QUNO NY Representative Kavita Desai joined a panel discussion entitled “Promise of World Peace: A Coherent Approach to Peace and Security” on February 7th. Hosted by the Bahá’í International Community (BiC) and the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations, the discussion focused on the UN General Assembly Revitalization process that makes recommendations on the functioning of the UN System, such as coordination among UN principal organs, rules of procedure, and accessibility.  

The panel discussion was the 11th in a series of hybrid peace-focused events organized by the BiC. This event explored the UN General Assembly Revitalization process and how to enhance dialogue between the General Assembly (GA) and the Security Council in the coming year, noting the complex political dynamics within the Security Council and the reality of increasing violence and conflict globally. During the discussion, participants reaffirmed the importance of multilateralism and the need to engage in dialogue at the highest political levels. This included the GA as the most representative body of the United Nations, where every Member State has one seat and one vote. Participants acknowledged that decision-making processes in the GA need greater efficiency. However, the GA provides space for all Member States to make their views heard, countering the concentration of decision-making power of the Security Council, which has only fifteen members, including five permanent members with veto powers. The discussion asked participants to address how the work of the revitalization process could advance the collective international peace concerns of all Member States. 

Kavita responded to the panel presentations and highlighted the importance of civil society inclusion in the GA's work. Full details of the panel can be found here.  

The summary of the discussion can be accessed through the BiC website here.