Member states agree—in principle—with the Secretary-General that the United Nations should do more to­­­ prevent crises before they emerge, including through assisting countries to tackle root causes. But translating this approach into practice sometimes raises sensitivities and questions.

This briefing, our third in a series on prevention at the UN, maps out a wide range of member states’ concerns around the approach to prevention at the UN, based on dialogues with a regionally diverse group of 20 member states. It also identifies key areas of common ground that can provide the basis for forward movement on practical implementation of the prevention agenda.

The United Nations acknowledges that prevention is first and foremost a national priority. Indeed, governments routinely undertake efforts to reduce the risks of violent conflict, even when such actions are not formally called “prevention.”

This briefing, our second in a series on prevention at the UN, describes nationally led approaches to building resilience and reducing risk based on field research in Timor-Leste and Tunisia, as well as examples from a number of other countries, including the Gambia and Norway.