UN-AU Partnership: Strengthening Peace and Security in Africa

Foundation of Multilateralism

• 🤝 The partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, alongside other regional organizations, forms the bedrock of effective, networked multilateralism.
• 🌍 This collaboration is essential for confronting complex, evolving threats to peace, security, development, and human rights, particularly in Africa.

Progress and Challenges in Africa

• 🗳️ Africa has seen positive developments with free, fair, and credible elections in several countries, including peaceful transitions of power.
• 📈 The continent demonstrates resilience driven by a youthful population, abundant natural resources, and expanding consumer markets, with the African Continental Free Trade Area accelerating integration.
• ⚠️ Despite positive trends, concerns persist regarding conflict drivers such as weak state authority, violent extremism, inequitable resource management, organized crime, climate change impacts, food insecurity, and human rights violations.

Addressing Conflict and Crises

• 🇸🇸 The conflict in Sudan is highlighted as the world's largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with significant spillover effects on regional peace and security.
• 🌍 In the Great Lakes region, peace prospects remain elusive, with ongoing confrontations testing commitments to peace agreements.
• 🇸🇸 The Sahel region faces serious threats from terrorism and climate-exacerbated conflict, requiring effective collective support for transition processes.
• 🕊️ The Secretary General's New Agenda for Peace emphasizes prevention, advocating for dedicated conflict prevention mechanisms and inclusive dialogue for durable political solutions.

Climate Change and Gender Equality

• 🌡️ African leaders explicitly identify climate change as a conflict risk multiplier, with ongoing consultations to adopt a common African position on climate, peace, and security.
• 🚺 The UN-AU partnership advances Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, supporting women's participation in electoral processes and peace efforts.
• 💔 The urgency of addressing gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence in conflict-affected regions, particularly eastern DRC and Sudan, is emphasized.

Enhancing Peace Operations and Cooperation

• 🛠️ Security sector reform and governance are key elements of the UN-AU partnership for conflict prevention and peace consolidation.
• 🤝 Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs remain indispensable, especially in contexts like the Central African Republic.
• 🌍 Cooperation in peace operations includes supporting peacekeeping efforts, sound planning, and effective management of AU peace support operations in accordance with international law.
• 🚀 The UN-AU joint framework roadmap strengthens operational readiness for implementing Security Council Resolution 2719.
• 🗣️ The partnership is founded on shared values, with regular high-level meetings and dialogues reinforcing collaboration.
• 🌍 Cooperation between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council is an essential pillar, with the A3 providing a vital link between the two bodies.