Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding.
This week, we cover a ceasefire vote at the UN, new negotiations in Colombia, and the important need for deescalation in the South China Sea and on the Israeli-Lebanese border, in order to prevent the out
UN Security Council finally calls for a ceasefire in Gaza – but the protracted process highlights need for reform to be a true peacebuilding body
Last week, we reported on an important shift at the UN – where the United States finally shifted its position to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This crisis has reaffirmed the politicized nature of the Security Council, with the permanent veto system preventing its use as an effective institution. When Russia launched a brutal and unprovoked invasion of its neighbor, it was protected by its veto, and that of China. Up until now, the US had been using its Security Council veto to protect Israel, using its veto to prevent any resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire from passing. When it introduced one of its own, it was promptly vetoed by Russia and China last Friday. Finally, a compromise resolution passed on Monday, calling for an immediate ceasefire, after the US abstained in a rare move. Security Council reform has been a long-running debate, but the past few years have shown that it is more urgent than ever – as politics have returned the body to a Cold War-era rhetorical battleground instead of an institution protecting and building peace.
Despite the flawed and protracted process that led to its passage, the ceasefire resolution was an important turning point in the global response to Israel’s war on Gaza. It was a rare display of unity which emphasized the urgent crisis facing Palestinian civilians. Unfortunately, talks in Qatar between representatives of Israel and Hamas ended once again, as the two sides were unwilling to agree on a compromise plan for a ceasefire. Palestinian civilians desperately need an end to the fighting, and for Israel to avoid a potentially catastrophic operation in Rafah, but that will require both sides to return to negotiations and reach an agreement. With Palestiniansf facing famine, and Israel’s failure to allow in potentially life-saving aid, an agreement cannot come soon enough.
We recently began a series with the Alliance for Middle East Peace which focuses on the peacebuilders working to build peace between Palestinians and Israelis, which you can read here.
Colombia’s peace initiative gains a surprising new participant
Peace News has reported frequently on the progress of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” initiative, which aims to end the decades-long internal conflict in Colombia. A key part of the undertaking is the willingness of Petro’s government to sit down with all involved armed groups remaining in the country. While there have been some successes, none have matched the 2016 peace deal with the FARC, the largest guerilla group in Colombia. Recently, the program has faced numerous setbacks, but received a boost this week. The country’s largest criminal group, the Gaitanista Self Defense Forces of Colombia, also known as the Gulf Clan, accepted Petro’s invitation to join talks. The group, which was formed by former right-wing paramilitaries, has thousands of armed members and makes billions of dollars a year through smuggling, and has been seen as one of the major obstacles to peace in the country. Colombia’s laws differentiate between criminal and insurgent groups, and the Gulf Clan is classified as the former – which could limit the impact of these upcoming talks. However, this could be an important step forward for peace in Colombia, where well-armed criminal groups have been fighting the government for decades.
Read some of our past stories on Colombia here.
An urgent need for deescalation in two persistent flashpoints
With three devastating wars already underway – Sudan’s civil war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Israel’s war in Gaza, the risk of further global conflict remains high. In the South China Sea, where multiple countries have overlapping territorial claims, China’s aggressive actions continue to risk conflict with the Philippines, an ally of the US. China unilaterally claims much of the sea as its own territory, and has deployed its coast guard around a disputed shoal with a Filipino presence. A recent incident saw Filipino sailors injured after Chinese coast guard vessels used a water cannon on a ship in the area, an escalation of long-running tensions in the area. A 2016 international ruling invalidated China’s extensive claims, but Beijing and numerous regional powers maintain their claims to territory outside of their internationally-recognized waters. These recent actions risk further escalating the dispute, and given the alliance between the two any conflict between China and the Philippines would draw in the United States, risking a broader global conflict.
Another potential flashpoint is southern Lebanon and northern Israel, where Hezobollah and Israel continue to trade strikes across the border. This week, several were killed on both sides, as the risk of escalation remained high. Considering the massive civilian cost of Israel’s war in Gaza, Lebanon’s ongoing economic and political crisis, and Hezbollah’s position as a strong political and paramilitary actor in the country, war must be prevented at all costs to avoid yet another devastating war in the region. The US, Israel’s main backer, has made it clear it opposes a war with Lebanon, and has worked to mediate between the two governments, but the continued exchanges of fire mean that the risk of future conflict remains elevated – and a third war between Israel and militants in Lebanon – after 1982 and 2006 – would be disastrous for both countries and for the wider region.
