By Olufemi Aduwo

Continued from yesterday

The character of conflict has evolved dramatically. Traditional inter-state wars have increasingly given way to terrorism, insurgency, organised crime, cyber threats and violent extremism. Groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda affiliates continue to exploit fragile institutions, porous borders and socio-economic deprivation. Military operations remain necessary to protect civilian populations, yet experience has repeatedly demonstrated that force alone cannot eliminate the underlying conditions that sustain violent extremism. The United Nations must, therefore, continue shifting from reactive crisis management towards preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention. Article 33 of the Charter encourages negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and other peaceful means before disputes escalate into armed conflict. Prevention is not merely less costly than post-conflict reconstruction; it is also more consistent with the founders’ vision of international cooperation.

This preventive approach received renewed emphasis in the New Agenda for Peace, introduced by the Secretary-General in 2023. The initiative recognises that contemporary security demands integrated responses linking peace building, sustainable development, climate resilience, human rights, gender equality and digital governance. It calls for renewed investment in mediation, early warning mechanisms, peace building institutions and stronger cooperation with regional organisations. Equally significant is the Pact for the Future, adopted by member states in 2024.

The Pact reaffirms the centrality of multilateralism while committing governments to strengthening international peace and security, accelerating implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and reforming global governance institutions to better reflect present-day realities. For Africa, these commitments provide an important diplomatic foundation for advancing both institutional reform and greater investment in conflict prevention. Climate change has become one of the defining security challenges confronting Africa.

Desertification across the Sahel, declining agricultural productivity, prolonged droughts, flooding and competition over diminishing natural resources increasingly fuel communal violence and displacement. Environmental degradation has ceased to be solely an ecological concern; it has become a direct driver of instability. Consequently, climate adaptation, water security and sustainable agriculture should occupy a more prominent place within the United Nations’ security agenda. Similarly, cyber insecurity presents an emerging frontier requiring urgent international cooperation. Africa’s accelerating digital transformation has expanded financial inclusion, electronic governance and technological innovation, but it has also exposed governments, businesses and citizens to cybercrime, disinformation campaigns and attacks on critical infrastructure. Building resilient digital institutions should, therefore, become an integral component of collective security. Partnership between the United Nations and the African Union represents another indispensable pillar of future peace building. Chapter VIII of the UN Charter expressly recognises the role of regional arrangements in maintaining international peace and security.

The African Union has demonstrated increasing leadership through mediation, election observation, preventive diplomacy and peace support operations. Closer coordination between the United Nations, the African Union and regional economic communities such as ECOWAS, SADC, IGAD and the East African Community would enable responses that are timely and better informed by local realities. No security strategy for Africa can succeed without addressing governance.

Corruption, weak institutions, electoral disputes, impunity and limited access to justice continue to undermine public confidence across parts of the continent. These governance deficits often create the conditions in which organised crime and violent extremism flourish. Implementing Sustainable Development Goal 16, which promotes peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice and effective, accountable institutions, should therefore be regarded not merely as a development objective but as a cornerstone of national, regional and international security.

The eminent international relations scholar Hedley Bull observed that: “Order is the first goal of international society.” His insight remains highly relevant. Lasting peace depends upon legitimate institutions capable of maintaining order while safeguarding justice and human dignity. Security founded solely upon military strength is inherently fragile. Sustainable peace requires institutions that command public trust and governments that derive legitimacy from transparency, accountability and respect for the rule of law. Africa’s youthful population further underscores the urgency of adopting a more comprehensive understanding of security. With the youngest demographic profile in the world, the continent possesses immense human capital capable of transforming global economic growth. Yet unemployment, educational deficits and social exclusion continue to leave millions vulnerable to criminal networks and extremist recruitment.

Investment in quality education, vocational training, entrepreneurship and technological innovation should, therefore, be recognised as investments in peace itself. Women must likewise occupy a central place within Africa’s security architecture. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security has repeatedly demonstrated that peace agreements are more durable when women participate meaningfully in negotiations, conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

African governments should accelerate the full implementation of this landmark framework, recognising that inclusive peace is invariably more sustainable than exclusive settlements. Ultimately, the United Nations must also change the narrative through which Africa is viewed. The continent should no longer be perceived principally through the lenses of conflict, humanitarian crises or dependency. Africa is an indispensable partner in global diplomacy, peacekeeping, climate action, innovation and sustainable development.

Africa’s troop-contributing countries have consistently supported United Nations peace operations across the world, while African diplomats continue to play influential roles in mediation and multilateral negotiations. These contributions deserve recognition commensurate with Africa’s demographic, political and economic significance. The founders of the United Nations understood that peace could not endure where injustice prevailed. Their vision was neither utopian nor naïve; it was founded upon the practical recognition that collective security, international law and multilateral cooperation offered humanity its strongest defence against recurring conflict.

That vision remains the Organisation’s greatest source of legitimacy. For Africa, the path forward is equally clear. Security must no longer be defined solely by the absence of war but by the presence of justice, accountable governance, resilient institutions, economic opportunity, climate resilience and respect for fundamental human rights. These principles are embedded within the UN Charter, reinforced by Sustainable Development Goal 16 and reaffirmed by the New Agenda for Peace and the Pact for the Future.

The United Nations now stands at a defining moment. It must move beyond managing recurring crises towards preventing them through inclusive diplomacy, institutional reform and equitable partnerships. A stronger Africa will contribute to a stronger United Nations, and a stronger United Nations will be better equipped to fulfil the promise made in San Francisco in 1945, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. That promise remains unfinished. Completing it demands not only political resolve but also a renewed commitment to fairness, shared responsibility and genuine multilateralism. In that endeavour, Africa should not stand at the margins of the global security agenda; it should stand at its very heart.

Concluded.

Aduwo is permanent pepresentative of the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI) to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).