Pakistan calls for addressing roots causes of conflicts for peace, development

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan Friday called for addressing the root causes of disputes in an effort to lay the foundation for sustainable peace and development around the world.

"A conflict analysis cannot be rationalized without addressing the underlying causes," Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN told the UN Security Council.

"Dispassionate analysis of root causes of conflict is also needed for effective intervention", he said in a debate on Maintenance of International Peace and Secuity: the interdependence between security and development".

The ministerial-level debate on the linkages between international security and development, is taking place at the initiative of Brazil, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for the current month, with it's foreign Minister Antonio Patriota presiding.

Foreign ministers of India, Germany and Japan are also attending the meeting.The four countries are seeking permanent seats in an expanded Council.The Pakistan ambassador underlined the role of peacekeeping operations currently 10 are deployed in preventing relapse into conflicts.

"This warrants coordinated assessment and planning for Peacebuilding and Peacekeeping activities whereby both processes are explicitly defined, clearly identified and adequately resourced in a Mission's mandate," he said, adding that national ownership and involvement of local actors would ensure smooth implementation of the mandate.

He also called for necessary balance between Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding for each Mission tailored according to the prevailing situation.Targeted focus on Development-aspect of Peacebuilding and long-term economic revitalization was essential, ambassador Haroon said.

In this context, priority areas are: youth & women employment; private sector engagement, building local entrepreneurship; and developing service-based infrastructure. Similarly, judicious handling of untapped natural resources is also needed in a post-conflict zone.

The Pakistan ambassador also emphasized the need for coordination within the UN and outside would be essential to avoid duplication.