Official Press Release HCSS, April 11th, 2022
Tim Sweijs, Director of Research at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, addressed members of the United Nations Security Council at an informal briefing on Early Warning on Friday, 8 April. He released the following statement:
“It was a great honour to address the United Nations Security Council ambassadors at this important historical juncture.
I would like to extend my gratitude to Her Excellency Dame Barbara Woodward, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, and current President of the Security Council, for her kind invitation to share my thoughts on Early Warning with the Security Council. It was a real pleasure to speak with the Council Members together with Dr Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive of ODI.
We live in a divided world, facing unprecedented security challenges. At a time when fundamental societal and environmental transitions will be accompanied by social, political and economic friction, political instability and violence are likely to ensue in different localities around the globe.
This is where Early Warning can have critical value. Early Warning allows societies and governments to take Early Action and to prevent political instability, to mitigate its impact, or to prepare for its consequences. All with one goal in mind: to alleviate human suffering which is one of the key objectives of the United Nations.
For over 15 years now, I and my colleagues at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) have been contributing to this objective. We have advised national governments and international institutions on how to develop, implement, and execute Early Warning to take Early Action. Our data-lab has developed a portfolio of predictive ML models, typologies and causal models to enable policymakers to address both short- and long-term security risks. Through our work, which has been recognised and has received funding from the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States, amongst others, international institutions and national governments are better equipped to address these risks.
The United Nations Security Council can play a critical role in mobilising Early Warning and catalysing Early Action efforts. We at HCSS stand at the United Nations’ service to develop, implement, and execute Early Warning and Early Action systems to make this world a more peaceful place.”
Direct any inquires to HCSS Communications Officer Patrick Willemsen, via Patrickwillemsen@hcss.nl / +31 70 318 48 40
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