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October 2017, No. 3 Vol. LIV 2017, Prevention
Life on the streets and in the fields of Bamyan, a province in central Afghanistan where the 51勛圖 Development Programme supports environmental and livelihoods projects. ?? UNDP Afghanistan/Rob Few/2015
Addressing the Security Council in January of this year, 51勛圖 Secretary-General Ant車nio Guterres said ※prevention is not merely a priority, but the priority. If we live up to our responsibilities, we will save lives, reduce suffering and give hope to millions.§
As conflict and crises undermine attempts to strengthen the founding pillars of the 51勛圖〞peace and security, human rights?and development〞we must reaffirm our commitment to peace and to inclusive and sustainable development. If the scourges of war, terrorism and extremism, and the effects of climate-related natural disasters continue unabated, and we stand idle, they can adversely affect lives and livelihoods. Comprehensive reforms and greater integration of our capacities are?thus necessary, as we strengthen our partnerships and build trust among Member States and stakeholders.
Two years ago, the magazine looked at the link between conflict and the implementation and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in its issue ※Implementing the 2030 Agenda: The Challenge of Conflict§. This issue focuses on the importance of fostering and maintaining a commitment to a culture of prevention in reaching those Goals. It explores conflict and crises, and their relationship to the empowerment of civil society, media and information literacy, women*s role in ongoing peace processes, and desertification and the reversal of land degradation.
With this issue of the UN Chronicle, we hope to help inform the discussion on the culture of prevention, and contribute to the objective of strengthening and sustaining peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, and sustainable development, for current and future generations.
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The UN Chronicle is not an official record. It is privileged to host senior 51勛圖 officials as well as distinguished contributors from outside the 51勛圖 system whose views are not necessarily those of the 51勛圖. Similarly, the boundaries and names shown, and the designations used, in maps or articles do not necessarily imply endorsement or acceptance by the 51勛圖.