On Friday, a senior UN official emphasized the importance of cooperation with regional and subregional organizations amid growing global tensions and challenges. Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, highlighted this during a Security Council briefing on UN collaboration with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in maintaining international peace and security. These organizations cover regions across Europe and Asia, including China, Russia, several former Soviet states, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
Partnership for Peace
Spehar emphasized the founders of the UN understood the need for collective efforts to maintain peace in a complex world, which increasingly requires collaboration at every level. She stressed, “Now, more than ever, a more effective United Nations relies on stronger and deepened cooperation with regional and subregional organizations,” underscoring the heightened stakes for international peace, with rising tensions and conflicts challenging UN Charter principles.
Addressing Security and Climate Threats
Spehar pointed to emerging challenges in the Eurasian region, ranging from security concerns like violent extremism, trafficking, and border disputes, to climate-related impacts such as glacier melting and water shortages. She highlighted the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, which works closely with these organizations to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. She also noted the ongoing effects of the situation in Afghanistan on regional stability and called for a just peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter and international law.
Statements from Organization Leaders
Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the SCO, emphasized the need for international cooperation with the UN at the center to manage new global threats and challenges. Similarly, Imangali Tasmagambetov, Secretary-General of the CSTO, pointed out that regional organizations are in a better position to identify emerging conflicts and offer more effective preventive measures, advocating for new cooperation mechanisms in the face of a multipolar world. Sergey Lebedev, Secretary-General of the CIS, reaffirmed his organization’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the UN, particularly in security, humanitarian, and economic fields, while adhering to the UN Charter and international law.
The meeting underscored the ongoing necessity of strong regional partnerships and cooperation with the UN to address global security, climate, and development challenges effectively.
Details from: UN News