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Security Council pledges to take early action to prevent conflicts

Security Council pledges to take early action to prevent conflicts

The Security Council today expressed its commitment to take "early and effective action" to prevent armed conflict by employing all appropriate means at its disposal, including - with the consent of the receiving States - its missions to areas of potential conflict.

The pledge came in a resolution adopted this morning following a discussion during which Council members considered a report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. That report, which contains 29 recommendations aimed at instituting a culture of prevention throughout the UN system, was also considered by the Council in June 2001.

In today's resolution, the Council reiterated its commitment to save people from the ravages of armed conflicts and expressed its determination to help prevent armed conflict as an integral part of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. At the same time, the Council stressed that the essential responsibility for conflict prevention rested with national Governments, and that the UN and the international community could play an important role in support of national efforts for conflict prevention and could assist in building national capacity in that field.

The Council reiterated its call to Member States to strengthen the UN's capacity in the maintenance of international peace and security and, in that regard, urged them to provide the necessary human, material and financial resources for timely and preventive measures including early warning, preventive diplomacy, preventive deployment, practical disarmament measures and peace-building as appropriate in each case.

The Council also called upon Member States as well as regional and subregional organizations and arrangements to support the development of a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy as proposed by the Secretary-General.

In a related provision, it supported the enhancement of Mr. Annan's role in conflict prevention, including by increased use of interdisciplinary fact-finding and confidence-building missions to regions of tension, developing regional prevention strategies with regional partners and appropriate UN organs and agencies, and improving the capacity and resource base for preventive action in the UN Secretariat.

The Council also voiced its willingness to give prompt consideration to early warning cases brought to its attention by the Secretary-General and in that regard, encouraged him to convey to the Council his assessment of potential threats to international security with due regard to relevant regional and subregional dimensions. The Council expressed its intention to consider cases of potential conflict brought to its attention by any Member State, by non-Member States, by the General Assembly, or on the basis of information furnished by the Economic and Social Council.