Remarks by Ambassador Robert Wood, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs, at a UN Security Council Meeting on AU-UN Cooperation

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October 2, 2024

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, SRSG Onanga-Anyanga, Ambassador Kyari Mohammed of the Permanent Observer Mission of the AU, and Assistant Secretary-General Pobee for your briefings.

Colleagues, we know strong partnerships between the African Union and United Nations are vital to addressing our shared global challenges.

For this reason, the United States was proud last year to vote in favor of Resolution 2719, which marked a historic step toward expanding the international community’s toolkit for addressing threats to peace and security in Africa.

While we recognize the critical need to enhance the sustainability and predictability of financing for AU missions, this resolution, and the framework it authorizes, is much more than a mere funding mechanism. It is an opportunity for an even stronger partnership between the AU and UN and a new means to support African leadership.

The United States commends the joint efforts of the AU and the UN to produce a roadmap for building the architecture needed to deploy this tool in a conflict setting.

As we move forward, it will be critical that we establish and align joint frameworks and implementation processes on human rights, conduct and discipline, accountability for performance, legal and regulatory processes, procurement, vetting, budgets, and administration for all AU-led Peace Support Operations.

It will also be key to establish a framework for the AU and UN to jointly mobilize 25 percent of any mission’s annual budgetary needs.

Finally, we must ensure processes are in place for these missions to apply the provisions under the 2719 framework – to prioritize the protection of civilians and to contribute to political solutions to conflict.

These frameworks and processes are the foundation for ensuring missions are accountable both to Member States and donors, and, critically, to the local populations they serve.

Colleagues, we must take up this work together. And we must ensure these conditions for success are met before the first mission is deployed, to uphold the credibility of this new tool.

People will be watching the first applications of these missions closely. And so, getting this right will be key, so we can maintain international confidence in, and support for, this tool in the long run.

Early successes will also pave the way for future action, for efforts to expand the range of options available to this Council, for addressing peace and security crises.

While we know UN peacekeeping missions remain an effective and proven tool for addressing conflicts, we understand they are not the most appropriate intervention for every crisis. In some cases, the AU may be able to respond more effectively, with greater vested interest in, and knowledge of, the challenge at hand.

But just as UN peacekeeping missions are not a panacea for resolving conflicts, AU-led missions are not a perfect solution for addressing all African crises. Durable peace comes through inclusive political processes, which require courageous leadership and sustained commitment from the AU, UN, host governments, UN Member States, and conflict parties.

Colleagues, Resolution 2719 was an act of hope in the power of the AU-UN partnership, and the power of African solutions for African problems. Now, we must make this resolution real through implementation.

The United States is fully committed to this work, and we look forward to continuing this conversation during the AU Peace and Security Council-UN Security Council annual joint consultative meetings later this month.

Thank you, Madam President.

 

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