Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. (Photo: Citizen Daily) Jakarta (VNA) – The COVID-19 pandemic has raised the fragility ofconflict-ridden countries and even risk them to fall back into crisis,Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a UN Security Council debate onAugust 13.
Indonesiaholds presidency of the council for this month.
In her remarksas chair of the virtual debate on the pandemic and challenges of sustainingpeace, Retno underlined three points in response to this crisis.
First,sustaining peace must be part of the comprehensive response to this pandemic.Countries must ensure the inclusive participation of local stakeholders in sustainingpeace agenda and the international community must create conduciveinternational environment to sustain peace during the pandemic.
Second,sustaining peace requires synergy between the works of all UN system. In thisregard, the UN should integrate conflict-sensitive approach into its pandemicresponse. General cessation of hostilities and humanitarian pause would enabletimely delivery of aid and COVID-19 treatments to civilians in conflicts.
Third, it is importantthat countries optimise theuse of the limited resources at hand for sustaining peace, as the majority ofthese countries are now faced with a hard choice between spending on healthinfrastructure or peacebuilding.
Indonesia'sleadership in setting the agenda for this month's UNSC sessions are welcomed byCouncil members. Several high-ranking officials of UNSC member states,including Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, South Africa, Estonia, aswell as Minister of State of Germany participated in the meeting./.
VNA
