Conflict Prevention and Peaceful Resolution of Disputes: High-level Open Debate
Tomorrow (23 July), the Security Council will hold a high-level open debate on “Strengthening the mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes: follow-up to Security Council resolution 2788”, under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security”. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is expected to chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres is the anticipated briefer. More than 80 member states are expected to participate in the open debate.
The meeting will take place a year after the Council’s high-level open debate on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”, which Pakistan convened during its July 2025 presidency. At that session, the Council adopted resolution 2788 of 22 July, authored by Pakistan, which requested the Secretary-General to provide, one year following the adoption of the resolution, concrete recommendations to further strengthen mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes. (For more information, see the brief on conflict prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes in our July 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
The DRC, the Council’s president in June, has prepared a concept note for the open debate. It states that, in recent years, deepening geopolitical divisions, protracted conflicts, and declining trust have reinforced the need for the Security Council to place greater emphasis on conflict prevention and the peaceful settlement of disputes. It observes that resolution 2788 builds upon longstanding commitments by member states, including the Pact for the Future, to strengthen a culture of prevention, uphold international law and make more effective use of peaceful means of dispute settlement. The concept note further stresses the need for more timely and effective use of the UN Charter, particularly the mechanisms set out in Chapter VI, including negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, regional arrangements, and other peaceful means chosen by the parties.
According to the concept note, the open debate will provide an opportunity to review the implementation of resolution 2788 with a focus on identifying good practices and remaining gaps in the use of existing Charter-based mechanisms, particularly those under Articles 33 and 34. It will also explore member states’ experiences in using dialogue, diplomacy, and other peaceful means to prevent and resolve conflicts, and consider how the Secretary-General, the UN Secretariat, and regional and subregional organisations can better support the peaceful settlement of disputes. The open debate aims to generate practical recommendations to strengthen the Council’s preventive role and advance the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The concept note poses several questions to help guide the discussion, including:
- How can the Council encourage dialogue, confidence-building, and common ground among parties to a dispute, while upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter?
- In what ways can the good offices of the Secretary-General, including through envoys and representatives, be better supported to advance de-escalation, preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes?
- How can the Secretariat more effectively support member states and the Council through impartial convening, mediation expertise, technical advice, and mutually acceptable options for peaceful resolution?
- How can regional and subregional arrangements be better leveraged, in cooperation with the United Nations, to support early engagement, regional and national ownership and the sustainable peaceful settlement of disputes?
At tomorrow’s meeting, Guterres is expected to welcome the renewed political support for the implementation of Chapter VI of the UN Charter. He may note that the UN has continued to deploy its good offices, mediation expertise, and preventive diplomacy in contexts such as the escalation in Iran and its spillover effects, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan. At the same time, he is likely to stress that the objectives of resolution 2788 can only be realised if member states demonstrate greater political will to engage early, implement Security Council decisions, cooperate with regional organisations, and make greater use of the Charter’s peaceful settlement mechanisms. Guterres has frequently argued that the UN Charter already provides the mechanisms for preventing conflict; what is lacking is consistent political commitment to use them “fully and in good faith”.
Guterres may outline several practical recommendations for translating the Council’s renewed commitment to Chapter VI into more systematic action. He may encourage parties to make greater use of the full range of peaceful settlement mechanisms available under Chapter VI and may call for earlier and more systematic Council engagement in emerging disputes, including through regular horizon scanning, informal briefings, fact-finding missions, and commissions of inquiry under Article 34. In addition, Guterres may advocate expanding national and regional capacity in mediation, negotiation, and dispute resolution, while calling for greater political and financial support for the Secretary-General’s good offices and the mediation capacities of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), including its Mediation Support Unit (MSU) and the Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers. He may further emphasise the importance of maintaining a geographically and linguistically diverse pool of mediation experts for rapid deployment at the request of states, regional organisations or UN presences.
Other recommendations may focus on strengthening partnerships with regional and subregional organisations through joint analysis, coordinated diplomatic strategies, information sharing, and, where appropriate, jointly supported mediation processes. Guterres may also stress the importance of ensuring the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women as well as the meaningful participation of youth and civil society in mediation and dispute resolution processes and conflict prevention initiatives in order to enhance the legitimacy, effectiveness, and sustainability of peaceful settlement efforts.
Many speakers are expected to focus on the need to move the Council from reactive crisis management towards earlier preventive engagement. They may argue that the principal challenge is not the absence of Charter-based mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes but the inconsistent implementation of existing obligations under Chapter VI and the uneven political support for preventive diplomacy. Some speakers may advocate more systematic use of Article 34, including fact-finding and informal Council engagement, while encouraging greater use of early warning mechanisms to identify emerging risks. Others are likely to emphasise that such tools should complement nationally led political processes and should be exercised in accordance with the principles of sovereignty and the consent of the parties concerned.
Resource implications are also likely to feature in the discussion. Several delegations may argue that conflict prevention and mediation require more predictable political and financial support, including for the Secretary-General’s good offices, DPPA’s mediation capacities, special political missions (SPMs) and cooperation with regional organisations. Other speakers, however, may emphasise that implementation should build primarily on existing mechanisms and available resources, reflecting broader concerns about the UN’s financial situation and the need to avoid creating additional mandates or reporting requirements with significant budgetary implications.
Several participants are also expected to draw on their national or regional experiences with mediation and preventive diplomacy to illustrate the value of partnerships in strengthening conflict prevention and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Some speakers are likely to emphasise the value of inclusive negotiation and mediation processes, pointing to the contributions of women, youth, civil society organisations, Indigenous peoples, community leaders, and other local actors in building trust, sustaining dialogue, and addressing the root causes of conflict. Some are expected to argue that regional and subregional organisations are often best placed to lead early engagement and preventive diplomacy, calling for stronger UN support through mediation expertise, capacity-building, and international political backing where appropriate. Several delegations may also stress the need for closer cooperation across the UN system, highlighting the role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), and stronger coordination between the UN’s peace and security, development, and human rights pillars. Other speakers, however, are likely to caution that such approaches should not blur the distinction between development and political mandates, maintaining that preventive engagement must remain firmly grounded in national ownership, state consent, and respect for sovereignty.
Some participants may also raise the question of how to sustain attention to the implementation of resolution 2788 beyond tomorrow’s open debate. Given that resolution 2788 requested only one dedicated briefing by the Secretary-General, some members may favour integrating follow-up into existing reporting, including on SPMs and the Secretary-General’s biennial report on peacebuilding and sustaining peace, while others may advocate more dedicated Council consideration of progress in strengthening the peaceful settlement of disputes, including through future briefings by the Secretary-General.
