Frontline leaders' calls to action for incoming UN Secretary General

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Humanitarians and communities from Colombia to Ukraine call for action as the UN elects its new leader, while Member States undermine and underfund the institution, perpetuating more conflict, hunger, displacement - and funding gaps.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

A wide view of the General Assembly Hall as Secretary-General António Guterres (at podium and on screens) opens the general debate of the General Assembly's eighty-first session.

A wide view of the General Assembly Hall as Secretary-General António Guterres opens the general debate of the General Assembly's eighty-first session.

A new report from Oxfam “Voices from the Frontlines: Messages for the Next UN Secretary General” features the personal testimonies of civil society leaders living and working on the frontlines of conflicts that leaders have failed to address at the UN. They come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian Territory, Colombia, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

Key points

The paper highlights five messages from civil society to the next Secretary General:

  • Give communities real representation
  • Intervene to stop aggressors and hold violators accountable
  • Address the political and economic root causes of conflict and decision-making power
  • Support flexible financing for civil society and humanitarian organizations
  • Facilitate justice and accountability.
Voices From The Frontlines

All of them have highly trusted positions in their society and the lived experience and knowledge of what kind of assistance, protection and empowerment that communities really need in order to survive and thrive. Community leaders are too often unheard, their expertise and agency ignored, and their voices repressed.

They are open and clear about the unique local challenges and weaknesses of their own governments in providing protection to their people – but also how the UN is not stepping up sufficiently to uphold its mandate to support those governments, or to step in when they fail.

“

The actors who contribute to the instability are often known. Sometimes there are accusations, there is even evidence... But the communities need to feel that the principles of justice, protection of civilians and respect for international law apply at all levels... Too many lives have already been lost in eastern DRC. The population of eastern DRC needs not only emergency humanitarian assistance but also concrete actions to end the violence and protect civilians.”

Emmanuella Vasikya, Executive Director, Action des Volontaires pour la Solidarité et le Développement (AVSD) in DRC

Pablo Tosco/Oxfam Intermon

A burned out car in Taiz Governate, Yemen

These leaders talk about phantom ceasefires, and illegal acts of occupation and war crimes going unpunished. They describe the harm caused by climate change as being similar to the devastating consequences of conflict, where people are being displaced by force and left facing worsening levels of insecurity, hardship, gendered violence, and extortion.

“

The UNSC is the global decision-maker in terms of dictating security measures in contexts experiencing persistent chronic conflict. We need the UN and UNSC to actually impose peace. The UN contributed to the interventions of South Sudan, but now they just condemn, they just talk, without actually doing anything. Statements are not enough. You need to bend the will of the party violating peace… Peace violators are roaming without risk of any harm.”

Riing Garwech Kuol, Founder and National Director, Child’s Destiny and Development Organization (CHIDDO) in South Sudan

They all share the opinion about the importance of one person – the incoming UN Secretary-General – in needing to urgently tackle the injustice, distrust, aggression, disinvestment and impunity that have become systemic flaws within the world’s order.

“

I’m trying to understand who can support us and who can influence this war to be stopped and in a very just way. Because justice in this war is one of the main issues. We cannot just stop this war and give our territories to Russia. This is about Ukrainians and their country – their culture, their heritage and history – and right not to be Russified. We want to be independent. We want to live with democracy.”

Anzhelika Bielova, President, Voice of Romni in Ukraine

Maria Libertad/Oxfam

Oxfam staff look at damaged buildings in Kharkiv, Ukraine

Damaged buildings in Kharkiv, Ukraine

The UN remains the most crucial actor, with the primary responsibility for preventing and addressing conflict and ensuring that people’s human rights are respected and protected in times of crisis and conflict. The UN is too important to fail, which is why Oxfam is joining the growing and urgent calls for its reform

Press contact

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