Preventing conflicts requires closing development gaps, reducing inequality, and offering hope to people around the globe, senior UN officials said at a Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

"History has shown that conflicts do not emerge out of thin air, nor are they inevitable," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

These problems are caused either by a lack of access to basic services and life staples such as food, water, and health care - or by gaps in the security, laws, and governance systems.

Conflicts can also be sparked by gaps in public trust, both in institutions and in one another, he added.

"These gaps are potential flashpoints for violence and even conflict," the UN chief stressed.

The solution means not only defusing tensions through dialogue, but also ensuring that no mother is forced to skip a meal to feed her children. Closing development gaps and giving people hope can help stabilize societies and reduce inequalities that stoke conflict.

The UN chief noted that for 76 years, the UN has provided a platform for dialogue as well as tools and mechanisms needed for peaceful dispute settlement.

Citing the judicial dimension of prevention - provided by the Hague-based International Court of Justice - as well as the Economic and Social Council's work to advance sustainable development, he also recalled his own calls for a surge in diplomacy and conflict prevention efforts.

These efforts have included the review of all tools comprising the UN's peace architecture, a better integration of prevention and risk management, and more innovation and foresight.

Moreover, the UN's growing partnerships with regional and subregional groups, including the African Union, provide in-depth knowledge of dynamics on the ground.

The top UN official highlighted the Our Common Agenda report, which takes a holistic approach to global security and proposes a new social contract.

Abdulla Shahid, president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said that over the decades the UN has learned more about the link between socioeconomic factors and conflict.

Among the most critical emerging challenges of the 21st century, he cited the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated socioeconomic struggles and inequality; the climate crisis, which threatened displacement; and ineffective institutions which left people without hope.

Meanwhile, the absence of democratic participation, political freedoms and equality deprives entire populations of their human rights.

While global security will always fall under the Security Council, he maintained that it can be complemented by the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) efforts to build more resilient and prosperous communities.

ECOSOC President Collen V. Kelapile recalled that the organ's mandate to promote the economic and social advancement of all peoples, protect human rights and oversee the UN's development and humanitarian systems - drawing links to conflict prevention.

Suffering continues in Africa's Sahel region "because of the failure to appreciate the complex interplay of human survival, in a very fragile and culturally diverse environment," he said.

And extreme poverty in South Sudan is rooted in over 50 years of conflict, while Haiti's vast challenges stem from historical and structural inequality, governance deficits and vulnerability to climate change.

However, despite the UN's interlinked mandates to address such crises, interactions between them have remained sporadic and ad hoc.

"Today's complex challenges require more institutionalized collaboration," Kelapile underscored.

Joan E. Donoghue, president of the International Court of Justice, also spoke to the council about how the body can contribute to conflict prevention.

According to her, the court may be used to defuse tensions over resources, land or water borders, or other sources of potential conflict.

She explained that while the circumstances and requirements of each case vary, all the principal UN organs have the opportunity within their respective remits to help implement the court's judgments and contribute to the promotion of peace, security, and justice.

"The court itself stands ready to receive any requests for advisory opinions that relevant UN organs and specialized agencies may make," she stressed.