S/2021/941 Security Council

749806447975United NationsS/2021/941 I have the honour to enclose herewith a copy of the briefing provided by the Deputy Secretary-General, Her Excellency Ms. Amina Mohammed, as well as the statements delivered by Their Excellencies Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya; Mr. Kaïs Saïed, President of Tunisia; Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of Viet Nam; Mr. Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Security, Legal Affairs and Information of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway; Mr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of India; Mr. Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence of Ireland; Ms. Vicky Ford, Minister for Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Mr. Andres Rundu, Deputy Foreign Minister of Estonia; and by the representatives of China, France, Mexico and the Russian Federation, in connection with the video-teleconference on “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security”, convened on Thursday, 28 October 2021. A statement was also delivered by His Excellency Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, President of Ghana. In accordance with the procedure set out in the letter dated 7 May 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Permanent Representatives of the members of the Security Council (S/2020/372), which was agreed in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, this briefing and these statements will be issued as a document of the Security Council.

Regrettably, the Secretary-General could not join us today. He asked me to convey his regards and to provide this briefing on his behalf. As Kenya concludes a prolific month as President of the Security Council, let me begin by congratulating His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta. I also salute Mr. Donald Kaberuka, African Union High Representative for Financing of the Union and the African Union Peace Fund, who joins us today. I also thank the members of the Security Council for helping us shine a spotlight on the vital importance of peace and security in Africa and on how the United Nations — and all Member States — can join forces with the African Union (AU) and other regional and subregional groups to achieve that vision. This discussion takes place in the context of a number of worrisome trends across the continent. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created additional socioeconomic burdens on countries’ efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. In too many places, we are seeing a rise in seizures of power by force. Earlier this week, a military coup d’état took place in the Sudan, posing a major threat to the political transition taking place since the signing of the Constitutional Declaration in August 2019. The conflict in northern Ethiopia continues unabated, despite appeals by the African Union and the United Nations for a permanent ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access to the Tigray region. In the Sahel and throughout the Lake Chad basin region, we face persistent threats of terrorism and violent extremism from groups affiliated with Al-Qaida, Da’esh and Boko Haram, and we are seeing a proliferation of militias. Across Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated poverty, inequalities and all the drivers of conflict. It has undercut the provision of public services, disrupted supply chains, slowed economic activity and hampered peace agreements and conflict resolution. Despite those worrisome developments, the people of Africa are determined to work relentlessly for a more prosperous, sustainable and peaceful continent — one based on shared values and the universal principles of human rights. The Secretary-General’s annual report (S/2021/763) on the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union contains a number of hopeful developments, including a peaceful and inclusive election in Burkina Faso and peaceful transfers of power in the Niger and Zambia following presidential elections. Throughout, we are seeing growing cooperation between the United Nations, the African Union and subregional organizations on sustainable development, elections and peace processes. In Libya, for example, the United Nations is working closely with the African Union, the League of Arab States and the European Union to support the ceasefire agreement and to prepare for the upcoming elections. The African Union has played a particularly active role in the International Follow-up Committee on Libya of the Berlin process, including as a co-Chair of its Security Working Group. I also welcome the African Union’s efforts to lead international support for the Libyan reconciliation process. The United Nations stands ready to work with the AU in support of Libyan authorities and a rights-based reconciliation process. We are also working closely with the African Union and subregional organizations to support the countries of the Sahel and beyond. That includes efforts to address the return of mercenaries and foreign fighters to their countries of origin. Moreover, we are committed to continuing our support for the African Union-led negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The Organization’s special political missions, peacekeeping missions and country teams in Africa continue to provide comprehensive support to other peace initiatives and political transitions, including in Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan and the Sudan. We work closely with the African Union on regular joint consultations and analyses through our cooperation frameworks for peace and security, humanitarian aid and sustainable development — our blueprint for joint integrated action. The United Nations Office to the African Union plays a key role in that regard. Once the ongoing discussions on the division of responsibilities between the African Union and the regional economic communities/regional mechanisms are concluded, the United Nations looks forward to continuing to harness the opportunities and strengths of each organization and build effective conflict prevention and resolution strategies as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change continue to affect the continent, particularly women and youth. While our partnership with the African Union and subregional organizations is a necessary precondition for peace, security, humanitarian assistance, development and justice in Africa, we also recognize that all Member States need to support these efforts. In the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), he underlines the need to re-embrace global solidarity to find new ways to work together for the good of all people in every country, on the basis of human rights and through a stronger, more connected and inclusive multilateral system. In that context, I would like to add three urgent actions that require global solidarity and support. First, we need to prioritize our response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa through accelerated vaccine distribution, more robust national health systems and much-needed investments in preparedness. Only about 5 per cent of the population in Africa today is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We urgently require universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, support for domestic manufacturing of vaccines and financing to alleviate the socioeconomic challenges caused by the pandemic. Secondly, we need to reaffirm our focus on sustainable development, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 at the heart of our common efforts. Ultimately, sustainable and inclusive development is our best chance to address the root causes of conflict and achieve a future of peace and prosperity for all. Despite the pandemic, African countries have shown remarkable resilience. According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, economic growth will expand at 3.4 per cent in 2021. But African countries are in urgent need of liquidity and debt relief to create jobs, expand social protection and reverse poverty trends. Their recovery must be grounded in advancing just transitions in key areas such as energy, food systems, digital connectivity and infrastructure. Urgent action is needed to speed up the re-channelling of special drawing rights and increase fiscal space. Spurring those transitions and implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area — a major achievement for the region — will facilitate trade, help reduce emissions, support those who are shifting away from the brown economy and create new jobs geared towards the economy of tomorrow for Africa’s burgeoning youth population. It could also boost the region’s combined gross domestic product by $44 billion and create millions of jobs. In addition, digital transformation offers the potential to considerably accelerate trade, job creation and access to services. As we look to a sustainable and green recovery from COVID-19, and in order to meet the promises of the 2030 Agenda, we should redouble our commitment to strengthening our institutions to respond to the needs of all people — especially women, youth and minorities. One powerful litmus test will be ensuring the full representation of women as countries make the journey to peace and stability. Thirdly, we need to continue securing adequate, predictable and sustainable resources that will bring to life development, peace and security mandates across Africa. In that regard, I would like to highlight the centrality of ensuring coherent action across peace, development and humanitarian objectives in the continent by establishing a common vision, promoting complementarity and safeguarding investments. The African Union Peace Fund is an inspiring example. I call on the members of the Security Council to work with the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to strengthen financing mechanisms for African Union-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council. In the Sahel, together with the African Union, the United Nations stands ready to convene an international forum with the States of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) and their partners to bolster peace and development efforts across the Sahel in support of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel. Under the guidance of Member States, we will spare no effort to make our partnerships more effective in order to help all Africans build a more inclusive, prosperous, integrated and peaceful continent, as envisaged in Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I thank Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Ms. Amina Mohammed and Mr. Donald Kaberuka, for their informative briefings. Today’s debate comes at a time when the African continent is at a crossroads. On one hand, Africa is poised to reap from its demographic dividend and the bold economic reforms in intra-African trade and investment. Our integration agenda is marching forward, and our political solidarity is finding expression in our collective responses to insecurity. On the other hand, terrorism and insurgency are spreading and fundamentally challenging almost every nation on the continent. The aftermath of the 2011 Libyan invasion, the rise of Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham, the proliferation of illicit firearms, insurgency and the emergence of domestic terror groups funded by international actors all pose grave socioeconomic challenges for Africa. The recent upsurge in coups, which we thought were behind us, have exacerbated those negative situations. Following two decades of rapid economic growth, the coronavirus disease pandemic has reversed the economic gains and plunged large numbers of Africans back into the poverty they had escaped from. Furthermore, the effects of climate change are increasing social and economic fragility and escalating conflicts over resources. The vacuum resulting from those negative situations has led new external actors to intervene, which has further deepened the crisis and drawn in geopolitical rivals. As was the case during the Cold War, those rivalries come at the cost of African lives and our stability. Africa is not facing its problems passively. It has developed an architecture for conflict prevention, conflict management, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. That architecture has delivered multiple peace agreements and pushed back against terrorist groups. Africa’s mediators and peacekeepers have been heroic. I pay tribute to them and honour the sacrifices they have made for the sake of our common peace, stability and security. Nonetheless, I am sure that everybody will agree with me that, given the current challenges, that architecture is strained. Rarely in the past have multiple crisis situations interacted as they are doing now, or produced effects that may lead to a state of continental emergency. This is not just a challenge of and for Africa. Globally, multilateral responses are falling short in overcoming the pandemic, climate change, economic crisis and terrorism. As the Secretary-General reminded us in his recent call to action, we must, “break through or break down”. This moment calls for bold and visionary action that rises above narrow self- interest and drives concerted and sustainable multilateral responses. I propose that we start a conversation on how to renew Africa’s security architecture through cooperation among the United Nations, the African Union (AU) and the regional economic blocs. Our efforts could show the world that global leadership can rise to the challenge. Together, we can enable African States and regions to overcome insecurity in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Central Africa and countries dealing with dangerous insurgent and terrorist groups. The way forward has three strategic orientations, which I would like to share with the Security Council. First, the Council should appreciate that peacekeeping in Africa has fundamentally changed. The Council field trip to Mali and the Niger this month, under the Kenyan presidency, made that abundantly clear. The missions of both the United Nations and the AU are increasingly contending with sophisticated international terrorist groups, in addition to overseeing peace agreements. They need greater military capacity and resources to respond effectively to the complex environment they face. Often, the first responders to those terrorist groups are African-led. The Multinational Joint Task Force, anchored and funded by Nigeria, is an example of clear and telling success. Similarly, the interventions by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union in Somalia are yielding results. But Africa-led responses are handicapped by insufficient financial and technological resources to overcome the terrorist groups that have become entrenched in fragile States. United Nations peacekeeping missions, which are better resourced, are then deployed to support African first-responders. However, their mandates are not fit for purpose. Effective peacekeeping requires better alignment between the Africa-led responders and United Nations peacekeeping missions. My second strategic recommendation is that inclusivity is an essential component of sustainable peacekeeping. That is not just the case in Africa. Indeed, based on identity differences that are politicized and sometimes weaponized in political competitions, the world is becoming even more divided. Technology and social media adding disinformation and toxic narratives to conversations are the main drivers. Even the wealthiest and most stable democracies are discovering that dangerous divisions, a product of identity, can threaten the constitutional foundations of a State. We will successfully overcome our insecurity when we combine military action with fundamental governance reforms that deliver inclusivity for every race, ethnicity, gender, religion and economic status. Inclusivity in service delivery, competent and non-partisan civil services, fair policies and legislation are key. We should also embrace a political culture that discourages winner-take-all outcomes in divided societies. The peaceful and inclusive management of diversity must become the core of nation-building and State stabilization. My third recommendation is that this partnership must enable the production of plentiful jobs that harness the energy and skills of African youth. A State that is unable to deliver jobs will be under constant threat of instability, driven by frustration and anti-establishment sentiments. Our partnership with the United Nations has produced a number of initiatives and reforms under the broad umbrella of good governance. We need to add competencies that make inclusion a key dimension of State-building and the pursuit of peace, as well as the ability to deliver sustainable economic growth and create jobs in countries considered high-risk by global investors. We are in a do-or-die moment. If the green agenda does not deliver green growth and green jobs to Africa, then it will fail globally. The rapidly growing population of Africa will eventually contribute to climate change, which we must confront to save Africa. In that context, the forthcoming twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Glasgow, needs to produce tangible and transformative investments in climate adaptation that will enable strong green growth in Africa. We must also leverage Africa’s emerging investments in climate change adaptation, including in renewable energy, in order to boost responsible green investment. That should be the way forward, as it will provide Africa ample resources, while delivering jobs and services to Africans in a sustainable manner. Those economic and investment reforms would contribute significantly to peace and security. My three broad points are obvious on many levels. However, the simple can often be difficult to see and grasp as we grapple with the complex issues we navigate daily. I will finish my statement by proposing immediate actions we can take to bring those reforms to life in the context of cooperation between the United Nations, the AU and the regional economic blocs. Let us act based on the simple fact that African multinational peace enforcement missions, whether the Group of Five for the Sahel or the African Union Mission in Somalia, are delivering a critical service to international peace and security. They cannot take action to stop global terrorist groups from overwhelming States without adequate, predictable and sustainable financing, as well as force enablers and multipliers. Let us undertake a structured dialogue on how to make missions in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and Central Africa fit for purpose. For the sake of peace, we should discuss assessed contributions and the reforms that States and regional organizations need to undertake in order to secure inclusivity and sustainable socioeconomic development and jobs. I look forward to participating in this conversation so that we can cooperate more effectively in the pursuit of peace, security, political stability and economic prosperity for Africa and its peoples.

At the outset, I should like to congratulate the Republic of Kenya on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and wish it every success in addressing the important issues that it has included among the Council’s priorities, particularly those related to the African continent and cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. I thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her valuable briefing and once again express the appreciation of Tunisia for the Secretariat’s efforts to serve international peace and security and enhance the role of the United Nations and multilateral action. I welcome the High Representative for the Peace Fund of the African Union, Mr. Donald Kaberuka, and express my appreciation for the Union’s efforts to serve African causes and promote peace and security on the continent. A few days ago, the international community celebrated United Nations Day on the 76th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. That makes this a good occasion to call to mind the circumstances that inspired the establishment of this international edifice, the goals set for it and the hopes placed on it for promoting joint action, upholding the values of solidarity and cooperation among the various peoples of the world, resolving disputes peacefully and building the foundations of inclusive and sustainable development. Those same objectives and aspirations inspire many regional organizations that share the vision, philosophy and mission of the United Nations. It is therefore natural that bridges of cooperation and complementarity should connect those two sides in the pursuit of common goals. The African Union is one such regional organization. Its operational mechanisms and overarching goals are aligned with those of the United Nations. For that reason, cooperation between the two organizations has all the factors that can make it a successful and effective model for concerted efforts to realize the common aspirations of peoples for security, peace and prosperity. However, those ambitions often come up against various obstacles and impediments. Despite international and regional efforts, the African continent continues to be the scene of numerous armed conflicts, tensions and instability, resulting in forced displacement, civilian suffering and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Our continent also faces structural challenges that will stand between it and lasting peace and security if their underlying causes are not addressed. Those causes include exclusion, marginalization, an absence of State authority in some regions and weak governance. Those vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by emerging and pervasive threats, most notably the coronavirus disease pandemic and the repercussions of climate change. Those threats highlight clearly the need for a broader concept of peace and security and a new approach rooted in solidarity and cooperation among nations and peoples. Stepping up cooperation, partnership and complementarity between the United Nations and the African Union to manage conflicts and push forward their settlement through new mechanisms and ideas should, in our view, be a strategic priority. It can be an effective tool for meeting challenges to peace and security throughout the continent and mitigating their repercussions for the rest of the world. In that connection, we note with satisfaction joint efforts by the two organizations to advance the political settlement track in several African countries, including Libya, the Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Somalia, as well as in the Sahel region. While we also express our satisfaction with the development of consultation mechanisms between the two organizations — including the periodic meetings between the United Nations Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union — we stress here today the need to raise the level of that coordination to bring about a quantum leap in cooperative relations between the two organizations to higher levels of integration and role-sharing in managing conflicts and addressing their underlying causes. The African Union, African organizations and regional economic groups have consistently affirmed their readiness to play major roles in addressing crises in the African arena. Their familiarity with African reality and their ability to handle its specificities should perhaps give them a preferential advantage when it comes to assuming greater responsibilities in this area. We support giving priority to intervention by such organizations whenever feasible and supporting their efforts and initiatives to resolve conflicts and maintain international peace and security, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. We call on members of the Security Council, especially penholders, to coordinate more extensively with African representatives on the Council when it comes to the various African issues on its agenda. We also believe that reinforcing coordination between the Secretary- General’s special envoys and the African Union would create more effective tools for mediating and promoting peaceful settlement of conflicts. African envoys would have extensive knowledge of the local culture in which relations between the various parties to conflicts are grounded. We reiterate the call to provide support for African Union peace support operations being conducted under the aegis of the Security Council through United Nations assessed contributions. Lastly, we reiterate our conviction that addressing conflict-related challenges and instability in the African continent requires continued cooperation, coordination and integration among the various United Nations, regional and international organizations as part of a comprehensive approach to peace that addresses not only the security aspect, but also the developmental, social and environmental dimensions, in line with implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union: The Africa We Want.

It is such a great pleasure for me to virtually meet again with The Honourable Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya. I appreciate the highly relevant theme of our debate today. Allow me to thank the Secretary-General and other speakers for sharing with us important information and recommendations. A majestic Africa full of vitality has long been an integral part of the origin of human history, a cradle of numerous civilizations of humankind and a gateway for the world’s robust trade. With rich and diverse natural resources, that continent is endowed with enormous potential for well-being and to contribute to the world’s prosperity. In fact, Africa has become increasingly connected to other regions across all dimensions of political, economic and trade links and of cultural and people-to-people exchange. And the continent has attained numerous encouraging achievements in development and integration. With the central and leading role of the African Union (AU) and subregional organizations, the seeds of peace have grown robustly on the land once ravaged by war. Nonetheless, over the past decades, many African countries have suffered from the enduring consequences of colonialism and slavery. Unrest, conflicts, terrorism and extreme violence, transnational crime, climate change and food and water insecurity continue to undergo complicated developments, hindering the continent’s momentum for growth. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an additional burden, further exposing the shortcomings of the global governance system. The fact that 90 per cent of the African population has yet to receive the first vaccine injection is a sad reality. In a globalized world, and given the wide spread of COVID-19, if Africa is unable to enjoy peace, security and stability or to get the pandemic under control, the world will be unsafe and unable to keep the peace or uphold sustainable development. Conscience and responsibility demand that the international community join hands in assisting African countries in gaining access to vaccines, containing the pandemic and fostering sustainable recovery and development. To accompany African countries in these endeavours, I wish to share the following recommendations. First, with the philosophy of “African solutions for African problems”, all countries in the region need to fully harness their capacity for self-reliance and promote trust-building, dialogue and national reconciliation to eliminate the root causes of conflict, such as poverty, inequality and social friction. The participation and empowerment of women and youth should be encouraged. Secondly, all African countries need to further cultivate friendship, step up cooperation and integration, strengthen multilateralism and uphold respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations. This is the vital foundation of enduring peace, security and sustainable development in the region and the world at large. Thirdly, the United Nations and the African Union need to be the vanguards in jointly implementing the Silencing the Guns in Africa initiative, the Africa Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The strategic partnership between the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council needs to be promoted in a comprehensive and effective manner, particularly in enhancing the early-warning capacity of traditional and non- traditional security risks for peacekeeping missions in Africa. Fourthly, expanding cooperation among regional organizations will help elevate their overarching capacity in preventing and resolving conflicts and responding to regional and global challenges. Viet Nam supports the promotion of comprehensive exchange and cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the African Union. Fifthly, ensuring food security is an important pillar in fostering socioeconomic stability and enduring peace. In the framework of South-South cooperation, Viet Nam is a leading partner of many African countries in food production and trading of agricultural goods. We will continue to uphold this strategic cooperation orientation. African countries and Viet Nam are proud of the traditional friendship and glorious history of struggles for national liberation and decolonization. Despite our geographical distance, both sides always extend to each other mutual support and the most sincere and beautiful sentiments. In his visit to African countries right after Viet Nam’s national reunification, General Vo Nguyen Giap once said: “I came here to you as brothers to brothers, as comrades in arms on the same battle line, from heart to heart.” Nowadays, in the spirit of partnership for sustainable peace, Viet Nam remains committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with African countries in overcoming challenges, effectively strengthening cooperation and aiming towards peace and sustainable development. We stand ready to share our experience in pursuing reconstruction, reform and development cooperation and to donate medical supplies for COVID-19 prevention and control. At the moment, Vietnamese officers and military doctors are working hard for the United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, and they will continue to participate in many other missions in this continent. Viet Nam wishes to soon become an observer country at the African Union and unite with African countries in upholding the voice and role of developing countries at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations.

I thank my dear friend and brother, the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta. I greet him in love, faith and hope. his contribution this morning has been stellar. I endorse everything he outlined in his statement. Permit me to express, on behalf of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, our deepest appreciation to the Republic of Kenya for convening this important discussion. We also thank our briefers for their insightful remarks. I am particularly moved, too, by the presentation of another of my dear friend and brother, the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. A spate of complex and interconnecting challenges of the most arduous kind bear upon peace and security globally. In fragile settings violent conflict, widespread displacement, acute hunger, underdevelopment, the hazards of climate change and environmental degradation permeate most profusely, with the most devastating socioeconomic and political outcomes. Across the African continent, the bellowing calls for fresh initiatives and renewed commitments on the part of the international community at large are unmistakeable. To be sure, the positions and priorities of the African Union, in particular the Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want” and the Silencing the Guns initiatives, provide the most practical blueprint for continental peace and stability. And so, the historical injustices and contemporary contradictions of the present multilateral order demand that homegrown solutions to problems on the African continent be fully embraced, reinforced and advanced. During this International Decade for People of African Descent, development and reparatory solutions for all African peoples must be supported as vital priorities. African countries have a vast wealth of experience in building peaceful, orderly and viable States amidst their post-colonial struggles. The African Union’s depth of expertise in regional diplomacy, mediation, reconciliation, transitional justice, security sector governance and reform, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration initiatives has delivered effective peace processes and political transitions in many settings. Those efforts ought to be provided with greater support — politically and financially — through all practical means. The sustainable funding of AU-led peace operations and measures to ensure the adequate, predictable and reliable financing of peacebuilding initiatives in African countries should also be treated as urgent imperatives by the international community. And major donors, in particular developed countries and the international financial institutions, should ramp up their overseas development assistance commitments, eliminate barriers to concessional financing and advance new pathways for African countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in line with their national priorities and perspectives. At the institutional level, the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union remains undeniably essential to building and maintaining peace. That partnership should be further broadened with the systematic engagement of subregional organizations and mechanisms, including the Economic Community of West African States, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Southern African Development Community, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and others. Conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and the entire spectrum of activities across the security, development and humanitarian nexus are most effective when addressed by a broad and inclusive consortium of stakeholders. The contributions of regional and subregional actors to these processes are unparalleled. The Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council should continue to explore all modalities for information-sharing, particularly through joint field visits. Joint institutional engagement should also be pursued, in a consultative and pragmatic fashion, to address emerging and consequential challenges such as climate change and environmental degradation. The effects of climate change on peace and security across the continent are indisputable. Other areas for coordinated action include mine action, terrorism, piracy and organized crime. The conflict landscape is being profoundly altered and redefined by climate change, technological advances and other compounding factors. Despite that changing nature of conflict, however, ensuring security remains — at its very core — a feat that can be accomplished only in terms of the collective. We must work together, with renewed vigour and unyielding solidarity, to expand our multilateral engagements, enhance cooperation at the regional and subregional levels and deliver peace and security to all countries and peoples.

Let me start by thanking you, Mr. President, and Kenya for convening this timely debate. I would also like to thank the briefers. Through its peace operations and efforts to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts, the African Union (AU) is an important partner of the Security Council. In the past year, the AU and the Council have encountered a number of unforeseen, complex and difficult situations, of which Tigray is one. We welcome the AU’s leadership in African conflicts, as demonstrated by its Peace and Security Council’s firm actions in response to the ongoing military coup in Sudan. The Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council should continue to work together to support the people of Sudan. The global challenges we are facing have disproportionate effects in Africa. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to batter the continent with unrelenting force. There is glaring inequity in vaccine distribution. We must work to ensure equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatment, both in solidarity and in recognition of our mutual interdependence. We applaud the role of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in mobilizing Member States and leading the response to the pandemic. The World Health Organization has been a key partner in this work and a reminder of the importance of the partnership between the United Nations and the AU. Norway will continue to work with partners on global health issues, as we have done with South Africa in the Facilitation Council for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. In two days’ time, world leaders will meet in Glasgow to discuss climate change, the defining issue of our time. The links to security are clear. More than half of the 20 countries considered most vulnerable to climate change are also affected by armed conflict. I am grateful to Kenya, the Niger, Tunisia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for their prominent role in putting the effects of climate change higher on the Security Council’s agenda. There is no doubt that strategic partnerships can help Africa to achieve its ambitions and find solutions to pressing challenges. We are encouraged by the AU’s Agenda 2063 and its Silencing the Guns initiative. The guns will not be silenced without women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership. That is key to ensuring lasting peace. We commend the 30 AU member States that have developed national action plans on women and peace and security, based on resolutions adopted by the Council. The Panel of the Wise and FemWise Africa, the network of African women mediators, play an important role in conflict prevention and mediation. Our shared goal is the prevention or containment of conflict. Effective partnerships have been developed between United Nations envoys, AU representatives and subregional organizations in pursuit of that goal. The protection of civilians must be at the core of all our efforts. African countries play a vital role in peace operations. A strong partnership with the AU is one of the keys to success. For its part, Norway intends to continue to contribute to United Nations peace operations. The United Nations and the AU Commission have made great strides in promoting more structured and strategic cooperation. Norway is pleased to support their efforts. We now need greater political support from Member States. It is our shared responsibility to strengthen the cooperation between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. Norway therefore recommends, first, that they meet on a more regular basis; secondly, that they carry out more joint visits; and thirdly, that the Security Council invite representatives from the AU and the regional economic communities to provide more frequent briefings. Africa is home to a young and growing population. The people of Africa yearn for their continent to achieve stability and economic and social progress and to fulfil its true promise. Peace and stability are their most important building blocks in enabling them to realize that ambition. African countries provide critical insights, and cooperation with them is paramount in dealing with security issues on the continent. That is why Norway supports efforts to expand the Council and increase the number of permanent and non-permanent seats on it for Africa.

At the outset, let me begin by congratulating President Kenyatta on his outstanding leadership as President of the Security Council for the month of October. His delegation has focused on some of the most pressing thematic issues, as well as recently organizing an excellent visit of all Council members to the Central African Republic and Mali, which was immensely useful for understanding the situation on the ground. I also congratulate you, Mr. President, on leading the discussions today, especially on the important subject of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations, with a specific focus on the African Union (AU). Given the context of recent developments in the African continent, the topic of renewing solidarity to successfully deliver peace and security in a changing conflict environment is well timed and indeed most apt. I would also like to thank Mr. Donald Kaberuka, the African Union’s High Representative for the Peace Fund, for his valuable and insightful briefing. The international community needs to pay close attention to Africa’s voice and wisdom. No one can know Africa better than Africans themselves. History has shown us that offering external solutions to African problems, without African involvement, does not serve the interests of the African people. This skewed approach needs to change. That change should begin here, in the Security Council itself. Given the fact that nearly 70 per cent of the mandate resolutions under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations are on Africa, a strong and effective partnership between the United Nations and the African Union has to be the foundational edifice. Although we have existing mechanisms of cooperation broadly based on the principles enshrined in the Chapter VIII of the Charter, it is a glaring fact that while African States constitute more than one fourth of United Nations members, the continued denial of their representation in the permanent membership category is a blot on the Council’s collective credibility. While India has always supported the Ezulwini Consensus and called for permanent African representation in an expanded Council, those responsible for denial by delay and for perpetuating an historical injustice must be called out. In the Africa of today, democratic values are driving efforts to address the challenges of peace and security effectively. That is clearly evident through the AU’s increased role within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture and in the success of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as well as through its mediation efforts in Libya. The African Union has been ably supported by the preventive diplomacy and mediation efforts of the Economic Community of West Africa, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Southern African Development Community and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which have all been critical in advancing peace efforts in their respective regions. We need to be cognizant of this reality, and that spirit of burden-sharing must continue to drive the peace and security agenda. India’s own experience helps it to appreciate the fact that the root causes of conflicts in Africa lie in its colonial history. In terms of the immediate issue at hand, let me propose five points for consideration: First, on matters related to peace and security, the Security Council should respect the regional approach adopted by the countries involved and work in collaboration with regional organizations to address these shared challenges. Secondly, the spread of terrorism on the continent, as evident in the challenges we face in the Sahel, Somalia and Central and East Africa, is a matter of serious concern. The initiatives undertaken by AMISOM, the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel and the Multinational Joint Task Force need more robust support from the Security Council and the international community. We endorse the Secretary- General’s call for supporting African counter-terrorism operations with sustained financing, including through assessed contributions. Thirdly, United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions should be sufficiently mandated and resourced to enable them to implement their mandates. Our experience in peacekeeping in Africa shows that missions often struggle to implement ambitious mandates. Peacekeeping missions should have a clear and well-thought-out exit strategy. Fourthly, while the United Nations-AU strategic partnership has grown over the years, collective peacebuilding efforts still lag behind in other areas. A more meaningful peacebuilding partnership between the United Nations and the AU is needed, based on inter-institutional cooperation focused on harnessing comparative strengths to complement one another in pursuing the ultimate goal of peace and security in the region. And lastly, in order to resolve the issues that divide the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, it is important to re-energize and strengthen liaison mechanisms. The African members of the Security Council can play an important role in that. When deciding the appointment of special envoys of the Secretary-General or the drawdown of ongoing peacekeeping and political missions, it is important to consider the views of the member States in the region. India and Africa share a unique and historical relationship. In 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi enunciated our approach to this partnership through our 10 guiding principles for India-Africa engagement. We have worked with Africa based on Africa’s priorities, comfort and aspirations. We believe that Africa’s rise is essential to true multipolarity in the global order and are committed to supporting that. India’s support has always been free of conditionalities or hidden agendas, as is clear in our 184 projects in 41 African countries, implemented under concessional finance. It is expressed in the medicines, vaccines, health equipment, ambulances, vehicles and food grains we have provided to many African nations. It is evident in the vocational training and information-technology centres set up across Africa, the 50,000 education and training slots provided over the past five years and the digital education and health programmes with 19 African partners. Our trade and technology exchanges are steadily growing, in line with closer political and people- to-people ties. With these words, I would like to conclude by reiterating India’s abiding and steadfast commitment to an effective partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. We believe that this partnership is crucial to responding collectively, coherently and decisively in order to prevent, manage and resolve violent conflicts and promote peace and development in Africa.

We are very grateful to you, Mr. President, for organizing and leading this important meeting today during your presidency of the Security Council. Multilateralism has long been at the core of Ireland’s foreign policy. We appreciate the importance and the power of cooperation between nations in meeting our common challenges. We have been pleased to participate in discussions on today’s presidential statement (S/PRST/2021/21) and support it fully. Today I will make three points on the topic of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) — on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic; on cooperation in times of crisis; and on the need for peace to be inclusive. First, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fact that coordinated action is far more powerful and effective than unilateral action. At the regional level, the African Union has been playing its part in coordinating Africa’s response to COVID-19. At the international level, the multilateral system must deliver in response to COVID-19 by building back better and greener. That means debt relief. It means equitable access to vaccines and sustainable financing. And it means a green recovery to meet the challenge of climate change. Peace and security in Africa, and elsewhere, depend on it. The COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility is a crucial aspect of the multilateral response to a global threat. It has the potential to embody multilateral solidarity at its best. However, further resources and greater access to vaccine supplies are needed to enable COVAX to fulfil its mandate. We must also work to strengthen health systems so that they have the capacity to roll out COVID-19 vaccine programmes at scale as vaccine deliveries increase. Enhanced partnerships with the AU have a vital role to play in these efforts. Ireland participated in the ministerial meeting between the AU and the European Union in Rwanda earlier this week. Peace, security, governance and support for recovery from the pandemic were the focus of our discussions there. The AU-EU partnership is an excellent example of how regional organizations can work together to support the implementation of Security Council resolutions and the broader objectives of the Charter of the United Nations. Secondly, strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union is an essential tool in how we respond to crises. We see this in the increasingly strategic engagement between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. The AU and regional organizations in Africa have an instrumental role in responding to crises and building lasting peace, not least through encouraging good governance and democratic transitions. Together, when faced with crises, the United Nations and the AU can make a concerted push for peace. Just this week, the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council both met urgently in response to the coup in the Sudan that is threatening to derail its fragile democratic transition. Together, we must work hard to get the transition, which promised so much to the people of the Sudan, back on track. In Ethiopia, we are faced with a conflict which shows no signs of abating, almost a year after it began. The result is a dire humanitarian crisis that Ireland and others have consistently raised in the Security Council. We urgently need full, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access — as required by international humanitarian law — and an immediate and lasting ceasefire. These are among the key asks put forward by Secretary-General Guterres. President Obasanjo, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, will play a critical role in helping to achieve them. He has our full support, and must have the full support of the entire United Nations system. He recognizes, as we do, that the countries of the region have a crucial role in delivering the peace that we all desire. The path to peace is rarely easy. It must be supported along the way to give it the best possible chance of succeeding. Ireland recognizes the need for predictable and sustainable financing for AU-led peace support operations. Peacekeeping must also be linked to peacebuilding in order to end violence, prevent conflict and sustain peace. The AU and the United Nations must deepen and strengthen their cooperation to ensure that mission transitions take place in a responsible, coordinated and graduated manner, responsive to needs on the ground and respecting human rights, in line with resolution 2594 (2021). For more than six decades, Irish women and men have served in United Nations peace operations alongside African peacekeepers, and we will continue to play our part. Finally, it is important to note that peacebuilding efforts are stronger when they are inclusive. We know from our lived experience on the island of Ireland that women have a pivotal role to play in both securing and sustaining peace. They simply must be at the negotiating table. We know that the greater their participation in such efforts, the more likely we are to see long-term, durable peace. Indeed, there are countless examples globally of the extraordinary work of women and young people in challenging circumstances. I thank them for their commitment and perseverance. Last week the Council heard from Bineta Diop, the AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security (see S/PV.8886), who highlighted the impressive work going on in Africa to drive forward the women and peace and security agenda. Investing in that agenda is the responsibility of the entire international community, and cooperation between the United Nations and the AU is essential to putting women and peace and security at the heart of peace operations and crisis management. The voices of young people, civil society, political actors and non-governmental organizations are vital. We must ensure the protection of spaces for their voices to be heard. They have spoken loudly and clearly on the impact of climate change, which is worsening conflict and insecurity across the African continent, and we welcome the African Union’s vital initiatives to address this. Ireland is proud to serve, with the Niger, as co-Chair of the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security. African States on the front lines of climate change are calling for greater action to be taken, and the Council must listen and must recognize its responsibility in this regard. Ireland will continue to work with all Council members to advance this agenda. The challenges we face are more complex and interconnected than ever. Only by working together can we address them. Ireland looks forward to continuing to support an ever-deepening relationship between the African Union and the United Nations.

Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is vital to achieving a safer, greener, healthier, more open and more resilient continent. I would like to make four key points in this respect. First, I want to underline the importance of collaboration in promoting and consolidating democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. The United Kingdom strongly condemns the military’s arrest of civilian members of the Sudan’s transitional Government. We are deeply concerned about the reports of protesters being shot. The United Kingdom has been a consistent and firm advocate for democratic and peaceful transition in the Sudan. The recent acts of the military represent an unacceptable betrayal of the Sudanese people and their journey to democracy, and I welcome the AU’s robust response and its suspension of the Sudan. Secondly, I want to emphasize the importance of United Nations-AU coordination in promoting political solutions to conflicts. The situation in northern Ethiopia is absolutely unacceptable. I am horrified by the humanitarian effects. More than 5 million people in Tigray require urgent aid, but less than 10 per cent of their humanitarian needs are being met. There are continuing credible reports of the abhorrent use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, particularly targeting women and girls. We are supporting life-saving efforts on the ground, and I reiterate our calls for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and dialogue. I welcome the efforts of AU Special Envoy Obasanjo and others to promote dialogue between the parties to the conflict in Tigray. We need to step these efforts up. It is absolutely vital that they yield results. Thirdly, let me emphasize the importance we attach to the AU’s role in peace operations. I pay tribute to the efforts of the countries contributing police and troops to the African Union Mission to Somalia, and we look forward to receiving the joint United Nations-AU proposal for an AU-led successor mission. This must be based on a model supported by all key stakeholders, including the Somalis. Finally, I want to note the importance of the United Nations-AU partnership in tackling global challenges to Africa’s peace and stability and working for a more stable, prosperous future. On my recent visit to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, I saw first-hand the impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and climate change. The United Kingdom is supporting African responses to these challenges. We have provided $27 million to the AU’s COVID-19 Response Fund. We are one of the leading donors to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility, which has helped 47 African countries to access around 65 million vaccine doses. We will continue supporting this vital work. We are also working with the AU to support its Green Recovery Action Plan and to showcase African climate action at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow. We are providing technical assistance for the African Continental Free Trade Area. The United Kingdom was the first non-African country to sign a partnership agreement. It offers huge opportunities — a common African market would have a combined gross domestic product of $2.5 trillion and when fully implemented could lead to a 33 per cent increase in intra-African trade. Through our presidency of the Group of Seven, we are working with development finance institutions to boost investment in African countries. And we are supporting the empowerment of African women and girls, including through education. Educating and empowering girls is absolutely essential if countries are to realize their full potential. The Global Education Summit, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson was honoured to co-host with you, Mr. President, in July, raised a record $4 billion, including a United Kingdom pledge of $600 million. That will enable 88 million more children to attend school by 2025, including many millions of girls in Africa. The United Nations-AU partnership is a crucial platform for all these efforts, and it is one that will continue to have the United Kingdom’s full support.

It is a great honour for me to participate in this high-level debate organized by Kenya. Now is the time to discuss the need to enhance our cooperation and renew solidarity. Our world is becoming more and more complex, with challenges such as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and climate change having clear implications for international peace and security. The debate on enhancing cooperation with regional organizations and renewing solidarity is therefore very timely and relevant. Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union is crucial to maintaining peace and security. Estonia believes that in order to contribute to conflict prevention, we should focus on three priority areas. First, more cooperation is needed on climate change. The negative effects of climate change have already hit hard, especially in Africa. A new United Nations report highlights Africa’s disproportionate vulnerability to food insecurity, poverty and population displacement due to climate change. The focus of the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union must be on tackling climate change, as one of the greatest challenges of our time. Secondly, respect for and the protection of human rights are fundamental cornerstones of the efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in Africa. Weak rule-of-law and judicial institutions are one of the primary underlying reasons that safeguards for human rights are insufficiently developed. Building fair and trustworthy accountability mechanisms for serious violations across the continent should be one of our strategic priorities in the collaboration between the United Nations and the African Union. Thirdly, empowering women and youth must be at the core of our cooperation efforts. Again, without the full, meaningful and effective participation of women and young people, we cannot realistically expect to build sustainable societies and lasting peace. More needs to be done in this area. Estonia believes that with genuine effort and focus, we can do more within the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. The objective of today’s debate is to raise awareness and share the assessment of these trends. The situation is alarming, and we need to act together. The Sahel region is especially vulnerable to these negative developments. Estonia contributes in the region by participating in various missions in the Sahel. Yes, African solutions are needed for African challenges, but at the same time, this is also our collective responsibility, as no State should be left alone to fight global challenges. The security architecture is there. The United Nations and the African Union are working together. Africa is an important stakeholder in international peacebuilding efforts. The Common African Position on the United Nations peacebuilding architecture calls for enhanced efforts to implement Agenda 2063. That includes its flagship programme, Silencing the Guns. While it is the job of Africa’s leaders to define how to silence the guns, we as the international community are there to help them. We encourage regional and subregional organizations to make full use of their comparative advantage. We also welcome the continuing important efforts and enhanced peacekeeping role of the African Union and subregional organizations. The African Union Mission in Somalia and the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel are crucial contributors to the security of their respective countries and regions. We need to ensure effective and orderly transitions to their renewed mandates in order to consolidate peace and development gains and reduce the risk of relapses and insurgencies. To conclude my statement on Africa’s role in maintaining peace and security, it is pertinent to recall the Secretary-General’s recent report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), which notes that the Security Council could be made more representative for the twenty-first century through reforms such as enlargement, including better representation for Africa. Estonia agrees with this assessment.

I welcome His Excellency President Kenyatta in presiding over today’s meeting, and thank Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and Mr. Donald Kaberuka, African Union High Representative for the Peace Fund, for their briefings. We also welcome President Akufo-Addo of Ghana to the meeting. The United Nations and the African Union are close partners. In the context of drastic changes in the political, economic, and social situations both globally and in Africa, and in the face of various new challenges, the United Nations and the African Union need to strengthen their cooperation more than ever. Kenya’s initiative to hold this high-level meeting provides us with an important opportunity to discuss how the United Nations and the African Union can adapt to the new situation and better maintain peace and security in Africa. We believe the two sides should implement in-depth cooperation in the following areas. First, we must help Africa overcome the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as soon as possible. That was the shared view expressed by the leaders of African countries during the general debate of the General Assembly this year. According to World Health Organization estimates, nearly 6 billion doses of vaccines have been given worldwide, only 2 per cent of which are in Africa. The African continent has a target of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population by the end of the year, but it has a vaccine gap of as many as 500 million doses. We call on developed countries to stop stockpiling vaccines, increase their assistance to Africa and distribute safe and affordable vaccines in Africa as soon as possible. It is essential to promote the exemption of developing countries, including African countries, from intellectual property rights to vaccines, and to ensure the localized production of vaccines. This is key to helping Africa overcome the pandemic and respond to potential new epidemics in the future. Since the outbreak first began, China has provided anti-epidemic materials that have been distributed all over Africa. China’s COVID-19 vaccine has been shipped to more than 40 African countries. With China’s assistance, the headquarters of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is speeding up construction. The local vaccine plant in Egypt, supported by China, has been officially established and has begun production. China will continue to help Africa with real action to win the final victory in the fight against the pandemic. Secondly, we must help Africa resolve its outstanding problems in the area of peace and security. The African Union and subregional organizations have geographical, historical and cultural advantages and can play a unique role in resolving contentious issues in Africa. The African Union’s peace operations in Somalia and the Sahel, aimed at actively responding to security challenges, are an important part of solving African problems in Africa. The United Nations should encourage international partners to increase their support in order to ensure predictable and sustainable funding sources for autonomous peace operations in Africa. The Islamic State and other terrorist groups are spreading in Africa. We support the United Nations in increasing support for African countries and helping them improve their independent counter-terrorism capabilities. The situations in Mali, the Sudan and other countries have undergone new changes recently. The African Union and the relevant African subregional organizations have worked actively to ease those situations and played an important role. They should continue to receive support and cooperation from the Security Council. In December, the Security Council and the African Union will hold their annual consultations. We must make good use of this mechanism, deepen our communication and inject new impetus into peace and security in Africa. Thirdly, we must work to end the root causes of conflicts in Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic poses special challenges to Africa’s economic recovery. At the same time, the post-pandemic recovery efforts also represent an opportunity to promote inclusive development and eliminate the root causes of conflict. The Secretary-General’s recent report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) suggests that peacebuilding efforts should be strengthened and crisis prevention emphasized. We hope that the follow-up to the report will focus on supporting peacebuilding in Africa and mobilizing more resources to help resolve African countries’ actual difficulties. We must focus on helping African countries, especially those emerging from conflict, strengthen Governments’ capacity-building, improve their governance capabilities, promote sustainable development and encourage social inclusiveness and cohesion. The United Nations Development Programme should vigorously support Africa in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and step up its efforts in the areas of poverty eradication, food security, infrastructure construction, education and employment. Fourthly, we must support the unity and self-reliance of African countries. The colonial era is long past, but the legacy of colonialism is far from being resolved, and it still has a negative impact on Africa’s prosperity and stability. Africa has a tradition of independence and self-reliance, and the African Union is the flag- bearer of Africa’s unity and self-improvement. We must respect the sovereignty and dominance of African countries and support them in exploring development paths that suit their national conditions. African people know best how to solve African problems, and African countries should have the greatest say in how to govern Africa. China is opposed to interfering in the internal affairs of African countries and imposing governance models, instigating conflicts or creating divisions among them, as well as to using aid and cooperation to attach political conditions for political gain. Such practices have no market in Africa and are destined to be ineffective. The Southern African Development Community has designated 25 October as a Counter Sanctions Day. China supports the just calls of African countries in this regard and urges the countries involved to lift unilateral sanctions on Zimbabwe, the Sudan and other countries. China has always been a good friend, brother and partner to Africa. We have always maintained that the United Nations and the Security Council should strengthen their dialogue and coordination with the African Union, increase their support for the African Union and African countries as a priority and include them in their daily work. The China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund has been actively supporting projects in Africa such as capacity-building for peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, combating violent extremism, and conflict prevention, and has seen positive results. The eighth session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in Senegal in November. China sees this as an opportunity to achieve peace and stability and post-pandemic recovery in Africa, and to play a greater role in encouraging the international community to increase its support for Africa.

I would like to thank Kenya and President Kenyatta for this opportunity to highlight the importance of the ties between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). I would first like to stress the African Union’s central role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. There are many examples where its involvement has made it possible to make progress in resolving crises — in Madagascar in 2018, in the Sudan in 2019 and even with regard to the Grand Renaissance Dam, as well as in the Central African Republic and the Sahel. However, these are efforts that we have to keep undertaking over and over again, as the coup d’état in the Sudan has unfortunately just shown us. I also want to acknowledge the commitment of the Economic Community of West African States, under the leadership of Ghana’s presidency, in supporting the transition in Mali. In that context, the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union is an essential tool for ensuring peace and security on the African continent in accordance with the principles outlined in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. For the United Nations cannot forget what peacekeeping owes to African countries. African contingents make up nearly 50 per cent of the Blue Helmets deployed in peace operations. I am also thinking of African-led operations, from the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad basin to the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel. The progress that the Joint Force has made in recent years is significant. As the Secretary-General has recommended and done so again recently, a United Nations logistical support office funded from the regular peacekeeping budget would be the best way to provide predictable and sustainable support in the shortest amount of time. The Security Council cannot ignore this need any longer and should assume its responsibilities in that regard. For my second point, I would like to emphasize that cooperation with the African Union is also essential in the areas of health and sustainable development. Ensuring equitable and universal access to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines must remain our priority. These vaccines must become new global public goods. As the Council is aware, Africa is the main beneficiary of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative and the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility, funded with more than $3 billion from the European Union and its member States, which have enabled more than 102 million doses to be distributed to 52 African States so far. And as of April we are proud to have been the first nation to give, in addition to financial support, our own doses via COVAX, distributed according to the equitable allocation framework defined by the World Health Organization. Our goal now is to deliver 120 million doses by mid-2022, and 60 million of them by the end of this year. Turning to sustainable development, we cannot contemplate it without an ambitious response to climate change and efforts in the field of environmental protection, actions that the AU must be closely associated with. Sustainable development also involves economic development. That was the purpose of the Summit on Financing African Economies, organized by France in May, and of the ambitious commitments made there. Lastly, we must mobilize in order to deepen the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. The United Nations must continue to support the Silencing the Guns in Africa initiative and achieving the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, especially with regard to threats such as terrorism and violent extremism. We must also fight together against the resurgence of the scourge of mercenaries, which is a factor in destabilization. I am thinking in particular of the foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya. It will be essential to initiate a withdrawal process, as the Libyans themselves have demanded, to strengthen the security of Libya and the region. We want to make progress in that direction at the Paris Conference on Libya on 12 November, in which neighbouring countries and the AU will be closely involved. The process should be supported by demobilization, disarmament and reintegration programmes. I also have in mind the Wagner mercenaries who have been acting with impunity throughout the territory of Central Africa, whose abuses are well established and whose presence is incompatible with peace efforts in the Central African Republic and everywhere else. Lastly, we must move forward on the issue of financing African peace operations. France supports the sustainable and predictable financing of African peace operations jointly by the AU and the United Nations, including through compulsory contributions. The negotiations between the Council and the African Union should be resumed. France will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations to strengthen its ties with the African Union.

Mexico would like to thank you, President Kenyatta, for organizing this debate contributing to strengthening the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). I want to highlight four areas where Mexico considers it important to promote greater collaboration between the two organizations. The first is attention to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It is vital to ensure that the international community, coordinated by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, supports the efforts of the African Union to combat the spread of the virus through the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19. It is unacceptable that only 5 per cent of Africa’s population is fully vaccinated. That is why we consider it a priority to strengthen international cooperation to guarantee access to vaccines against COVID-19, as well as to support the post-pandemic economic recovery. As we have already pointed out a number of times, the COVID-19 vaccine should be considered a global public good and universal access to it guaranteed. Secondly, I would like to point to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Unfortunately, the African continent continues to be disproportionately affected by unrestricted flows of weapons, especially considering that most of them come from outside the continent. The United Nations and the African Union therefore need to synergize their efforts to tackle the problem more effectively. Mexico continues to consider the Silencing the Guns initiative especially commendable. Ensuring that African States ratify and sign regional and international agreements on illicit arms trafficking will help to strengthen that initiative. The producer countries must adopt stricter controls and prevent these weapons from continuing to fuel the conflicts that threaten civilian populations in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique, among others. Thirdly, I want to highlight the importance of protecting the constitutional order. In the course of the past year there have been frequent unconstitutional changes of Government, threatening the stability of the continent and calling into question the progress it has achieved in terms of democratic governance. My country especially condemns the coup against the Transitional Government in the Sudan. We support the call of the President of the African Union Commission to prioritize dialogue and consensus in achieving a democratic transition there. In the case of Mali, we support the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States. The strategic cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations on regional peace and security should be increased by strengthening early-warning mechanisms to prevent conflicts and improving mediation and good-offices capacities. Fourthly, it is essential to strengthen electoral processes on the continent. Free, inclusive and fair elections are a cornerstone of countries’ efforts to strengthen governance and end the danger of military coups. In that regard, Mexico hopes that the elections in Libya will be held on 24 December, in accordance with the agreed schedule. We also applaud the electoral assistance and observation work that the AU has carried out in support of its member States, as in Somalia. Together with United Nations agencies and subregional organizations, it should also continue to encourage the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and the strengthening of African electoral institutions. In conclusion, Mexico would like to remind the Council that the final 2020 report of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa (S/2020/1292) included some concerns of the African members of the Security Council and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines that are still awaiting the Council’s attention, such as the need to take more rigorous account of the views of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on the issues on the Security Council’s agenda that concern the African continent.

Sir, we welcome your participation in today’s debate as President of the Security Council, and we also take note of the presence of high-ranking representatives of other countries at this video teleconference. We are grateful for the information and assessments provided by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and Mr. Donald Kaberuka, the High Representative for the Peace Fund of the African Union (AU). The Russian Federation supports the topic at the centre of today’s meeting. Indeed, the challenges that have gripped the world lately require all of us to reaffirm our previous commitments to the maintenance of peace and security in various regions, including the African continent. Our Organization’s partnership with the African Union continues to be a clear example of a successful one. It is founded on the Charter of the United Nations and on its Chapter VIII in particular. We welcome the progress that has been made in shaping the African Peace and Security Architecture, in which the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, the Continental Early Warning System and the African Standby Force play a central role. Africans are increasingly actively involved in the settlement of conflict situations on the continent, thereby proving the effectiveness of the principle of African solutions to African problems. Nor should we omit to mention the AU’s mediation efforts to resolve various crises that unfortunately continue to disturb the continent. We welcome the African Union’s decision to extend its flagship initiative on ending armed conflicts to 2030. The innovative ways in which the two organizations have cooperated amid pandemic conditions also deserve full support. We believe that in order to ensure that the assistance from the United Nations in overcoming the challenges facing the African continent is more effective, it is important to further expand the cooperation between the two organizations. Productive cooperation between the Security Council and the AU’s Peace and Security Council is especially important. We look forward to productive work between the two Councils this year within the framework of the joint meetings to be held in mid-December in Addis Ababa, as well as the preparatory committee planned for those meetings in New York. We believe that the African States are justified in raising the issue of the provision by the United Nations of material and financial assistance for their efforts to maintain international peace and security. We look forward to an agreement on a common African position on the modalities of financing African peacekeeping operations and using funds from the AU Peace Fund for that purpose. In our view, the growing threat of terrorism needs greater attention. Terrorist organizations continue to take advantage of the pandemic situation to strengthen their positions, and the continuing deterioration of the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region is particularly worrying in that regard. We are ready to share our experience on anti-terrorism issues with our African partners in order to implement projects aimed at increasing African countries’ potential ability to combat the threats of terrorism and extremism. In addition, resolving the problem of the continuing illegal unilateral sanctions on some African States would also help to improve United Nations cooperation with African countries. Such measures have only continued to expand in the past few years, undermining these countries’ ability to deal with growing challenges and threats, including the coronavirus pandemic. We have always advocated for reviewing the sanctions regimes introduced through the Security Council in a timely way. They should not have a negative effect on the ability of countries to resist organized crime and terrorism or form effective security institutions, and neither should they worsen humanitarian situations. Our country intends to further develop cooperation on a basis of equality with African partners, based on the decisions of the first ever Russia-Africa summit, which was held in the autumn of 2019. We look forward to continuing that work during the second such summit, to be held on the African continent next year.

I thank my good friend the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Security Council for the month of October, for the invitation to participate in this high-level debate of the Council in my capacity as current Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). I congratulate Kenya on its successful presidency of the Council, and as Ghana prepares to assume its seat on the Council in January 2022, we look forward to working closely with Kenya and Gabon, within the coordination mechanism of the African members of the Security Council, to advance the common interests of Africa. ECOWAS welcomes Kenya’s choice of theme for this high-level debate, and believes that true solidarity is required to deliver sustained peace and security in Africa. The continent continues to be confronted by multiple threats to the territorial integrity of some of its nations, and many of its civilian populations have been under serious threat. In several instances, the situation of instability has been complicated by an opportunistic convergence of interests among various actors, not only within the conflict areas but also from outside the continent. This unfortunate development is reflected in the events in the Sahel and the Lake Chad region, in parts of East, North and Central Africa, where ongoing conflicts, the destabilizing activities of terrorists and extremists, the profiteering activities of purveyors of conflict and the devastating effects of climate change and the coronavirus disease pandemic have resulted in a deadly cocktail with dire consequences for our socioeconomic, political and security situations. In recent months, further instability has been introduced into some parts of the continent with the overthrow of constitutional Governments, with Mali, Chad, Guinea and the Sudan notable culprits. Even as Africa is confronted with these challenges, the dynamic nature of the conflict situations on the continent is not necessarily beyond the response mechanisms of our continental and regional organizations. The African Peace and Security Architecture — supported by initiatives such as the African Union Master Road Map of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by 2020, which has now been extended to 2030, the activation of the African Union Steering Committee on Security Sector Reform in 2019, as well as the adoption in 2021 of the African Union’s Doctrine on Peace Support Operations to provide strategic guidance for the planning, conduct, management and liquidation of its operations — establishes a solid foundation for an effective response by Africa to its security challenges. Ghana applauds the continued engagement of the African Union and its regional bodies, such as ECOWAS, in addressing the security challenges on the continent. We encourage the strengthening of such arrangements. What has been lacking, however, is global solidarity and burden-sharing. As the Secretary-General acknowledged in his report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), we need to re-emphasize global solidarity and find new ways of working together for the common good. It is my hope that within the Council we will be able to renew solidarity in addressing the gaps in cooperation between the United Nations and the continental and regional arrangements of Africa. I now want to highlight a few points for the Council’s consideration. First, regular consultations between the United Nations and the African Union and its organs, such as the Peace and Security Council, as well as with regional economic communities such as ECOWAS, provide an important framework for bridging differences in the conceptual understanding of the security challenges on the continent, and for improving our harmonized understanding of the responses required to address such challenges. The collaboration has led to the development of a few initiatives, including the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security and the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. We need to deepen collaboration between the United Nations and Africa to sustain peace on the continent, rooted in shared values and a strong commitment to multilateralism. Secondly, the United Nations should enhance the wealth of experience it has in preventive diplomacy in its engagement with Africa. While I acknowledge the laudable collaboration between ECOWAS and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, for instance, I know that more is required and more could be done if greater solidarity were shown in putting resources towards the agenda of conflict prevention. In that regard, I welcome the Secretary-General’s intention to elevate prevention and mediation under the new agenda for peace outlined in Our Common Agenda. While prevention is less celebrated, a dollar spent preventing a conflict is worth something more than 10 times its value in resolving a conflict once it has broken out. Thirdly, the cooperation between the United Nations and Africa must be a steady effort towards resolving the root causes of these conflicts, within the context of sustaining peace, encompassing programmes aimed at preventing the outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of conflicts. At the heart of addressing the crises on the continent is the inclusion of women and youth in decision-making, as well as in the whole cycle of conflict management. We therefore endorse the call for the meaningful involvement of women and young people in decision-making processes. We need to further encourage capacity-building for young men and women in accordance with the parameters enshrined in the African Youth Charter, and to engage them meaningfully in contributing to the agenda of Silencing the Guns through the joint implementation of initiatives such as the Africa Young Women Fellowship on Silencing the Guns project. Fourthly, the linkage between peace and development cannot be ignored. We welcome a strengthened United Nations development system, which works with African institutions to strongly drive the continent’s development agenda based on Africa’s agreed priorities in Agenda 2063, including the further deepening of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, whose secretariat is located in Accra. With a youthful bulge, which portends opportunity, Africa also risks destabilizing the world if its vibrant, but largely unemployed, youth are not made a strong part of the industrialization and transformational agenda of Africa. The risky migratory journeys of our youths to Europe in search of greener pastures, and the radicalization of some of them by extremist groups, could compound our situation if not addressed. We cannot take chances through inadequate responses to the threats we foresee. In conclusion, I have highlighted these points not because they are the most important or most assured for the resolution of the situations on our continent, but also because, like many other effective solutions, they represent the simple ones we ignore. With a rapid increase in non-State conflicts since 2010, as the Secretary- General recently reminded us, and with over 70 per cent of the conflict issues on the agenda of the Security Council relating to Africa, it is evident that, in addition to strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union and its regional organizations, we must also consider the often-ignored simple solutions that are rooted in solidarity, and the urgent need for renewed, collective political will.