The concept of preventive diplomacy is not new. It began with Dag Hammarskjold in the 1950s. In many ways, successive UN Secretaries-General promoted preventive diplomacy as a key priority on their agendas. Most recently, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has emphasized, “preventing conflict and sustaining peace must be the priority of everything we do together”. He has urged member states to commit to a surge in diplomacy for peace in partnership with regional organizations, mobilizing distinct groups of those with influence, from religious leaders to civil society and the business community. In his address at Cairo University on February 15th, Mr. Guterres paid tribute to his predecessor, Dr. Boutros-Ghali, whom he said he so much admired.