Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council debate on poverty, under-development and conflict.
The United Kingdom is grateful to Guyana for convening this important open debate, underlining the challenges of poverty and under-development.
At the core of the 2030 Agenda is the understanding that human rights, peace and security, and development are deeply interlinked and mutually reinforcing.
The theme of Guyana's Council tenure, Partnering for Peace and Prosperity, reminds us of the importance of working together to address these challenges effectively.
I will make three points.
First, we need to equip the UN system to deliver more integrated solutions to these challenges, especially in fragile and conflict-affected states.
This means aligning humanitarian, development, and peace and security efforts, targeting the drivers of conflict, and using robust analysis and early warning systems to shape the UN's responses.
And it means strengthening cooperation between the UN and the International Financial Institutions. We should seize the opportunities offered by UN80 to drive this approach forward.
Second, Member States agreed in the Pact for the Future that we need to strengthen national conflict prevention strategies.
The United Kingdom welcomes the initiatives taken by the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund to support countries to this end. And we hope that the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review will increase the momentum behind this work.
Third, as the Secretary-General highlighted, local ownership and inclusivity are key to fostering sustainable development and enduring peace.
As we mark the 25th anniversary of this Council's landmark resolution on Women, Peace and Security, it remains vital to ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women in political and peace processes.
And I echo your emphasis, President, on this aspect.
The United Kingdom is proud to have partnered closely with Guyana in this area, including in the development of Guyana's own National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
President, it is all too evident that poverty and under-development can exacerbate the drivers of conflict. The world's poorest people are particularly vulnerable to the immediate harms caused by conflict. And conflict sets back development gains, often for decades, as the Secretary-General reminded us.
The United Kingdom is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the UN system can support coordinated responses to these interlinked challenges.
Thank you.
