New York
UN
Remarks by Secretary-General António Guterres at the press stakeout with Margot Wallström, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Press events | António Guterres, Secretary-General
Press events | António Guterres, Secretary-General
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SG: Ladies and gentleman, thank you very much for your presence. I want to thank the Swedish Presidency of the Security Council and the Swedish Minister for taking this initiative.
If there is something that is shocking in today’s world, it is to see such a multiplication of conflicts with dramatic human suffering and the little capacity of the international community to prevent conflicts and to, timely, solve them.
There are probably reasons: TV cameras are not there where a crisis is avoided. Where TV cameras are not [present], public opinion is not seized, parliaments do not vote budgets and political leaders do not give it sufficient importance.
But the truth is that prevention must be our common priority. The truth is that, with prevention, we can avoid suffering; with prevention, we can avoid destruction; and it is much smarter to prevent crises than to then respond to them. It is smarter, human suffering diminishes and even resources will be much more limited. So, the right thing to do is to make prevention the central priority of the activities of the international community and the UN.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, [inaudible] in order for the Security Council to protect people. What strategy… do you have any particular strategy for that, in order to achieve that?
SG: I think we all need to come together, we all need to recognize that this [prevention] is a priority for us all and to understand that prevention is not just doing some diplomacy to avoid the conflict. It is creating conditions for sustainable development that is inclusive and reduces inequalities. It is creating conditions for human rights to be respected; it is creating conditions for the cohesion of society to be enhanced. It is to create conditions for people to be able to live with each other, to respect each other, and to avoid the kind of tensions that trigger conflicts in the world; and for that we all must be united.
New York, 10 January 2017
SG: Ladies and gentleman, thank you very much for your presence. I want to thank the Swedish Presidency of the Security Council and the Swedish Minister for taking this initiative.
If there is something that is shocking in today’s world, it is to see such a multiplication of conflicts with dramatic human suffering and the little capacity of the international community to prevent conflicts and to, timely, solve them.
There are probably reasons: TV cameras are not there where a crisis is avoided. Where TV cameras are not [present], public opinion is not seized, parliaments do not vote budgets and political leaders do not give it sufficient importance.
But the truth is that prevention must be our common priority. The truth is that, with prevention, we can avoid suffering; with prevention, we can avoid destruction; and it is much smarter to prevent crises than to then respond to them. It is smarter, human suffering diminishes and even resources will be much more limited. So, the right thing to do is to make prevention the central priority of the activities of the international community and the UN.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, [inaudible] in order for the Security Council to protect people. What strategy… do you have any particular strategy for that, in order to achieve that?
SG: I think we all need to come together, we all need to recognize that this [prevention] is a priority for us all and to understand that prevention is not just doing some diplomacy to avoid the conflict. It is creating conditions for sustainable development that is inclusive and reduces inequalities. It is creating conditions for human rights to be respected; it is creating conditions for the cohesion of society to be enhanced. It is to create conditions for people to be able to live with each other, to respect each other, and to avoid the kind of tensions that trigger conflicts in the world; and for that we all must be united.
New York, 10 January 2017