UN very active in mediating conflicts, says Guterres
United Nations, Jan 30
The United Nations is very active in mediating conflicts across the world, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
At a press conference on Thursday, outlining his priorities for 2026, Guterres said in some cases, some warring parties do not want the United Nations to mediate in their conflicts, and the world body is very active in "several scenarios," such as in Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
"No," the UN chief replied when asked by Xinhua whether he was concerned about the future role of the United Nations in maintaining world peace and security.
"There are areas where we are not mediators, because at least one of the parties (to a conflict) does not want us to mediate," the UN chief said.
"Israel never accepted the UN to be mediator, probably because we would mediate based on our values, the values of the (UN) Charter ... those that violate the Charter probably are not interested in the mediation by an entity that is, in itself, the entity that represents the Charter," he said.
Guterres said the United Nations has been "extremely active" in trying to avoid the worst scenario in the situation of South Sudan, in the DRC and Myanmar, and "very active" in negotiations related to Western Sahara, Xinhua news agency reported.
"And I could go on and on and on with the number of situations in which we are extremely active with efforts of mediation, efforts of conciliation of positions, peace processes," he said.
"There is only one thing we do not have, (which) is the instruments of power to force parties to come to the negotiation," said the secretary-general.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's interesting he mentioned Israel not wanting UN mediation. The UN Charter's values are universal. If a party is violating it, of course they won't want a mediator who upholds those rules. The world needs an impartial body, but its funding and veto powers often make it look biased.
As an Indian, I appreciate the UN's work in peacekeeping, but sometimes it feels like a talk shop. Look at the permanent members with veto power – they often block action for their own interests. The structure needs reform to reflect today's world, not 1945.
Mediation is good, but action is better. The UN was active in Rwanda too before the genocide. We need preventive diplomacy that actually works on the ground. Hope their efforts in South Sudan and Myanmar bear fruit for the suffering people there. 🙏
Respectfully, Mr. Guterres seems to be defending the UN's relevance. The point about not having "instruments of power" is key. Without enforcement capability, mediation relies entirely on the goodwill of warring parties, which is often in short supply. A tough job.
The UN does important work that goes unnoticed. It's easy to criticize, but in many conflict zones, UN agencies are the only ones providing aid and a platform for dialogue. We should support strengthening it, not weakening it. Jai Hind!
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