Conference primer: Peace and Security: 2023

Aid agencies raised increasing alarm Tuesday over the crumbling humanitarian situation in a country reliant on outside help. So far, a series of short cease-fires the past week have either failed outright or brought only intermittent lulls in the fighting that has raged between the forces of the country’s two top generals since April 15. The lulls have been enough for dramatic evacuations of hundreds of foreigners by air and land, which continued Tuesday.

Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.

As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, Club de Madrid counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.

This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as inclusion, sustainable development and peace, at the national and international levels.

Like many other Member States, the United Kingdom recognizes that “humanity stands on the precipice of this gigantic technological leap forward”. It therefore wants to encourage a multilateral approach to managing both the immense opportunities and risks that artificial intelligence presents, including its implications for international peace and security. But, no country can do it alone, she said, as a global effort in this regard is key.

Of 3,774 civilian casualties between 15 August 2021 and 30 May 2023, three quarters were caused by indiscriminate IEDs in populated areas, including places of worship, schools and markets, said the report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The New Humanitarian, 30 May 2023
IN MORE FIELD
Spearheaded by Britain, it will include briefings by international AI experts and Secretary-General António Guterres, who sounded an alarm bell last month over the dangers posed by AI’s most advanced forms. Despite the initiative, few people appear to be thinking enough about how technologies such as ChatGPT will shape “forgotten conflicts” and humanitarian crises – including most humanitarian agencies.

En théorie, les 193 États sont égaux au sein des Nations unies. Dans la pratique, il en va autrement. Grâce à leur droit de veto, les cinq membres permanents de l'organe le plus puissant de l'ONU, le Conseil de sécurité, sont une caste à part. Leurs ambassadeurs sont les princes du quartier de l'ONU sur l'East River, à New York.
L'un d'entre eux est le représentant de la France, Nicolas de Rivière. Sa parole a du poids ici: «Mon équipe et moi sommes extrêmement heureux de la collaboration avec la Suisse au Conseil de sécurité et avec l'ambassadrice suisse Pascale Baeriswyl. Il n'y a pas un nuage dans le ciel», estime le diplomate de haut rang de 59 ans. Nicolas de Rivière n'est pourtant pas considéré comme un beau parleur, mais son discours est clair: «Sur tous les grands thèmes, les principes centraux, le droit international, les droits de l'homme, la France et l'UE sont côte à côte avec la Suisse.»