UN jubilee debate focuses on conflicts across world

World leaders centered their discussions on conflicts inflicting pains in Latin American, Mideast, North Africa and elsewhere in general debate on Tuesday in the 70th UN General Assembly.

President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia brought details about the accord his government is hammering out with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"We agreed upon a deadline for signing the final agreement that will put an end to our armed conflict and it will be at the very latest on March 23, 2016," he said.

Santos added that the peace deal would help Colombia free itself from the coca plant. The guerrilla forces will begin to help eradicate the illegal crops rather than protecting them.

If successful, the peace deal will end Colombia's civil war which has left an estimated 220,000 people dead and more than 6 million others displaced, he said.

President Sauli Niinisto of Finland made a warning on "an extremely dangerous crisis in Syria, Iraq and parts of North-Africa."

"We are also witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe unlike any other since the Second World War," said Niinisto.

Niinisto believed the so-called Islamic State (IS) and the horrendous terror caused by the group are "direct by-product of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq."

It threatens peace and stability in the Middle East, Africa and even Europe, he said. "Largely due to wars and conflicts, we are facing a new era of migration. Around 60 million refugees, the largest number since the Second World War, are a clear proof of that."

Niinisto said the refugee crisis is causing serious political tension in Europe.

"Solving the conflict in Syria and elsewhere is essential for any lasting solution," he said. "The international community must now show that we do care. Especially the UN Security Council and the countries in the region must work together to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria."

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, like others, listed global conflicts but also bemoaned the lack of women representation in political arena.

"This year we have marked the 20th anniversary of the historic Beijing Conference and its Plan of Action for Women's empowerment and gender equality," she said, pointing out that this year also marks the 15th anniversary of a resolution calling for "women's participation in peace processes."

"While improvement has been made in the status of women, much more is still to be done," Sirleaf said. "We must therefore all step up and take further measures beyond moralizing gender equality to tangible actions."
  Xinhua - china.org.cn
30/9/15