In the first-ever UN report on the use of preventive diplomacy to resolve tensions and crises before they escalate, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon describes the growing importance of this practice by the United Nations and its partners, underscoring its potential to save lives and protect development gains at a low cost to the international community. The report speaks to recent advances and accomplishments in the field and proposes a forward agenda for strengthening the use of preventive diplomacy as a means of diminishing conflicts and their devastating toll. Successful preventive diplomacy is not easy, however building up the world’s collective capacities in this area is “without doubt, one of the smartest investments we can make,” the Secretary-General says in his report.

 

Preventive Diplomacy: Delivering Results, Report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon