New York, US - Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry hosted an informal Ministerial Breakfast during his latest visit to New York. The event, co-organized by the Egyptian Permanent Mission in New York and CCCPA, was held under the title “The Future of UN Peace & Security Architecture: A Continuum of Response Through Different Stages of Conflict”.

The breakfast, moderated by Ian Martin, brought together forty Foreign Ministers and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, in addition to the President of the General Assembly, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN Under-Secretary-Generals of both Peacekeeping Operations and Political Affairs, candidates for the Secretary-General position and the Chairman of the Peacebuilding Review Panel.

In his opening remarks, Shoukry highlighted the need to strategically and practically position the question of the continuum of UN response to conflict at the forefront of multilateral efforts to address conflicts around the world. Related to the above, he also highlighted the necessity of a paradigm shift in the nature of UN response from conflict management to conflict resolution.

H.E. Mogens Lykettoft, President of the UN General Assembly; H.E. Jan Eliesson, Deputy UN Secretary-General; and H.E. Gert Rosenthal, Chair of the Advisory Group of Experts (AGE) on the Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, also made keynote remarks. Common themes included the necessity of moving beyond the vaguely defined need for UN reform to concrete and practical steps, the centrality of prevention, and the importance of leadership around issues. 

The High-Level Breakfast, a side-event to Egypt’s presidency of the Security Council, coincided with the High-Level Thematic Debate of the UN General Assembly on UN, Peace and Security. It provided a valuable opportunity for a focused exchange of views on how a continuum of UN response to conflict can practically materialize. Discussions further explored ways to enhance greater synergies and coherence in the deployment of conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as long-term reconstruction and development tools - as recommended by the three UN global reviews on peacekeeping, peacebuilding and women, peace and security. It also highlighted the need for viable and strengthened partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations and international financial institutions, for the UN to be “fit for purpose” throughout the various stages of conflict.

CCCPA has played a significant role in the review processes, hosting two regional consultations in Cairo, one in 2014 and one in 2015. The Center has also actively participated in the preparatory process of the High-Level Thematic Debate (organized by the President of the General Assembly) by hosting, in March earlier this year, an Arab High-Level Workshop on “Arab Perspectives on the UN Peace and Security Architecture” and co-organizing the African Consultations.