“Prevent, Not Just Respond”: President Bio Pushes New Approach to Global Peacebuilding
Aaron Parker Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has called for a fundamental shift in global peacebuilding, urging the international community to prioritise preventing conflicts before they escalate rather than waiting to respond after crises have erupted.
President Bio made the call on Thursday, September 24, 2026, while speaking as an Eminent Person of the g7+ at a High-Level Summit on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Addressing the gathering, President Bio outlined five principles he said should underpin the g7+ Framework for Peace through Dialogue and Reconciliation, including national ownership, conflict prevention, practical action, adequate resources and coordinated global advocacy.
He argued that the effectiveness of the framework should be measured not by the number of crises it responds to, but by the conflicts it helps prevent.
“The measure of this framework should not be how many crises it responds to, but how many crises it helps to prevent,” President Bio said.
The Sierra Leonean leader called for the Council of Eminent Persons to become a standing and readily available resource capable of engaging early, discreetly and constructively when invited by a member state facing emerging tensions.
He also proposed a high-level meeting to establish a roadmap for preventive engagement, dialogue and reconciliation.
President Bio said the g7+ framework should be driven by national ownership, stressing that its interventions must be based on the consent and invitation of the affected country and remain voluntary, confidential and complementary to existing regional and international initiatives.
He said the g7+’s strength lies in the shared experiences of countries that have experienced conflict and recovery, with member states expected to “listen, accompany and share experience” rather than impose solutions.
The President also called for practical mechanisms to support countries facing political, legal and development risks before they develop into full-scale crises. These include peer-accompaniment missions, structured knowledge exchange, targeted technical assistance and the strengthening of the g7+ Rapid Response Advisory Centre.
Beyond governments and political leaders, President Bio stressed the importance of including women, young people and communities affected by conflict in peacebuilding processes.
He said sustainable peace is built not only through formal negotiations but also within communities, schools, homes, institutions and places of worship.
On financing, President Bio warned that the framework would have limited impact without adequate resources. He called for the g7+ Secretariat to receive the financial and human capacity required to implement its mandate and urged predictable and flexible financing under g7+ ownership.
He further urged international partners to increase investment in conflict prevention rather than concentrating resources on emergency responses after crises have already escalated.
“Investment in prevention is not charity. It is the most responsible and cost-effective investment the international community can make in collective peace and security,” he said.
President Bio also called for stronger coordination among g7+ member states in global decision-making institutions, arguing that countries with direct experience of conflict, recovery and state-building should have a stronger voice in international discussions on peacebuilding, political transitions and development financing.
He subsequently called on the summit to formally endorse the g7+ Framework for Peace through Dialogue and Reconciliation and mandate its prompt implementation, backed by clear responsibilities, adequate resources and accountability for results.
The President said such measures would help move the framework from declarations to practical action and allow countries that have experienced conflict to contribute their knowledge and experience to preventing future crises.
His remarks come amid his broader advocacy at the 81st UN General Assembly for greater investment in peace, development and human security. In his General Debate address earlier this week, President Bio similarly argued that military action alone cannot deliver lasting peace and called for greater attention to the economic and social conditions that can fuel instability.