The United Nations (UN) in Nigeria announced on Wednesday its inaugural peace-building programme, titled “Summit of the Future: New Agenda for Peace,” aimed at advancing measures to tackle security-related issues.
UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, disclosed this during a national stakeholders consultation in Abuja. The consultation was organized to strategize for the upcoming summit, scheduled to take place from September 22 to 23, 2024, in New York.
Organized in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), the event seeks to promote the use of dialogue as a tool to address security challenges.
“Although Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, it plays a critical role as a regional power in shaping the regional and global agenda on peace and security,” said Fall. He emphasized Nigeria’s significance with the adage, “When Nigeria sneezes, the whole continent falls sick.”
Fall highlighted the UN’s commitment to promoting peace and security, a core principle enshrined in its Charter, and stressed the importance of dialogue in addressing peace and security challenges in Nigeria.
“The new agenda for peace is a fresh look at the changing security landscape and a call to reinvigorate the collective security system based on principles of trust, solidarity, and universality,” Fall added. He noted that the agenda emphasizes preventive diplomacy to tackle poverty, inequalities, climate change, and development gaps that lead to conflict.
Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General of IPCR, underscored the need for stronger international cooperation among institutions and stakeholders to address the rise of violent conflicts. He called for efforts to tackle the root causes of conflict, prevent crises before they escalate, and build an equitable world for all.
“As we embark on a new agenda for peace, let us heed the call for unity, compassion, and collective action. The challenges we face are daunting but not insurmountable,” said Ochogwu. He stressed the importance of viewing peacebuilding as a collective responsibility to create lasting peace and security.
The summit aims to strengthen both regional peace architecture and the global framework for addressing contemporary threats to peace and security across Africa. Nigerian stakeholders are encouraged to participate actively in these high-level deliberations to advocate for solutions that reflect the realities on the ground.
