Huffington Post: Sustainable Development And Sustaining Peace: 2 Sides Of The Same Coin
Magdy Martínez-Solimán, U.N. assistant secretary general and UNDP assistant administrator and director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and Oscar Fernández-Taranco, U.N. assistant secretary general for Peacebuilding Support

“…Sustaining peace and sustainable development are two sides of the same coin, and this is the fundamental principle that the United Nations of the 21st century must now stand for. For any country to reach a lasting peace, the journey must always be led by its own people. The role of the U.N. is to support this journey, providing the experience, expertise, and using the convening power at its disposal to give countries in crisis the best chance at stability and prosperity. Peace is not simply a benchmark to achieve. It requires ongoing, dynamic participation from the entire society in its governance and economy to ensure that conflicts don’t escalate into violence. That is why a country’s development must be inclusive and sustainable; it gives everyone a stake in a shared future…” (7/19).