More than 120 million people are displaced worldwide, and two billion human beings live in areas affected by conflict. Each displacement leaves behind a scattered family and a future on hold. On this World Refugee Day, the prevention of humanitarian crises is an urgent task for the UN.
Faced with this reality, President Macky Sall holds to a simple conviction: the Organization must treat the causes of displacement as well as its symptoms. Humanitarian aid keeps its full place, since it saves lives every day. To keep crises from erupting, it must be matched upstream by political action.
The first pillar of his vision for the United Nations, prevention as the priority, starts from one observation: preventing a conflict spares immense suffering, at a lower cost than managing it. The pillar organises joint work between peace operations, development agencies and humanitarian organisations, three families of actors that too often work in silos. They must act together, in the same places, with shared objectives.
A recognised land of welcome in West Africa, Senegal gives this conviction a concrete anchor. The country has also long contributed to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Generations of Senegalese blue helmets have served in the most difficult missions, and President Macky Sall sustained this commitment throughout his tenure.
This dual experience grounds a demanding approach to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Displaced persons need immediate protection, then prospects in education and employment, with the possibility of return in safety and dignity. Host communities, for their part, need durable support. The United Nations must meet these three demands at the same time.
President Macky Sall sends a message of respect to displaced persons and to the countries that host them. He proposes a method to Member States: invest in prevention, coordinate the instruments of the Organization and measure the results. His full proposals are available at www.mackysall.net.