NEW YORK, USA — Addressing senior diplomats, international leaders, and government officials at Nigeria House, Dr. Lee O. Kareem, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria-USA Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), delivered a powerful evening panel address emphasizing that sustainable global peace is fundamentally anchored in resilient economic security, cross-border trade, and proactive multilateral cooperation.

Speaking during the evening panel discussion at the UNGA 81 High-Level Global Executive Roundtable Side Event & Law of Honor Award Dinner Investiture 2026—convened by Merited Negotiation Consulting at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations—Dr. Kareem underscored that modern peacebuilding requires looking far beyond conventional statecraft.

Economic Security as the Foundation of Global Peace

Addressing the evening’s core theme focused on Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Kareem noted that the architecture of global peace in 2026 can no longer rely solely on reactive crisis intervention.

“As a panelist representing the business and economic bridge between Nigeria and the United States, I see firsthand how vital economic security is to sustainable peace,” Dr. Kareem stated. “Conflict frequently takes root where opportunity fails, and conversely, resilient multilateral trade and investment corridors act as powerful stabilizers.”

He stressed that governments and multilateral bodies set regulatory frameworks, but economic leaders and chambers of commerce drive the ground-level integration necessary to give nations a shared stake in peaceful coexistence.

Three Critical Imperatives for Global Stability

To achieve true global stability and proactive conflict prevention, Dr. Kareem outlined three strategic imperatives during his panel remarks:

1. Deepening Public-Private Diplomatic Synergy: Fostering cooperation where economic leaders and institutions collaborate directly with state actors to align commercial interests with peace objectives.

2. Strengthening Bilateral Peacebuilding Frameworks: Intentionally aligning U.S.-Nigerian bilateral initiatives—spanning agricultural trade, industrial technology, and workforce development—to uplift local enterprises and build mutual trust.

3. Elevating Institutional Negotiation Capacity: Equipping leaders, diplomats, and executives with advanced interest-based negotiation frameworks to resolve disputes upstream through cooperative dialogue.

Evening Transition to the Law of Honor Award Dinner

The high-level panel discussion served as a vital prelude to the evening’s prestigious Law of Honor Award Dinner Investiture, transitioning from rigorous policy dialogue into celebrating exceptional global leadership and excellence in governance.

“Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the active presence of collaborative development, fair trade, and mutual respect,” Dr. Kareem concluded, urging leaders to leverage multilateral cooperation for lasting prosperity.

Event Overview

• Event: UNGA 81 High-Level Global Executive Roundtable Side Event & Law of Honor Award Dinner Investiture 2026

• Date: Friday, September 18, 2026

• Venue: Nigeria House, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, New York, USA

• Theme:Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution

• Convened By: Merited Negotiation Consulting

Official Speech Transcript

Evening Session: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Panel Discussion: 6:20 PM – 7:00 PM

UNGA 81 High-Level Global Executive Roundtable Side Event & Law of Honor Award Dinner Investiture 2026

Date: Friday, September 18, 2026

Venue: Nigeria House, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, New York

Sponsor: Merited Negotiation Consulting

Theme: Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution

Focus: Strengthening Diplomatic Engagement and Peacebuilding Frameworks to promote global stability, multilateral cooperation, and conflict prevention

Role: Panelist

Speaker: Lee O. Kareem, CEO, Nigeria USA Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC)

Panelist Speech

Your Excellencies, distinguished federal and state officials from Nigeria, esteemed ambassadors, senior diplomats, leaders of the United Nations, and fellow panelists:

Good evening, and thank you.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Merited Negotiation Consulting for convening this powerful gathering, and for hosting us today at Nigeria House. As we gather during UNGA 81 for this High-Level Global Executive Roundtable—and transition into tonight’s prestigious Law of Honor Award Dinner Investiture spanning our evening agenda—we do so at a defining moment for international stability.

Our core focus today—Strengthening Diplomatic Engagement and Peacebuilding Frameworks under the theme of Diplomacy, Multilateralism, and Conflict Resolution—demands that we look beyond conventional statecraft. In 2026, the architecture of global peace cannot rely solely on reactive crisis intervention; it requires robust, institutionalized cooperation across governments, multilateral bodies, and the private sector.

As a panelist representing the business and economic bridge between Nigeria and the United States, I see firsthand how vital economic security is to sustainable peace. Conflict frequently takes root where opportunity fails, and conversely, resilient multilateral trade and investment corridors act as powerful stabilizers.

To achieve true global stability and proactive conflict prevention, we must advance three critical imperatives:

First, Deepening Public-Private Diplomatic Synergy: Governments and multilateral agencies set the rules of the road, but economic leaders and chambers of commerce drive the ground-level integration that gives nations a shared stake in peaceful coexistence.

Second, Strengthening Bilateral Peacebuilding Frameworks: We must intentionally align US-Nigerian bilateral initiatives—spanning agricultural trade, industrial technology, and workforce development—with peacebuilding objectives. Economic partnerships must be structured to uplift local enterprises and foster mutual trust.

Third, Elevating Institutional Negotiation Capacity: We must equip our leaders, diplomats, and executives with advanced interest-based negotiation frameworks, ensuring that disputes are resolved upstream through cooperative dialogue rather than downstream friction.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, stronger diplomatic engagement builds stronger nations. As we continue our dialogue through this evening’s dinner investiture and celebrate leadership and excellence, let us use our time on this panel to commit to more actionable, multilateral cooperation. Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the active presence of collaborative development, fair trade, and mutual respect.

Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to an engaging discussion with my fellow panelists.