Conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took the helm of the United Nations at a time when the number and variety of its engagements in the area of peace and security was growing precipitously. Strain was increasing on UN peace operations and international fatigue associated with the costs of armed conflict and violence around the world was mounting. Rising nuclear threats in Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, deepening violence in the Middle East, escalating international terrorism, and the spiralling crisis in Iraq were just some of the serious challenges that awaited the new Secretary-General in his in-tray. Perhaps the most immediately pressing challenge on the world’s front pages was Darfur, a conflict where, as Mr. Ban noted: “Not only are innocent lives at stake, but also the authority of the Security Council, the image of the United Nations in the Arab world, and the credibility of the United Nations”.

Related Subject(s): United Nations