VISION STATEMENT
Ms. Natalia Gherman
In the past 70 years, the United Nations has made a difference in the lives of millions of people. It has striven to live up to the goals enshrined in the UN Charter and to serve the purposes for which it was created. The provisions of the Charter remain as relevant today as ever before if not more. As our challenges become more global in nature and our respective futures grow increasingly interrelated/, the UN is now more than at any previous time in history the expression of humanity's collective commitment to action.
Whether working to end poverty defeat the scourge of war protects the rights of all or preserve our planet an effective UN has never been so necessary or so demanded. After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda the Paris Climate Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda now is the time to turn to implementation with all means at our disposal and with the clear objective of leaving no one behind. This is the paramount commitment that will guide my efforts and inform my decisions as Secretary-general working closely with all Member States and the whole range of other stakeholders. Peace and security the nature of conflict has changed tremendously over the last decades requiring the United Nations and its Secretariat to continuously refine their tools of engagement and response. The emergence of new actors and the scourge of international terrorism have changed traditional perceptions of what constitutes a threat to international peace and security.
At the same time, the consolidation of new economic and regional powers in the past two decades should be seen as an opportunity and not as a threat to world order as the available resources and capacity to implement increase globally. No nation alone is capable of defeating such threats of global reach. Only through strong cooperation and coordinated response would we be able to succeed. I am confident that the time is now for all of us in the South, North, East and west to live up to our collective responsibilities in global governance and deliver on what was expected at the end of the Cold War in terms of international peace and security dividends. In the toolbox at hand, prevention remains the most efficient and cost-effective tool.
The Secretary-General should ensure that effective early warning mechanisms are used to assist the Security Council in the discharge of its responsibilities. Informed by the principles of the Charter, the Secretary-General should spare no effort to nurture trust and cooperation among nations. When necessary, and in consultation with the Security Council, the Secretary-General must take “the initiative and urgently employ her/his good offices to defuse tensions and preserve the peace.
Efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of UN peace operations must continue in order to ensure the best possible conditions for sustainable peace. Protecting civilians, in particular women and children in armed conflicts, needs to remain at the core of peace operations, as does the principle of applying zero-tolerance for abuses committed by UN military or civilian personnel. We have to operationalize the Women, Peace and Security agenda in order to empower more women to contribute to peace efforts.
The UN should engage, even more actively than now, regional arrangements under Chapter VIII of the Charter, in a concerted effort of maintaining international peace and security. The role of regional organizations could hardly be overestimated, in terms of local expertise and ability to engage in the respective regional contexts. I believe that often we should just enable these organizations to do the job they were designed for, overcoming fragmentation between the global and the regional by including them in a consolidated strategy for action.
The UN Secretary-General has to be ready to ensure connectivity between the global and regional levels, facilitating the efforts of all relevant actors: Better international coordination is necessary to counter terrorism. Numerous terrorist attacks around the world have claimed thousands of lives in recent years and months. No part of the world is spared from this menace.
We must address terrorism as a global problem that requires a global response, and the UN must be ready to provide its contribution. Criminal justice should be applied to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the financing of terrorism. The UN can further improve the assistance that it provides to the Member States in the implementation of relevant international conventions and protocols. And much more needs to be done to address the root causes of terrorism through sustainable development and the consolidation of human rights.
As the United Nations strives to preserve peace and security, efforts must be redoubled to further consolidate its commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as further the conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained. Yet another threat to international security is posed by the drug problem, which is often associated with terrorism financing, money laundering, trafficking in human beings and organized crime.
The UN can coordinate a balanced approach to tackling all this, attending to the specific needs of groups such as women and youth. Sustainable development an important part of the mandate of the UN Secretary-General is to ensure that the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental -are conceived and implemented in an interlinked, mutually reinforcing way. The challenges are many: from extreme poverty, climate change, natural disasters and epidemics to growing inequalities and failing state institutions, leading to conflicts and migration flows that destabilize countries and regions.
The adopted 2030 Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda offer a clear roadmap for the way forward. However, these hard-negotiated agreements will be meaningless if not promptly and effectively implemented. The United Nations will need to work harder to deliver on the promises of these new global partnerships and ensure that all citizens reap the fruits of globalization and progress. The action is needed at all levels: local, national, regional and global. Such actions need to be comprehensive and well-coordinated. This is primarily the responsibility of each and every Member State. The United Nations, through its development arm, is uniquely placed to support the Member States to deliver on the ambitions of these agreements.
To this end, the Secretary-General, working closely with the Member States, particularly the Economic and Social Council should reach out to all relevant stakeholders, particularly regional organizations, and inspire and mobilize support to assist in establishing the needed partnerships to drive this transformation. This is a collective undertaking that will require important investments, strong cooperation and a shift of mindset. The Secretary-General will also need to ensure that the Secretariat as well as UN funds, agencies and programs undertake the necessary refining and re-tooling to fully and promptly accompany the Member States in the implementation of the SDGs, taking into consideration the specific local and national needs and challenges.
Further efforts will be required to foster synergies within the UN system as well as between the UN system and all relevant stakeholders. This will be the key to ensuring coordinated and comprehensive engagement as well as to advance an effective contribution of the United Nations. The UN system country teams and regional centers should step up. Their assistance to governments in identifying the best ways of implementing the SDGs is, according to the specific requirements of the countries and regions. Our choice of policies should be driven by the principal goal of improving the lives of people who are struggling to meet their basic needs, and should help build stable, resilient and prosperous societies.
Human rights The UN Charter
The numerous conventions and other legal instruments, as well as resolutions of UN principal organs and of the Human Rights Council assign to the UN Secretariat, agencies, funds and programs, pose enormous responsibility to promote respect for human rights. There is a clear understanding that human rights should be central to all the activities of the UN. A well-developed set of mechanisms, both Charter and treaty-based, are there to help ensure that the Member States are assisted and encouraged in their efforts to uphold the standards enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Nevertheless, the liberty and physical integrity of individuals continue to be violated around the world. Freedom of expression and other civil and political rights are too often repressed. The Secretary-General should advance strong partnerships with the Member States to promote national ownership and encourage inclusive reforms and policies for the respect of human rights. Equally, regional organizations have an important role to contribute and shall be empowered and assisted to ensure their full contribution.
Human rights are indivisible; therefore, economic, social and cultural rights should be pursued with equal determination. Women's and girls' rights are central to this effort. They have displayed courage and commitment to peace, sustainable development, and human dignity. Efforts shall be redoubled to empower their contribution and participation as well as protect their rights and ensure their representation.
No tangible progress can be achieved and no sustainable peace can be 9ttained, if women and girls - over half of the world's population - are left behind. Prevention remains the key to avoiding large-scale violations of human rights. This is particularly the case in conflict and war.
The United Nations has a unique responsibility to prevent mass atrocities and genocide and to protect vulnerable populations when threats arise. The United Nations should also spare no effort to support every Member State emerging from conflict or division to reconcile with its past and rebuild an inclusive society based on the respect of human dignity and rights for all.
The UN cannot be a credible proponent of universal human rights if it does not abide by those rights itself, in its internal organization and in the performance of the tasks assigned to it. The principle of nondiscrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion or culture should guide our administrative decisions and be strictly respected in our operations, in close cooperation with the Member States. There are no rights without responsibilities. This is something the UN should also convey, together with its human rights education and support. It is up to governments at all levels, other public and private organizations, associations and individuals - in the final analysis each one of us - to show that we respect the rights of others in practice, by fulfilling our corresponding responsibilities.
Humanitarian response .The world is faced today with a humanitarian crisis unseen since the end of the Second World War. It is global in nature, challenging populations and governments in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Over 120 million women, men, and children are in need of humanitarian assistance. Over 60 million people have been forced from their homes due to conflict and violence. No country or region can address the challenges of this crisis on its own. This global humanitarian crisis calls for an urgent, collective and comprehensive response from the international community, requiring.
Short, medium and long-term action across a number of areas
First, we will need to redouble efforts to find political solutions to conflicts and address the other drivers of forced displacement. Second, the international community will need to provide protection for refugees and asylum-seekers, as well as develop protection mechanisms and durable solutions for internally displaced persons. Third, we need to increase the impact and effectiveness of the humanitarian response, while ensuring adequate and predictable financing for humanitarian action. Fourth, we need to strengthen the resilience of affected and vulnerable communities, while supporting refugee receiving countries. This is particularly important as climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters and will likely increase the risk of hunger and malnutrition by up to 20 percent by 2050.
Last but not least, we should enhance coordination between humanitarian and development communities, particularly in follow-up to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Achieving these objectives will require all hands on deck and a strong partnership among all stakeholders. The Secretary-General, working closely with the Member States, should inspire and encourage new approaches to addressing the challenges of this humanitarian crisis. The Secretary-General should ensure a comprehensive and coordinated response of UN's departments, funds, programs, as well as specialized and related agencies, particularly the World Bank. Closer engagement with all relevant actors on the ground will be important to advance joint planning, optimize resources.
At hand, and scale-up impact
The UN entities will need to adjust their respective concept of operations to further synergies and optimization, as well as to advance the effective use of available resources. The World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul next month will hopefully mark a new beginning in our joint efforts to enhance the global· humanitarian response system. Management of the Organization as Chief Administrative Officer of the Organization, the Secretary-general should demonstrate the highest level of ethical standards and integrity.
The Secretary-General should lead by example and display an unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. The Secretary-General is accountable to the membership for the timely and proper implementation of the mandates adopted by the organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General is also responsible for the effective running of the Organization, ensuring a Secretariat that is result-oriented, purpose-driven and truly global.
In this regard, the Secretary-General should ensure coherent and comprehensive engagement in the conduct of UN activities, advancing synergies, complementarity, and coherence between UN's departments, funds, programs, as well as specialized and related agencies. The Secretary-General should ensure the efficient use of allocated budgets and available resources.
Duplications, redundancies, and waste should not be tolerated. The Secretary-General should have a zero tolerance policy towards mismanagement, abuse, fraud, corruption and unethical behavior. The Secretary-General should promote an Organization that values innovation and which is open to reform.
Senior Managers should be selected on the basis of merit and expertise while ensuring gender equality and equitable geographical representation. They should be expected to inspire professionalism and excellence. Additional efforts shall be adopted to advance parity in senior appointments. The Secretary-General shall ensure that the Secretariat has talented staff, ensuring mobility and proper career development. Only a strong and effective Secretariat can contribute to building a peaceful, sustainable and just world.
Finally, reaching out to the people, making the UN better known and understood, especially by the youth, and developing the broadest possible sense of ownership of the Organization among citizens of all countries around the world should be a permanent endeavor of the Secretary-General and all those who serve the UN system.
The writer is Candidate of the Republic of Moldova for the position of UN Secretary-General
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