�IRNA � The President of the General Assembly, Miroslav Laj?�k, will convene a High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 24 and 25 April 2018.


The Meeting will bring world leaders, civil society and the private sector together, to focus on conflict prevention, mediation, dialogue and diplomacy. This is part of a wider effort by UN Member States to help the United Nations do better at fostering peace, read a press release sent to IRNA Sunday by the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran.

The UN needs a new approach to peace. There is a growing understanding that the UN�s efforts should go beyond addressing the immediate needs of war torn countries. It needs to do better in supporting countries to make peace last.

Violent conflicts are on the rise in many parts of the world today. They�re becoming more drawn out, complex and deadly. Civilians are no longer killed in cross-fire; they are now the targets of direct attacks. We are also seeing an unprecedented number of people leaving their homes, out of fear and desperation.

Preventing conflict � as opposed to responding to it once it has already broken out � can save countless lives as well as billions of dollars for the international community.

Among other things, the High-Level Meeting will reflect on how to: address the root causes of conflicts; boost UN capacity to build and sustain peace; increase funding to UN peacebuilding activities; strengthen crucial partnerships; and enhance the role of women and youth in conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts.