New York [US], June 20: After decades of steady progress, the world is facing a development emergency and the engine of development is sputtering, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in remarks to the Security Council Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security.
''Ten years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, two-thirds of the targets are lagging. The world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030.''
He affirmed that prevention is the best cure for instability and conflict and there is no better preventive measure than investing in development.
''When people are denied opportunity.when human rights are violated and impunity persists.when crime and corruption thrive.when climate chaos displaces and destabilizes.when terrorism finds fertile ground in weak institutions- peace can quickly become a distant dream,'' he added.
It's no coincidence that nine of the ten countries with the lowest Human Development Indicators are currently in a state of conflict. Peace is not built in conference rooms. Peace is built in classrooms, in clinics, in communities. Peace is built when people have hope, opportunity and a stake in their future. Investing in development today means investing in a more peaceful tomorrow, he said.
The engine of development is sputtering, he said, noting that the fourth Conference on Financing for Development starting next week will be an important moment for the world to fix and strengthen this essential engine.
Source: Emirates News Agency
