UNITED NATIONS — NEW YORK — Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict, Acting U.S. Representative Ambassador Dorothy Shea issued a firm call to action: peace must be built on tangible commitments, not just declarations.
“Peace is not merely the absence of conflict,” Shea told Council members on June 19. “It is the presence of security and opportunity for all… It is the foundation upon which societies can thrive, economies can grow, and human potential can be fully realized.”
The high-level session, convened under Guyana’s presidency of the Council and attended by top UN and African Union leaders, focused on how global inequality, fragile governance, and underdevelopment fuel violent conflict. Shea emphasized the need for national governments to take ownership of their peacebuilding strategies, warning that the international community cannot shoulder the burden alone.
“The UN and other international actors alone cannot prevent conflict nor build peace,” she said. “It is essential that national governments commit to peace and demonstrate that they undertake these commitments seriously.”
Shea also urged reforms in UN peacekeeping and post-conflict recovery operations, calling for measurable goals, evidence-based indicators, and clearer exit strategies. “Peacekeeping missions… need clear end states, measurable goals, and a streamlined support structure to allocate resources responsibly.”
Her remarks come at a time of rising global tensions and persistent regional conflicts, including in Sudan, Haiti, and Eastern Europe.
The United States reaffirmed its commitment to working with Security Council partners, regional organizations, and across the UN system to foster a safer, more equitable world.
“Let us depart from the era of barbarism and restore this body’s efforts to securing lasting peace,” Shea concluded.
