Foreword
UN efforts have helped meet the immediate needs of people whose lives have been devastated by events such as earthquakes, famine and war. We have also assisted affected communities in building back stronger infrastructure and institutions to help protect them from future catastrophes.
World Humanitarian Summit: Addressing Forced Displacement
Discrimination and exclusion, corruption, lack of governance, impunity, deep-rooted poverty and lack of opportunity are the main causes of conflict. They are aggravated by the effects of climate change and growing competition over shrinking resources.
Economic Recovery after Natural Disasters
The destructive effects of natural disasters are felt more in poorer countries than in more prosperous ones. While both rich and poor nations are subject to natural hazards, most of the 3.3 million disaster-related deaths over the last 40 years occurred in poor countries.
The Future of Humanitarian Action
The urgency is all too clear: if current demographic and conflict trends—protracted complex conflicts with a high risk of relapse, forced displacement at a record scale, urbanized conflict, growing inequality—continue, the gap between needs and response will only grow worse.
Coordinating Funding for Humanitarian Emergencies
Beyond Governments, the humanitarian community must harness the power of business to deliver its key skills and capabilities. Business is still a modest factor in humanitarian activities, yet it has the creativity and capacity at the scale to provide new solutions to risk management, support aid delivery, create jobs, and modernize transparency and accountability.
Improving Partnerships Between National and International NGOs in Africa
Strengthening the links between national NGOs and their international counterparts in Africa will require, at the Summit and beyond, a great deal of transparency and honesty; respect for each other's contributions; acknowledgement of comparative advantages and mandates; identification of mutual benefit through greater assistance to crisis-affected populations, so that gains are greater in working together than competing; and courage and readiness by all actors to call themselves into question and cede power or resources.
Overcoming Obstacles to Meeting Humanitarian Need
The urgent need to achieve better solutions for millions of people whose lives are torn apart by conflict and violence was one of the drivers of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision to hold the World Humanitarian Summit on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Istanbul.
The Humanitarian Response to the 2015 Nepal Earthquake
Natural disasters around the world affect, on average, more than 200 million people and displace more than 20 million people on a yearly basis. The impact of, and preparedness and response to, natural hazards will be a central topic when the humanitarian community and world leaders gather at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016.
The 2030 Agenda Reducing All Forms of Violence
If the United Nations is to take the lead in helping Governments and others to deliver on their shared commitment, it is imperative that upstream prevention becomes a part of its core business.
No Peace, No Sustainable Development: A Vicious Cycle that We Can Break
Sometimes the same factors that drive rural poverty and inequality fuel conflict and instability. Climate change and natural resource degradation threaten food security and increase the risk of conflict.
A Pathway to the Sustainable Development Goals
The African Union, Member States, Regional Economic Communities, civil society and the international community all have a responsibility to take action in order to accelerate the process of silencing the guns in Africa by 2020.
Global and National Leadership in Good Governance
[T]here are many problems the United Nations has not managed to resolve, and it can hardly sit on its laurels. It must address many new challenges and much unfinished business. A few are enumerated below.
2030 Agenda—A Unique Opportunity to Address Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism
Nothing can ever justify an act of terrorism. No religious pretext can ever excuse violent methods. At the same time, we will never be able to defeat terrorism long term unless we address conditions conducive to its spread.
Post-Conflict Leadership
In this article, I identify specific leadership attributes that contribute to building peace in the aftermath of conflict and during the period of transition from post-conflict peacebuilding to sustainable development.
Harnessing the Potential of Boys and Girls to Fulfil the Promise of the Sustainable Development Goals
Ensuring accountability for violations against children is the best way to prevent their recurrence. Accountability comes in many forms, but Governments bear the primary responsibility for protecting their civilians and ensuring justice.