, and diverting resources away from development to address collateral concerns and respond to often protracted humanitarian needs.

And here I would like to share a recent quote by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres:

“It is time to silence the guns, to settle our disputes through peaceful means, to recommit to human rights as they apply to peace and security and to give peace and development a chance.”

I will focus in the next few minutes on the Secretary-General’s call to give development a chance.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a transformative blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. Centered around the five critical areas of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships, it aims to eradicate poverty and hunger, protect the environment, foster inclusive economic growth, promote peace and justice, and strengthen global collaboration. 

This comprehensive and ambitious framework, adopted by all 193 UN Member States, seeks to leave no one behind and ensure that development benefits everyone, everywhere. Through coordinated efforts and shared responsibility, the 2030 Agenda envisions a world where dignity, equality, and well-being are universally achieved.

I would like to take a moment to express my admiration and appreciation to all Rotarians across the world. Through its global network of passionate members, Rotary has championed initiatives that address critical issues such as health, education, water sanitation, and economic development, significantly contributing to the collective effort to achieve the 2030 Agenda. 

Eight years into its implementation, a myriad of challenges continue to obstruct progress at the needed pace and scale to meet the set targets by 2030.

The SDG Summit, held during the 78th UN General Assembly last September, was purposefully billed as our last chance to save the SDGs. The UN Secretary-General progress report 2023 painted a sobering picture, prompting the global community to issue a landmark Political Declaration reaffirming commitment to the SDGs and voicing global leader’s agreement to a bold SDG Stimulus of at least US $500 billion per year to get the Goals back on track.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The data, facts and analysis collected over the past few years tell us a sobering story of lagging progress, inadequate and often fragmented policies, and insufficient financing. Progress has been too slow on climate and the environment, on food security, education, water and sanitation, digital transformation, employment and decent work, equal opportunities for men and women, and several other goals.

Referring to the 2023 special edition of the SDG Progress Report, only 15% of the targets for which data is available are on track; almost half are off-track; and about one third of the targets show stagnation or regression. 

On these trends, by 2030, around 600 million people will be extremely poor; 1.6 billion people will lack access to safe water. Today, the number of food insecure people stands at around 770 million, and by 2030, this number is set to grow. We estimate that 1 in 4 women and girls could be moderately or severely food insecure. Moreover, if no serious, decisive, collective action is taken to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees, life on earth and the future of our next generations are under existential threat.   

These are only a few examples, as positive stories remain too few and uneven across the globe. Unforeseen events have had a serious impact on progress, not least the COVID-19 pandemic, but also series of geopolitical crises inequalities are raging between and within countries. It is no coincidence that countries affected by conflict are those who lag farthest behind on the SDGs. 

Yet, we need to remain optimistic and determined. The Sustainable Development Goals provide a clear and comprehensive roadmap for addressing global challenges, provided that an enabling environment and conditions for success and progress are put in place.

This brings me to the global processes underway. 

As the world grapples with unprecedented uncertainty and tumultuous times, ranging from climate change and pandemics to geopolitical tensions and humanitarian crises, it has become evident that the system built three-quarters of a century ago is unfit to address challenges of this scope and complexity. 

Raging conflicts further exacerbate an already tense global context, obstructing effective multilateralism and threatening efforts to achieve peace.

The Summit of the Future, which will be held in September this year, is our chance at revisiting a global infrastructure struggling to rise to the monumental challenges we face today. The Summit of the Future translates the collective sense of urgency to deliver on unmet commitments, to reflect on the challenges of today and plan for those of tomorrow. 

The Summit is also about restoring trust in multilateralism, and the outcome Pact for the Future, currently being negotiated, will include practical step changes in global governance and resource allocation, in the use of technologies, in how we engage meaningfully with youth and protect the interests of future generations. 

The Pact for the Future will translate a collective determination to correct many injustices and equip the world to confront the realities and realize a future which is inclusive, and where humanity lives in balance with the planet.

We need more trust and global solidarity to achieve sustainable development. 

The Pact will also include an annexed “Global Digital Compact” and a “Declaration on Future Generations”, both also being negotiated.

My presence among you today is one for celebration of the cohesiveness and sense of common purpose which has driven your actions for decades.

I have also tried to bring the UN closer to you to highlight that we share common values and aspirations.  

The challenges we face are daunting, but the impact of your efforts is profound and far-reaching. Every initiative, no matter how small, contributes to the larger goal of a peaceful and developed world. 

By addressing the root causes of conflict and promoting sustainable development, we are not just changing individual lives but transforming communities and, ultimately, the world.

As an advocate of SDGs in my work and life, and a firm believer in working together, I want to highlight SDG 16 and SDG 17, both at the core of the Rotary Action Group for Peace. 

Goal 16 is about promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. People everywhere should be free of fear from all forms of violence and feel safe as they go about their lives. This is not only critical to the success of the 2030 Agenda it is also critical to achieving the right to development upon which the economic, social, cultural and political advancement of all peoples depends.

SDG 17 is about partnerships and today’s event is precisely about coming together around common objectives. It is an opportunity to share and explore ways to expand your peace projects, work together and continue to advocate for policies that address both development and peace.

Your efforts, as the Rotary Action Group for Peace, span across a broad range of priorities. The Peacebuilder Clubs’ work with youth, for example, echoes the principles and goals of the UN Security Council Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security. We need our next generation to be equipped with the values, principles, knowledge and skills to sustain peace.

In these times of immense challenge and complexity, let us reaffirm our commitment to the intertwined goals of peace and development. Let us work together, support one another, and continue to build a world with a virtuous cycle where peace lays the groundwork for development and where development fosters peace.

I close here and thank you for your dedication, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to this noble cause.