How new UN secretary-general plans to advance two-state process

The new secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, sees in the Paris peace conference on Jan. 15 a realization of his long-held view that peace and conflict resolution can only be achieved and sustained through ongoing multilateral diplomacy. Guterres is now contemplating how to leverage the expected outcomes of the conference.

According to a senior official close to him, speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Guterres intends to strengthen and reform the UN under his mandate as secretary-general. In his own words from Jan. 3 upon taking office: “Only global solutions can address global problems, and the UN is the cornerstone of that multilateral approach.”

The fact that he was a consensus candidate by all Security Council permanent members should help this process. He is fully aware of the need to conduct a thorough dialogue with the incoming Donald Trump administration, which is not exactly supportive of a strong UN. He will meet President Trump soon after Trump’s inauguration. The senior UN official noted that Secretary-General Guterres intends to strengthen the role of the UN in regard to peacemaking and peacekeeping.

Upon taking office, Guterres also said, “Let us make 2017 the year of peace.” His priority will be a surge in diplomacy for peace. He plans to be personally involved in the issues of the Iran deal implementation, ending the civil war in Syria and achieving a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.