‘We are not powerless’: UN chief urges world leaders to invest in peace

“Achieving peace is not something that just happens,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message for Monday’s International Day of Peace. “It is a shared and decisive choice to invest in a better future.”

Invest in peace is this year’s theme, echoing the founding principles of the UN, built amid the ashes of the Second World War.

As world leaders gather at UN Headquarters for the annual High-Level Week, Mr. Guterres called on them to strengthen diplomacy, dialogue, mediation and peacekeeping operations as essential means of preventing and resolving conflicts.

Indeed, peace – a vital resource for human development – remains elusive in many parts of the world as conflicts increase in scale and complexity, he said.

Watch the UN chief’s full message here:

‘We must talk to one another’

At an event marking the day at the UN’s hub in Nairobi, Kenya, young people weighed in.

Pointing to “something that does not help in maintaining peace”, Benedict Wambuya, an agriculture and technology student at Jomo Kenyatta University, reflected on recent deadly crackdowns at home, when young people felt their rights were being violated by State authorities.

“As young people, we are hardly ever involved in peace discussions around the world,” he said. “We are not participating enough in maintaining peace around the world. We should seek to understand our leaders, come together, work together and maintain peace.”

Benedict Kioko, a Kenyatta University student, agreed.

“For peace to last, there must be mutual understanding,” he said. “We must talk to one another so that we can reach an understanding. Often, peace has been disrupted because there has been a lack of dialogue or understanding between two different sides.”

Festus Musau, a student at the Technical University of Kenya, said “everything is connected to peace.”

“For peace to thrive in a country,” he said, “it must begin with every individual.”

Crossing the border

Many societies around the world face violence and division while conflicts spill across national borders.

In the face of this, finding solutions has been challenging, with international solidarity weakening, the UN Secretary-General said.

Lasting peace needs to be built through inclusive societies, sustainable development and respect for human rights.

Watch today’s UN-hosted intergenerational Peace Circle:

‘We are not powerless’

“Around the world, people are showing that we are not powerless,” he said. “Volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers and peacemakers are bridging divides, uniting communities, and pushing for dialogue. Action by action, they are building peace from the ground up.”

These grassroots efforts show that peace can only be achieved if deliberate decisions are taken to invest in a better future, he said.

How does the UN invest in peace?

The UN is mandated by its 193 Member States to help nations prevent, resolve and recover from conflict.

From diplomacy and peacekeeping missions to working with communities to foster peace, efforts began right at the UN’s inception.

Here are some examples:

Peacekeeping and peacebuilding: Since 1948, the UN Security Council has deployed more than 70 missions around the world. Currently, 11 peacekeeping missions are operating. Learn more about the broad work of the UN Department of Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding here.

Peace Circle: On Monday, the UN Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World campaign brings young voices and contributions in to a forthcoming independent progress study on how young people contribute to peace, with a Peace Circle event.

Peaceful world activation: From 14 to 26 September (International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons), the UN’s ActNow initiative is helping connect audiences with information and opportunities to take action, including via its mobile app partner, Through A World.

But, can the UN stop a war? Watch our explainer:

Learn more about UN peace efforts here.