S/PV.6092 Security Council

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend invitations under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union operations, and Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2008/813, which contains the text of identical letters dated 24 December 2008 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council transmitting the report of the African Union- United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations. I should now like to make a few introductory remarks. Today’s open debate comes in the context of continuing contacts regarding the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union, in the maintenance of international peace and security under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. We have urged that this open debate be convened, fully aware that issues of peace and security are of concern not only to the African Union, but to all regional organizations. Wherever armed conflicts arise, they have severe consequences, reflected in a lack of security, in human suffering and in flows of internally displaced persons and refugees. Those problems, which are being suffered most intensely on the African continent, are imposing grave burdens on the African Union, which continues to seek to strengthen its capabilities in the maintenance of peace and security. Thus, it is essential to promote more systematic cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in addressing issues related to peace and security, particularly given the fact that the majority of United Nations peacekeeping operations are being carried out on the African continent and the need to respond swiftly to crises on the continent and provide the African Union with predictable and strengthened capacities. Today’s debate is being held to follow up on the Council’s open debate held on 16 April 2008 (see S/PV.5868), presided over by the then President of sisterly South Africa. At that meeting, resolution 1809 (2008) was adopted. It recognized the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing regional organizations when they undertake peacekeeping under a United Nations mandate. It also welcomed the Secretary-General’s proposal to set up an African Union-United Nations panel consisting of distinguished persons to consider in depth the modalities of how to support such peacekeeping operations, in particular start-up funding, equipment and logistics, and to consider in depth lessons from past and current African Union peacekeeping efforts. In September 2008, an African Union-United Nations panel was established, chaired by former Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy, who focused most specifically on ways and means to support African peacekeeping operations established under United Nations auspices. The panel carried out its work and has now submitted its report to the Security Council. On behalf of the members of the Security Council, I cannot fail to pay tribute to His Excellency the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and the African Union-United Nations panel for submitting the report with a view to useful deliberations in the Council. I welcome the presence of the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and invite him to take the floor.

I am pleased to be able to participate in this meeting of the Security Council, and I welcome the opportunity to focus both on strengthening the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) and on efforts by the international community to further enhance the AU’s capacity for peacekeeping. Before I begin, I would like to welcome you, Sir, as new Permanent Representative of your great country, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and congratulate you on assuming your role as President of the Security Council soon after having taken up your new responsibilities. I assure you of my full cooperation and support in discharging your duties not only as President of the Council, but also as Ambassador of your country. Let me also take this opportunity to welcome to the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy, and to express my appreciation for his leadership of the panel, whose report on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813) is before the Council today. Last year’s high-level debate on peace and security in Africa (see S/PV.5868), chaired by former President Mbeki on 16 April 2008, provided the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council with an opportunity to look more closely at the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in ensuring peace and security in Africa. The panel’s report, before members today, presents a number of ideas to strengthen that partnership with a view to improving our collective response to addressing conflicts in Africa. The role played by regional organizations in peace and security is indispensable to the work of this Council. I am encouraged by the progress we have made in our cooperative endeavours with the African Union Commission towards achieving peace and security in challenging areas such as Darfur and Somalia. Lessons learned from these endeavours will strengthen our cooperative work in the future. The African Union continues to develop its capacity for peacekeeping. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is supporting these efforts with a dedicated capacity and through specific programmes. The panel’s report (S/2008/813), while outlining significant remaining challenges, offers various recommendations that draw on the lessons of the past and aim at an enhanced relationship in the future. Central to this analysis is the strategic relationship between this Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, which is supported by that between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. In both cases, the relationship has been much expanded, but it has yet to develop the responsiveness that will enable us to work together to prevent conflicts rather than only respond to crises. The Department of Political Affairs has instituted a series of desk-to-desk meetings with AU counterparts, and I hope that we can build on this initiative to quickly develop a more comprehensive approach for the future. Many of the challenges facing the African Union result from the difficulties it faces in securing the necessary resources to support both its deployments and its own long-term development. A peacekeeping mission that is under-resourced can imperil the initial benefits gained by its deployment and can raise expectations without providing the means of fulfilling them. It was in this context that the panel made its recommendations to address issues of funding and resources. These recommendations have far-reaching implications and will require detailed analysis, particularly in the case of assessed contributions, which need to be considered by the requisite United Nations legislative bodies and processes. Notwithstanding the complexities, the report offers a first step in a process through which these issues can be examined comprehensively while allowing us to develop a more effective partnership. I look forward to constructive interaction with key Member States, including the members of this Council, AU members, troop-contributing countries and other stakeholders. The forthcoming retreat with Security Council members this weekend will offer a valuable opportunity to look at this issue in greater detail. The development of the African Peace and Security Architecture is crucial to an effective long- term approach to conflict prevention and resolution. This requires the sustained support of the international community, including the European Union and many bilateral partnerships. The strategic relationship between the United Nations and the AU is at the heart of this evolving framework and has the potential to affect millions of people on the African continent.

I thank the Secretary-General for his kind words to me personally and to my country. I now give the floor to Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union operations. Mr. Prodi: I am truly thankful for the opportunity given me, as Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations, to present the results of our work. Allow me to first address two basic issues. First, I deeply acknowledge both the quality of the individual contributions that each member provided during the intense work of the panel and the generous support received from United Nations staff. I am particularly thankful to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Secondly, it has been clear from the very beginning that while the terms of reference of the panel were framed in technical terms, the issues have strong political implications. The foreword to the panel’s report (S/2008/813) clarifies the link between peace and development. No peace means no development. Yet the complexities inherent in that statement are such that it is often difficult to reconcile the need for regional engagement with the capabilities available. The responsibility of regional actors to address issues of peace and security in their own regions is indisputable. This is not to say that the African Union or the regional economic communities should replace the United Nations. That is clear. Rather, the principles of the United Nations Charter must be reinforced and a framework must be developed in which our collective response can ensure an appropriate answer to any given circumstance. It was with this in mind that the panel approached its work and, in delivering its report, I hope that we can move towards a more systematic approach in our response to the challenges to peace and security in Africa. The African Union is to play its full part. It must have the means to support future short-term operational deployments, and also the capacity to develop the essential capabilities necessary for the long-term. In addressing the high-level meeting chaired by former President Mbeki, in April last year (see S/PV.5868), I underlined the need for closer cooperation between the international and the regional levels and the need for more effective responses by the international community in crisis situations. We are in a new era in which the scale and complexity of the challenges demand increased cooperation between all actors. Addressing those challenges calls for effective relationships, improved coordination and a clear understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We have come a long way in the past few years, and I acknowledge the enormous progress that has been made by the African Union and the regional economic communities of Africa. We can all learn from that process. However, that process needs to be consolidated so that it can truly enhance the capacity of the African Union to contribute to global security and enable it to play a front-line role in international efforts to bring peace to the continent. Indeed, the ability of the African Union to respond to continental crises within the context of a broader international framework requires significant capabilities. Developing those capabilities requires the permanent support of the international community, including less traditional partners and donors. We must do it in spite of the present competition for scarce resources. Achieving this objective requires improved coordination, new mechanisms and brand-new instruments. Thanks to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), significant progress has been achieved in many fields, from conflict prevention to the deployment of peacekeeping missions and the development of long-term capacity. We must ensure further progress in this direction. The APSA cannot operate in isolation, and the report emphasizes the importance of establishing a shared vision between the United Nations and the African Union when addressing issues of mutual concern. That implies new, strong coordination between the two Councils. The joint meetings that have already taken place represent a major step forward, but the panel is keen to encourage a more regular exchange through which greater continuity of approach could be cultivated and a shared vision truly established. At the level of the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretariat, the panel recognizes the great progress made and the solid basis for cooperation that has been established, both in terms of supporting operational deployments and long-term capability-building. Nonetheless, there is still significant room for improvement. Limiting operational support to individual missions is understandable, but it does not necessarily promote sustained and efficient cooperation. If the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretariat aim to develop the level of cooperation necessary to support effective mutual synergy, they must be able to work together in a much more structured way. To that end, the panel recommends the creation of a mechanism through which the respective organizations could exchange views on a more regular basis. Various potential models exist that can be used in order to implement that process without creating new structures. The ability to work together can be constrained by the limited resources of the African Union Commission. Improving coordination is therefore not sufficient. It is necessary, but not sufficient. It has to be supported by the institutional capacity that will increase African ownership of the process. That can be achieved only once the Commission is properly staffed by skilled personnel provided by the African Union’s member States. Inevitably, it is military capability that catches the headlines in terms of the development of the African Standby Force, but the report underlines the point that peace on the African continent cannot be achieved through the deployment of military force alone. Capacity needs to be developed across a wide range of activities, such as intelligence, early warning, conflict prevention, post-conflict reconciliation and reconstruction. Here, I repeat, there is a need to develop a shared vision. As recently stated by the current President of the African Union, Muammar Al-Qadhafi, if Africa does not develop a common political view it will never be in charge of its peaceful destiny. Developing a shared vision is one thing; implementing, clearly, is another. That requires partnership underpinned by credible capability, and that requires huge resources. The panel examined a range of possible options by which greater financial predictability could be built and sustained in the long term. The technical details of that proposal must be further developed in the near future. The recommendation that United Nations legislative bodies approve the use of assessed contributions under certain criteria recognizes the importance of the United Nations/African Union relationship, as well as the advantages to be gained by exploiting the African Union’s comparative advantage in quickly deploying a bridging operation until conditions are established for longer-term United Nations engagement. The panel was sensitive to the wide range of different views on that proposal, and it expressed the opinion that it is time for the United Nations to expand all aspects concerning the role of the African Union in resolving peace and security issues — of course, in coordination with the efforts of the United Nations. Similarly, the recommendations concerning the need for logistical support require much closer examination. In particular, there is an opportunity to break with some of the traditional approaches of the past and to take advantage of more innovative ideas that avoid the need to stockpile large quantities of equipment, which is something that is increasingly important in the current economic climate. In relation to long-term capacity-building, the panel recommended the establishment of a multi-donor trust fund. The very concept of a multi-donor fund implies that all those that have an interest in a peaceful Africa shall be called on to contribute financial, human and technical resources in order to build that capacity. New donors were encouraged, are encouraged and will be encouraged to start and increase their contributions. If, as we hope, a large multi-donor fund is successfully established, its size and complexity will require expertise that is found in very few international institutions. I know that this is debated, but that is why, in the start-up phase, we recommend the involvement of the United Nations Development Programme. However, in order to ensure the progressive empowerment of the African Union, the headquarters of that structure will be initially located in Addis Ababa. The African Union is expected to take over full responsibility in a short period of time, and thereafter have full ownership of the fund. Moreover, it should be stressed that, from the very beginning, the African Union will be in charge of defining priorities and projects in the area of capacity- building. In various meetings with the heads of State or Government of countries interested in supporting the role of the African Union in peacekeeping, I have found a generally positive attitude with regard our proposal for a multi-donor fund dedicated to long-term capacity-building. I understand that the engagement of a Prime Minister is different from that of a Minister for Finance, but it was very a very encouraging development. That idea also requires additional consideration in order to define the detailed modalities and to determine how it can work in synergy with existing mechanisms such as the African Peace Facility, which was created and supported by the European Union. In conclusion, I would emphasize that some of the recommendations can be implemented relatively easily, in particular those dealing with strengthening the political relationship between the United Nations and the African Union. Some of them are already moving forward as part of an ongoing process. Others require much more detailed analysis than was possible to do under the panel. The panel conducted the bulk of its work when the consequences of the current economic downturn were not yet fully expressed. Nonetheless, it is important that support for the African Union increase in the future. It is too important. We have to work better together, and we have to find more efficient instruments for cooperation. All of us must be engaged in developing the African Union’s capacity. The support of African Union member States is as critical as the material support of non-African States Members of the United Nations. Ownership must belong to Africa, but all Member States, particularly those with interests in Africa, need to be committed to supporting the process. It is clear that there cannot be development without peace, but it is also clear that peace in Africa affects not only Africa’s future but the future of all of us. This report should therefore be seen as a significant step in a longer process that will require further consultation and work for the development of its recommendations.

I thank Mr. Prodi for his briefing and statement. I now give the floor to Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union.

Mr. President, allow me at the outset to say what a pleasure it is to address the Security Council under your presidency on behalf of the African Union Commission and its Chairperson, Mr. Jean Ping, on a question of great importance for the promotion of peace, security and stability on the African continent. But first of all, I should like, Mr. President, to congratulate you upon your appointment as Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations and upon your accession to the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I am especially grateful to you, Sir, for having invited us to this debate devoted to the consideration of the report of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813). This question now lies at the very heart of the problem of strengthening the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations throughout our continent and throughout the world. In this context, we are also grateful to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his unswerving commitment to peace in Africa and to the promotion of an effective, exemplary partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. With respect to this partnership, the appointment of Chairman Romano Prodi, a faithful friend of Africa, to head this African Union-United Nations group of experts was a guarantee of the success of this endeavour, as demonstrated by the report currently being considered. I should like to convey here to Chairman Prodi, as well as to the members of the panel, the congratulations of the African Union Commission and my own. In fact, this report accurately reflects the quality of work built on the lessons learned from peacekeeping operations in Africa and opens up new, promising prospects for greater effectiveness in the African Union’s efforts in this regard via the availability of the predictable and lasting financial resources that the Union needs to further strengthen its role in the field of peace and security. The need to strengthen institutional capacities of the African Union, the increase in resources and the stabilization of peacekeeping financing in Africa are opportunely highlighted in this report. Just as pertinent are the special recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in the field of operational collaboration at various levels. The same is true with regard to the creation of new financing mechanisms that would enable us to support specific peacekeeping operations, whether through United Nations-assessed funding or by way of the proposal for a multi-donor trust fund funded by voluntary contributions. In our opinion, this measure is timely, innovative and worthy of everyone’s support. Over these last few years, regional arrangements have demonstrated renewed dynamism in the promotion of peace, security and stability in their respective regions. Nowhere is this new reality more apparent than in Africa. For a few years now, the African Union has given a new dynamic to its efforts aimed at meeting the pressing challenges facing the continent in the field of peace and security. On the basis of relevant provisions of the Protocol relating to the establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, a continental peace and security architecture has been born. Certainly, a great deal remains to be done to render this architecture fully operational. Nonetheless, significant progress has been achieved, as evidenced by the daily actions of the Peace and Security Council and the initiatives undertaken by the Panel of the Wise as well as the measures undertaken within the framework of the setting up of the Continental Early Warning System and the measures aimed at the launching in June 2010 of the African Standby Force. Moreover, the African Union and the regional mechanisms are working ever more closely together within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation concluded in January 2008. Alongside the progressive implementation of this architecture, the African Union is, on a daily basis, committed to efforts aimed at preventing, managing and settling conflicts. That the challenges are huge is clear to all. It is sufficient to skim through recent news articles on the continent to see that. However, today, we have a strong political will to face those difficulties by stepping up efforts to ensure that structural prevention, mediation and good offices enable us to keep latent tensions and crises from degenerating into open armed conflict. Africa’s experience in the field of the deployment of observers and military units has developed in various parts of the continent in sometimes especially difficult conditions. That was the case in the recent past in Burundi and the Sudan. It is the case today in Somalia, where battalions deployed by Uganda and Burundi within the framework of African Union Mission in Somalia are bravely striving to support the incipient progress of the Somali people on their road to peace, reconciliation, security and stability. In undertaking such initiatives, the African Union is of course discharging its own political responsibilities, and clearly such actions are eloquent proof of an African solidarity that yearns to be proactive and that wants other African States to stand side by side with Somalia in its ordeal. At the same time, the African Union, through all these initiatives in the field of restoring peace and in promoting and supporting peace, is also acting on behalf of the international community, specifically on behalf of the Security Council, which bears the main burden in the maintenance of international peace and security. It is thus in this context that the African Union has requested that the United Nations, within the framework of Chapter VIII of its Charter, consider the possibility of financing, via regularly assessed contributions, peacekeeping operations undertaken by the African Union or under its authority and with the consent of the Security Council. The process launched following that request, pursuant to a well-advised proposal submitted by South Africa, has resulted in the report submitted for the Council’s consideration today. I wish to express the deep appreciation of the African Union Commission to Ms. Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, for her country’s and her personal commitment to undertaking this noble project. Indisputably, the report being considered today is an important step in the overall efforts aimed at building the capacities of the African Union, meeting the challenges facing the continent in the field of peace and security, and mobilizing increased support from the international community. The recommendations on the financing of African Union peacekeeping operations are, from that point of view, of special importance. The President of the African Union Peace and Security Council for March will have the opportunity to share with Council members the specific contributions that the Peace and Security Council wishes to make directly to the Council’s consideration of the issue. The future of maintaining international peace and security requires creativity and boldness from all of us. Greater decentralization or devolution, requiring harmonized efforts at the global and regional levels and cohesive strategies, is an ever more essential part of addressing the major challenges in the field of peace and security facing the international community, especially in Africa. At a time when Africa, having correctly anticipated the new realities and requirements of peacekeeping and acquired a comprehensive and progressively operational peace and security architecture — of which the African Standby Force must be a rapid and effective tool — it is necessary to effectively meet the challenge of financing equitably and as a shared responsibility. The Prodi report stands as a qualitative and decisive step in that direction. The African Union will spare no effort to ensure that the guidance and recommendations of the report are turned into realities, to the greatest benefit of peace and security throughout our continent and the world.

I thank Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, for his briefing. In accordance with the understanding reached among Council members, I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate the texts in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa.

We thank you, Sir, for allowing us to participate and share our views on the important issue of strengthening the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union (AU), at today’s open meeting. I also take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of March. My delegation is also grateful to the Secretary- General for his statement and participation in this meeting. Our appreciation also goes to Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union operations, for introducing his important report (S/2008/813), and we hope that he will continue to accompany the process to its logical conclusion. Today, the need to strengthen and enhance the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations remains more important than ever before because we are seeing an increased reliance on regional organizations in addressing and resolving some of the conflicts facing us. We are encouraged to note that, over the years, the cooperation between the United Nations and the AU has improved. The recent partnership between the United Nations and the AU in the deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur is testimony to the fact that United Nations cooperation and partnership with regional organizations are crucial. In addition, we commend the decision of the Security Council to adopt a resolution approving the proposals to strengthen and provide support to the African Union Mission in Somalia. We hope that positive development will lead to greater and more systematic cooperation and partnership. Notwithstanding the need for enhanced cooperation and partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations, that cooperation does not seek to absolve the Security Council of its Charter-mandated responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security. In that context, the Security Council remains the main international body entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. South Africa believes strongly that we should coordinate our collective security efforts under the auspices of United Nations. It is for this reason that, during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, South Africa focused on the important question of the enhancement of the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union. Among others, resolution 1809 (2008) recognizes the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing regional organizations when they undertake peacekeeping under United Nations authority. Furthermore, the said resolution welcomed the Secretary-General’s proposal to establish an African Union-United Nations panel to consider in depth the modalities of how to support peacekeeping operations. South Africa welcomes the report of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union operations. We also commend the tireless efforts of Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the panel and other members of the panel, in preparing the report. As noted in paragraph 4 of the report, the panel consulted as widely as possible with the United Nations, the African Union and other relevant interlocutors. South Africa welcomes the bold recommendations contained in the report of the panel. It should, however, be noted that those recommendations reflect a work in progress and do not provide conclusive answers on ensuring necessary, sustainable and predictable resources for African peacekeeping operations undertaken by the African Union. My delegation welcomes the panel’s recommendations, in particular in paragraph 90 of the report relating to the use of United Nations-assessed contributions. The issue of the funding of regional peacekeeping operations remains central to enhancing and streamlining the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union. We believe that this recommendation is the first important step towards addressing the most important constraints that limit Africa’s capacity to resolve conflicts on our continent. For its part, the AU remains committed to resolving African conflicts. The operationalization of the AU Peace and Security Council and the Continental Early Warning System, post-conflict reconstruction and development and the Panel of the Wise and the African Standby Force are clear indications of that resolve and the basic framework for addressing peace and security on the continent. However, that commitment is not matched by the resources at its disposal. For its part, the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, should augment its efforts in a concrete manner. The issue of capacity-building is equally important. My delegation concurs with the argument raised by the panel on the importance of enhancing the institutional capacity of the AU. We believe that any efforts aimed at improving that area should build on existing mechanisms. In that context, we commend the ongoing efforts by various stakeholders aimed at providing support to the AU in the area of capacity- building. In particular, my delegation would like to acknowledge the continuing pivotal role that the European Union, through the new African Peace Facility, is playing in enhancing the early response mechanism of the African-led mediation and peace support operations. My delegation fully supports the panel’s view that its recommendations are only an initial phase in a long-term process of developing and supporting the AU’s own capacity. In that regard, South Africa endorses the panel’s recommendation that a joint African Union-United Nations team should be established to examine the detailed modalities to support the recommendations made in the report. We would also like to say that we share the views of the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Mr. Lamamra, and thank him for being here. In conclusion, we are pleased that the Security Council will adopt a presidential statement that contains language addressing common and mutual challenges and opportunities facing both the United Nations and the AU. For its part, South Africa supports that statement but also lends its support to the common endeavours aimed at further enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular. We therefore hope that the Secretary- General will continue his efforts in that direction.

I thank Minister Zuma for her statement. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

The delegation of the Russian Federation, Sir, is pleased to see you assume your new functions as Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. We wish you every possible success. We note with satisfaction the presence at today’s meeting of the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Ms. Dlamini Zuma, and the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Mr. Lamamra. We are grateful to Mr. Prodi and the team that he leads for the comprehensive report on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813). We note the timeliness of that document. In our view, the report significantly contributes to the international community’s efforts towards settling conflicts throughout the African continent. It contains an in-depth analysis of African Union peacekeeping efforts and of ways to strengthen the peacekeeping capacities of that regional organization. It proposes a broad range of short- and long-term practical steps to bolster cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations. Clearly, the capacities and resources of the African Union need international support. In that regard, priority attention should be paid to developing a continental peace and security architecture and to establishing and operationalizing an African Standby Force. Here, it is necessary to look at coordinating the international community’s efforts to assist the African Union in increasing its own peacekeeping capacities. With regard to increasing the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, which today the Secretary-General rightly referred to as a strategic relationship, substantial positive experience has been accumulated. A joint peacekeeping force has been set up in Darfur under the aegis of the United Nations and the African Union and vigorous efforts are being made to advance the Darfur political process. African Union member States are playing an important role in stabilizing the situation in Somalia. Political and diplomatic means to avert threats and conflicts are ever more topical. Here, a key role should lie with the Africans themselves. The peacekeeping efforts of the African Union and of subregional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States, the Southern African Development Community and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, as well as mediation missions by prominent African political actors, have on a number of occasions contributed to achieving significant advances in regional stability. Experience has shown the effectiveness of the model of the preventive deployment of regional peacekeeping operations in hot spots throughout the continent with subsequent transfer of those missions to the United Nations. We share the assessment of Mr. Prodi’s report that the crux of today’s peacekeeping operations lies in the fact that no single organization can alone resolve these issues. Furthering collective approaches are necessary to effectively overcome today’s threats and challenges and demand the consistent stepping up of cooperation among the United Nations, the Security Council and its regional partners. Such cooperation should be based on the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1) and the United Nations Charter, in particular Chapter VIII. The provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter provide a sound legal basis for conducting African peacekeeping operations sanctioned by the Security Council, helping set up an African security architecture. African mechanisms aimed at preventing and settling conflicts must become fully operational. In the past few years, the Council has repeatedly considered the issue of stepping up practical cooperation with regional organizations. Today’s debate, which is focused on practical cooperation with the African Union, is further confirmation of the serious attention the Security Council is paying to developing effective strategies to preserve peace and security in Africa. The report’s recommendations deserve close attention and substantive further development. Many of those recommendations touch upon the interests of all States Member of our global Organization. The recommendations on providing temporary logistical and financial support to African Union peacekeeping operations from Member States’ assessed contributions should be carefully analysed both by the United Nations Secretariat and by the General Assembly. The Russian Federation is actively participating in drawing up and implementing an international programme of strategic support for Africa, including strengthening the peacekeeping capacities of the African Union. Russian peacekeepers are active in almost all United Nations peacekeeping operations throughout the African continent. A Russian helicopter unit is deployed as part of the United Nations mission in the Sudan. Another helicopter unit is deployed as part of the European Union-led peacekeeping force in Chad and the Central African Republic and will soon start discharging its duties as part of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad. Russia’s specialized training institutions are implementing a training programme for African peacekeeping personnel. In conclusion, I would like to state the readiness of the Russian delegation to endorse the draft presidential statement that is being prepared by Libya. We hope that today’s discussion will serve to lend new impetus to the practical cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union.

I wish, Sir, to welcome you and to congratulate you upon assuming the post of Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the presidency of the Security Council. I also wish to thank you for organizing this important debate, which has given the wider United Nations membership an opportunity to contribute to a discussion on peace and security in Africa. I wish to welcome Ms. Dlamini Zuma, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, whose presence here is a fitting tribute to the important role that South Africa played while on the Security Council in having the discussion on modalities for supporting peacekeeping operations on the Council’s agenda. I also wish to welcome the Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel, Mr. Romano Prodi, and thank him and other members of the panel for the good work they have done. Let me also recognize the presence of Ambassador Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union. I wish to thank the guests for the statements they have made, and also to thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations for being with us and for his statement. This debate today is an opportunity for the United Nations to focus once again on peace and security in Africa. Uganda commends the panel for the report. It is significant that from the outset the report recognizes the primacy of the United Nations Security Council in matters of international peace and security, which is very fundamental. The report also emphasizes the need to enhance the strategic relationship between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) as the basis for a more effective partnership when addressing issues of mutual interest. As many in this Council know, conflicts have devastated many parts of the African continent. They have caused untold economic and social damage and have adversely affected the continent’s development. Apart from causing human suffering, those conflicts aggravate poverty and create breeding grounds for the emergence of new security threats, including international crime and terrorism. It is significant to note that in the last decade Africa has shown great resolve and has exhibited much stronger political will in efforts to end conflicts on the continent. Africa has demonstrated greater responsibility in finding solutions to many of those conflicts. Since its establishment, the AU Peace and Security Council has made a tremendous contribution towards peace and security in Africa. Africa has developed its own capacity to respond to crises, and we have seen in recent times the pivotal role the African Union has played in settling crises on the continent in places such as Comoros, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burundi. African ownership has been clearly demonstrated through the contribution of troops, logistics, political management of conflicts and finances, according to Africa’s capacity. It is for these reasons that Uganda emphasizes the need for clarity in the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union, especially between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission, as the basis for a more effective partnership on peace and security. The role of regional arrangements is acknowledged in the Charter of the United Nations and should rightly be the basis for building a solid partnership. The demands placed on the United Nations for intervention have shown that there needs to be a division of responsibilities between the United Nations and regional organizations such as the African Union in the spheres of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding in order to make possible more effective and comprehensive responses to conflict situations. Such division of labour should take advantage of the different capabilities. As the report rightly states, “There is a significant synergy to be achieved in drawing on the respective capacities of both organizations and exercising the comparative advantage that each can offer” (S/2008/813, para. 6). It is essential that the concept of sharing responsibilities for the execution of missions for the maintenance of international peace and security between the United Nations and the AU is clearly understood. Uganda therefore welcomes the establishment of a more effective relationship between the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council and between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. Decisions pertaining to the setting up of missions, the mandates conferred, the composition of the force, the rules of engagement and reviews of conduct and performance of such missions from time to time can and should be made with consultations with all involved. Lessons have been learned from various peacekeeping operations in Africa. One is the need to develop capacity to support operations. As the report rightly points out, the African Union will be able to respond to crises effectively only if there is sufficient political and financial commitment by its own member States and also by the international community. By all accounts, lack of resources remains the single biggest challenge limiting the ability of missions to implement their mandates effectively. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has provided examples that have shown that the reliance on unpredictable sources of funding has been a disincentive to potential troop-contributing countries, who are understandably reluctant to commit to missions that they see as under-resourced, especially when that is accompanied by a lack of any guarantee of sustained reimbursement of resources. The proposed establishment of a trust fund as one of the secondary sources of funding is welcome. However, that requires that issues of the predictability and sustainability of such a fund be addressed. The management of the proposed trust fund would also need further elaboration, with a view to creating a management system that is flexible, transparent and rapid. The establishment of a predictable, sustainable and flexible financing mechanism for United Nations- mandated peacekeeping operations undertaken by the African Union is important. Since the AU acts on behalf of the United Nations Security Council in accordance with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, it is imperative that the primary source of funding for peacekeeping operations be United Nations-assessed contributions. That underscores the collective responsibility provided for in the Charter. Finally, I wish once again to commend the panel for the report. Peacekeeping is and remains an essential and indispensable tool available to the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. Its viability and effectiveness will be greatly enhanced if there is closer cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and the AU. The debate today is part of a process, and Uganda will continue actively participating in this process in order to identify feasible actions that can ensure timely intervention so that conflicts, particularly in Africa, can be prevented and many precious lives saved. Uganda subscribes to and supports the Libyan- initiated presidential statement, which, we think, would be a logical outcome to this important debate.

I wish to begin, Sir, by welcoming you as the new Permanent Representative of Libya and congratulating you on your assumption of the Chair as President of the Council for this month. I also want to thank Prime Minister Prodi for his leadership and to thank the other members of the African Union-United Nations panel for their valuable discussion of ways to strengthen the African Union’s capacity to organize more effective peacekeeping operations. I am pleased to welcome here as well today Foreign Minister Zuma of South Africa and African Union (AU) Commissioner Lamamra, who have both made enormous contributions in this field. We are glad to have this chance to discuss ways to further deepen the important partnership on peacekeeping between the United Nations and the African Union, a partnership that we steadfastly support and one that lets both the United Nations and the AU do far more than either could do on its own. We look forward to further efforts to ensure that the two organizations coordinate smoothly and draw upon their own unique strengths. In the past, United Nations partnerships with the AU and other, subregional, organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have helped end conflicts and protect vulnerable civilians. The question today is how best to build upon those successes, carry out peacekeeping operations more effectively and promote peace and stability across the continent. Africa’s needs are great, but so are the contributions that Africans have made for many years to keeping the peace. We salute the many African countries that have contributed troops and otherwise supported peace operations across the continent — and, indeed, beyond the continent. And in particular we recognize the ongoing courage of the African Union’s decision to become the first body to deploy troops to Darfur when the situation there was and is at its most uncertain, unstable and risky. Tragically, this week’s further loss of life has reminded us again how brave the troops of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur are and how crucial their life- saving mission is. We also want to express thanks for and acknowledge the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices of the Governments of Uganda and Burundi as they play a crucial role in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), where the circumstances are indeed dangerous and where lives have been lost. Reading the report before us today (S/2008/813) suggests several important steps forward. Let me discuss a few of them briefly. First, we should work together to further enhance the AU secretariat’s capacity to plan, manage and sustain peacekeeping operations in the field over the long term. My Government also encourages the secretariats of both the United Nations and the African Union to share the burden of planning for joint operations and to further develop mechanisms to make coordination on joint missions easier and smoother. Secondly, as the panel as noted, peacekeeping is not the only tool, or even always the best one, to handle every conflict. The panel recommends that the African Union also increase its capacities in the areas of conflict prevention, crisis management and post- conflict peacebuilding and stabilization. We welcome that call. Thirdly, we are pleased to note that the panel has recommended that a trust fund mechanism be created to coordinate donor assistance to the ongoing project of stronger African Union peacekeeping. The United States encourages donor nations to join in assisting the AU, either through a trust fund or through bilateral programmes. Fourthly, we must recognize how seriously peacekeeping ventures in Africa can be undermined by insufficient resources. This is indeed a major challenge, and we hope we can work together to look at ways to do better in the future. The United States has already taken a leading role in the effort to build up Africa’s peacekeeping capacities and to support operations already in the field. Starting with the African Crisis Response Initiative in the 1990s and United States training and equipment support for African contingents that deployed then to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, the United States has led efforts to help build African peacekeeping capacity. Just since 2005, we have trained and equipped more than 68,000 African peacekeeping troops from 22 countries through the Global Peace Operation Initiative’s African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance programme. These troops have joined in peacekeeping missions across the continent under the auspices of the United Nations, the AU and subregional organizations such as ECOWAS. Since 2005, through Global Peace Operation Initiative’s programmes amounting to more than $7 million, the United States has provided funding, equipment, advisers and technical assistance to help the AU and ECOWAS secretariats build up their peacekeeping capabilities. We have also extensive materiel, logistical and technical support to AU peacekeeping forces in Darfur and Somalia. We urge our colleagues on the Council to increase significantly their bilateral contributions to AMISOM. We encourage other donors to follow suit, and we hope that additional countries will consider contributing to AMISOM to join in this important effort. There is much more for all of us to do, but we look forward to working together to create a more peaceful, prosperous and secure Africa.

I wish at the outset, Mr. President, to welcome you as the new Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations and to thank you for having convened this meeting to consider the report of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to peacekeeping operations undertaken by regional organizations, in particular the African Union (AU), under a United Nations mandate (S/2008/813). I am particularly pleased to welcome the presence of the Secretary-General, the delegation from the African Union, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, and members of the AU-United Nations panel. The presence of such distinguished individuals guarantees open and fruitful discussions aimed at ensuring better interaction between the African Union and the United Nations to continue and strengthen peace and security worldwide, in particular in Africa. Today’s debate follows the 16 April 2008 meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council (see S/PV.5868). It serves to strengthen our belief in the importance of close and constant relations between the two organizations with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security. It is clear that Africa is the region most affected by crises and conflicts which are broad in their scope and which thus pose a serious direct threat to international peace and security. Unfortunately, however, despite Africa’s commitment to safeguarding world peace, its action remains constrained by a limited capacity to carry out by itself long-term peacekeeping operations or operations in complex crisis situations that require multifaceted intervention. In its resolution 1809 (2008), the Security Council was thus correct to endorse the Secretary- General’s proposal that a high-level panel of experts be established to consider modalities for support to peacekeeping operations undertaken by regional organizations, in particular the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for regional organizations when they undertake United Nations- mandated peace operations. In our view, the report’s conclusions are clear-minded and relevant, and we reiterate our thanks to the panel. While we acknowledge that the Security Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, it is clear today that the complexity of conflicts and threats to peace requires a collective response. In other words, the United Nations must act together with other international organizations. Thus, the African Union and subregional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have become engaged in conflict settlement — including in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire — by providing an initial response to crises before the United Nations takes over. The lessons drawn from those operations hopefully reflect the political commitment of those organizations and, above all, the objective difficulties they face in supporting long-term missions. It should be noted that the African Union has experienced some problems assuming leadership of peacekeeping operations on the continent, and the report very clearly indicates that. The handicap is not insurmountable and requires first and foremost the genuine political will of the United Nations and the African Union to engage in open cooperation in accordance with the regional arrangements recognized under the United Nations Charter. In the context of peacekeeping, because regional and subregional organizations can be seen as decentralized initiatives of the Security Council, it would be useful to study and consider ways and means of strengthening the African Union’s institutional capacities in peacekeeping and security, and to provide it with the support necessary to establish the African Peace and Security Architecture and to create a standing capacity to respond rapidly to conflicts. Improved interaction between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council is clearly essential to making their respective peacemaking and peacekeeping activities more effective. Ultimately, as I have said, the African Union acts on behalf and in the name of the Security Council, and a judicious division of labour needs to be established between the two organizations. While we recognize the importance of peacekeeping activities, it is equally necessary to stress prevention and mediation and to exploit the comparative advantages of regional and subregional organizations to that end. These have the advantage not only of being able to grasp the extent of crises from the outset, but also and above all of helping to avoid ruinous spending on peacekeeping operations whose outcome is uncertain. We must continue, in the framework of effective partnership, to strengthen the mediation and settlement capacities of regional organizations, pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Charter. In that regard, the establishment of a joint African Union/United Nations mediation support team is encouraging on several levels. In conclusion, we welcome yet again the recommendations contained in the report of the panel, which represent an important phase in the reciprocal efforts to strengthen the African Union’s capacity to meet the challenges facing the African continent and to mobilize greater international support. We also appreciate the panel’s approach in consulting the greatest possible number of actors within the United Nations, the African Union, the regional economic communities, the European Union and Member States, and in presenting its report cautiously and thoughtfully. Neither the Security Council nor the regional organizations — the African Union in particular — can shirk their responsibility for peacekeeping under the relevant provisions of the Charter. They must pool their efforts and define the framework of their partnership and interventions. We wish once again to thank the Chairman of the panel, Mr. Romano Prodi, and the members of his team for their valuable contribution. We encourage Mr. Prodi to remain available to lend his experience and expertise to the process of reflection on how to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Burkina Faso thanks the Libyan presidency of the Council for its efforts to ensure the adoption of a presidential statement at the conclusion of this debate.

I should like first of all to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the duties of Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and to thank you and the Libyan presidency of the Security Council for organizing this important open debate. I also thank Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa; Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union; and former Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi for their important contributions and valuable remarks. Croatia recognizes the primary responsibility and leading role of the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security as the only global body mandated with that task. Nevertheless, we have all come to agree that this global task can be more effectively implemented with active engagement at the regional, subregional and national levels. Optimally, because of their interrelated nature, those three levels of responsibility — global, regional and national — should act in harmony in order to achieve peace and security, respecting the principles of subsidiarity, the clear division of labour and effectiveness. In that respect, regional organizations should assume their share of the responsibility, as appropriate, in global/regional partnership mechanisms. I would mention that this week we have witnessed a transfer of authorities from the European Union-led peacekeeping force in Chad to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad — a good example of successful cooperation with a regional organization. The African Union is an organization set to build an even more solid and permanent architecture in order to address the numerous challenges facing Africa. In that respect, the African Union is a fitting regional partner for the Security Council and the United Nations in general in the project to achieve peace and stability in the continent. The question remains how to maximize the comparative advantages of each respective partner, thus making the best use of this United Nations/African Union partnership. We would like to emphasize a couple of points in that respect. First, any true and effective partnership must have a common vision and shared expectations of which goals can realistically be achieved. The strengthening of ties and increased contacts between appropriate United Nations and African Union structures seems like a good step towards achieving a better understanding of, among other things, each partner’s role, ability and limitations. Thus, we welcome and support initiatives aimed at that goal. Secondly, we could not agree more that the concept of conflict prevention should be strengthened and given more prominence in the work of the United Nations/African Union partnership. The United Nations has continuously built up its conflict prevention capacities, including through the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. The African Union has also created its own preventive diplomacy mechanisms, including the Panel of the Wise and the Continental Early Warning System. All this represents a positive and most welcome development. Thirdly, we stress the importance of capacity- building as a way of enhancing the African Union’s effectiveness and efficiency as it performs tasks the organization has set for itself with respect to conflict prevention, management and resolution. In that regard, we see merit in the proposal to establish a voluntary multi-donor trust fund to address capacity-building issues. As for the African Union’s peacekeeping efforts, we firmly believe that they cannot be separated from the broader deliberations, including those initiated by the United Kingdom and France, on re-evaluating how peacekeeping in general is undertaken. Furthermore, while we agree that there is a need for more systematic, sustainable and predictable funding for the African Union’s peacekeeping missions, we strongly advocate finding a viable, realistic and responsible way to deal with this challenge.

We would ask you, Sir, to convey our congratulations to the new Permanent Representative of your country on the occasion of his assuming the presidency of the Council. We are very grateful for the contributions made to our debate by Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union — whom I welcome to the Council — and by Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa. I would also like to join others in thanking President Romano Prodi for his presentation of the report of the African Union-United Nations panel (S/2008/813) and for his very able leadership in preparing it. Austria fully supports the statement to be delivered later today by the representative of the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union. Austria commends the panel for the efforts it has made in addressing the key issue of enhancing support for African Union peacekeeping and in presenting recommendations in that regard. The report of the panel comes at a very timely moment. Just a few weeks ago, the Security Council began to examine key questions related to United Nations peacekeeping. At a time when operational resources are scarce within the United Nations, we must develop ways to enhance our cooperation with regional organizations such as the African Union. Over the past few decades, United Nations peacekeeping has changed tremendously in terms of its nature and scope. Our response to the evolving challenges must be updated accordingly. Strengthening the capacities of the African Union is an essential prerequisite if the African Union is to take on a more significant burden in contributing to peace and security in Africa. The panel has made several proposals on how to address that issue, including the development of a comprehensive plan for long-term capacity-building and the establishment of a multi-donor trust fund. Such a trust fund could help to build synergies among the efforts of various donors and thereby increase the overall impact of their contributions. It could also help to prevent possible funding gaps. African ownership should be our guiding principle in the design and implementation of such a mechanism. The positive experience gained in the context of the African Peace Facility of the European Union could serve as an example. In its report, the panel also outlines a possible way to support African Union-led peacekeeping missions under a United Nations mandate through United Nations-assessed contributions at the very beginning of a peacekeeping mission, before rehatting by the United Nations has taken place. As I have already said, we are in favour of enhanced participation by the African Union in crisis management in Africa. Therefore, we believe that all possible options aimed at supporting African Union-led peacekeeping missions under a United Nations mandate need to be discussed and explored. Each crisis or conflict is different. A one-size- fits-all solution is, therefore, neither possible nor effective. There might be cases in which an African Union-led operation might be more effective than a United Nations mission, or other cases in which the United Nations might decide that it is time to reduce its presence in a country and hand over to the African Union. Each of those cases might require a different support package. The recent resolution 1863 (2009), on supporting the African Union Mission to Somalia, provided an example in which the Council took a decision based on the specific needs of that country, setting up a support mechanism through access to assessed contributions and a voluntary trust fund. I believe that members are aware of the important role that the African Peace Facility of the European Union plays in that context. Austria looks forward to receiving the Secretary- General’s assessment of the various options for supporting African Union peacekeeping. As I have said, we believe it is important that all possible options be explored. The question of putting in place adequate accountability mechanisms is also critical, and we would certainly welcome proposals by the Secretary- General in that regard. Addressing important cross- cutting issues, such as respect for international law; human rights, especially the rights of women and children, in the situation of an armed conflict; and the protection of civilians should be an integral part of our approach. Let me conclude by saying that we are grateful to the presidency of the Security Council for having begun the discussion on this very important issue today. We look forward to continuing our deliberations on the basis of a report of the Secretary-General.

I would like to begin by welcoming and congratulating Mr. Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham, new Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and wishing him every success. I would be grateful, Mr. President, if you could kindly convey that message to our new colleague. I also wish to thank you for convening today’s open debate on the report of the African Union- United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union (AU) peacekeeping operations under a United Nations mandate. In addition, I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union; Her Excellency Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Foreign Minister of South Africa; and, of course, His Excellency Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the panel, for their participation in and contributions to this important and timely debate. In today’s volatile and fragile security environment, effective peacekeeping is of vital importance to the maintenance of international peace and security. In that context, there is no doubt about the role and the responsibility of the United Nations in leading such efforts. However, many United Nations peacekeeping missions throughout the world encounter certain human, material and financial constraints. Moreover, the ever-growing demand for peacekeeping around the globe, coupled with increasingly robust and demanding mandates, suggests that constraints may persist in the years to come. Against that background, it is imperative that the United Nations enhance its peacekeeping capabilities, including by establishing new coalitions and partnerships in the area of peacekeeping. In fact, that is a commitment and a challenge that we collectively undertook under paragraph 170 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document (General Assembly resolution 60/1). Turkey therefore supports the call for the establishment of more effective arrangements between the United Nations and regional organizations having complementary peacekeeping capabilities. In that context, we congratulate Mr. Prodi and other members of the panel for their thorough and analytical report on the role that the African Union can play in peacekeeping and the support that the United Nations can provide for such an undertaking. The report addresses key issues in a comprehensive way. Thus, rather than repeating them, I will just say that we concur with all the basic findings of the report, as well as with the thrust of its recommendations. In particular, we support the panel’s visionary recommendations aimed at developing a more effective partnership between the United Nations and the African Union not only on peacekeeping, but also on conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction. Furthermore, we share the views concerning the need to enhance African peacekeeping capabilities. The success of all such efforts requires support from the relevant United Nations bodies and organs, as well as from Member States. The United Nations has embarked upon a comprehensive review aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping operations. As a matter of fact, the Secretary-General has invited the members of the Security Council and high-level administrators of the Secretariat to a retreat this weekend to discuss that issue. As a major troop- and police-contributing country, Turkey actively follows the review process. We believe that the development of an effective partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, as well as the enhancement of the Union’s peacekeeping capabilities, should constitute an integral part of that process. One of the crucial aspects of long-term capacity- building is, of course, funding. Hence, the priority accorded by the panel to examining the difficulties in that area is well placed. Indeed, the provision of predictable and sustainable funding to support the African Union’s peacekeeping efforts is of utmost importance to the success of that endeavour. We believe that the recommendations contained in the report regarding this particular aspect are of significance and merit due and in-depth consideration. In other words, we believe that the panel’s report depicts the serious challenges standing in the way of effective African peacekeeping, as well as the opportunities and prospects that it entails. Therefore, the thought-provoking recommendations included in the report with a view to overcoming those difficulties should be fully taken into account in our own review. Accordingly, we hope that, following the evaluation of the Secretary-General, a joint United Nations and African Union team can soon be established to examine these recommendations and how best to implement them. Investing in Africans’ peacekeeping capacity means investing in the security, stability and future of that great continent. It is a sound investment that will surely pay off as the African continent fully develops its own capabilities. Turkey is ready and willing to do its fair share in this regard. The rapidly developing relations between Turkey and the African countries, as evidenced by the African Union’s declaration of Turkey as one of its three strategic partners, provides us ample ground to build upon, and we are committed to doing so.

First of all, allow me to welcome the new Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and to wish him every success during your presidency of the Council. I also welcome the presence of the Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon; the Deputy Secretary- General, Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro; the Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel, Mr. Romano Prodi; the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU), Mr. Ramtane Lamamra; and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. The report of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813) is a useful and important contribution to the task of identifying more effective ways of linking the efforts of the United Nations in the area of peace and security, in particular those of the Security Council, with those of regional and subregional organizations. It is important to remember the inevitable regional dimension of internal conflicts. This requires the identification of appropriate strategies that define actions emphasizing compliance with international law, the peaceful solution of disputes, respect for human rights and the strengthening of the rule of law. This cooperation with regional organizations, however, is of particular relevance and clearly fruitful when it occurs within the purview of regional organizations. We must not overlook this point when we consider the role of regional organizations. Neither must we forget that different organizations serve different purposes in each of the regions — hence the advantages of exploring this option in the case of the AU. We firmly believe that in order to achieve peacebuilding and peacekeeping in Africa, we need to work on four main issues: the resolution of conflict — that is, the establishment of peace; the promotion of economic development and of institution-building; respect for human rights; and conflict prevention through a focus on the causes of conflict and the eradication thereof. The shared responsibility of the United Nations and the AU in achieving those goals is clear. Thus, drawing on the experience of United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa, it is clearly important for us to have a strategic vision, shared by the AU and the United Nations, clear and viable mandates and close coordination between United Nations agencies and programmes in the field and regional and subregional organizations when a peace mission is deployed. The link between the AU and the Security Council could be strengthened through exchanges of information, in particular the presentation of regular reports on the regional and multilateral peacekeeping operations deployed on the continent. We therefore believe that we should explore the issue of mechanisms to develop AU capacities to take timely action. However, my country believes that these endeavours must be aimed at a lasting solution to conflict and require wide-ranging and effective measures that attack the roots of conflict and promote long-term stability in the continent. We therefore trust that we will soon have an assessment by the Secretary-General of the report so that this Council can focus its consideration of this issue on the next steps we need to take to support AU peacekeeping operations.

First of all, I would like to welcome the appointment of the Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, who is a friend of ours. I thank His Excellency Mr. Prodi for the introduction of a very important report (S/2008/813). I would also like to welcome the presence of African Union Commissioner Lamamra and Ms. Dlamini Zuma, Foreign Minister of South Africa, at today’s meeting. The presence of these high-level representatives demonstrates the importance that African Union members attach to this challenging issue. The Security Council has been devoting considerable time and energy to addressing many issues of peace and stability in Africa. Therefore, it is gratifying that the African Union (AU) has been playing an increasingly important role in the maintenance of peace and security on the African continent. We commend the efforts undertaken by African countries. It is important for the United Nations to make full use of the strength and advantage of regional organizations whenever appropriate, consistent with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. We concur on the need to reinforce practical cooperation between the United Nations and the AU. More specific steps should be taken to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. We should also further promote the existing good cooperation between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. The cooperation between the Security Council and regional organizations should be developed in a way that reflects the principle that the Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, according to the Charter. In particular, when peacekeeping operations that are initiated and led by regional organizations are considered for transfer to United Nations peacekeeping operations, the United Nations and the relevant regional organizations must start early-stage consultation, coordination and information sharing. Japan has promoted the enhanced peacekeeping capabilities of African countries, the AU and regional organizations. The Security Council should encourage the international community and mobilize traditional and new, unconventional donors to continue to extend support for the capacity-building of AU headquarters, AU peacekeeping operations and individual Member States that are troop-contributing countries. The importance of capacity-building through better training and better equipment cannot be overemphasized and should be given particular attention. At the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, held in Japan this past year, support for capacity-building of African peacekeeping efforts was stressed as an essential element of the consolidation of peace and stability in Africa. We therefore welcome the ongoing efforts made by the AU support team within the United Nations Secretariat. Japan will continue to provide its assistance to support training centres for peacekeeping operations in many African countries. The most crucial factor for effective action is African ownership, and we welcome the growing commitment to that on the part of the AU. In this respect, it is interesting to note the recommendation contained in the panel’s report to establish a system for financial support for peacekeeping operations through AU-assessed contributions. We recognize the panel’s emphasis on the fact that one of major constraints is resources — how to secure predictable, sustainable and flexible resources. We naturally welcome initiatives by regional organizations such as the AU to maintain regional peace and security. However, an authorization given by the Security Council for such an operation itself is meant for activities of regional organizations and does not automatically qualify for financial support by the United Nations. In our view, we need to clarify practical, legal, administrative and financial aspects. We should also study the matter further to determine what would be credible and realistic conditions in order for such support to be made available. When it comes to the use of the assessed budget of the United Nations, we must stress the importance of respecting the established rules and mechanisms of the United Nations. As clearly stated in the Charter of the United Nations, including in Article 17, only the expenses of the United Nations itself shall be borne by Member States through assessed contributions. We should also consider how to ensure accountability and transparency in a credible manner, on the part of the United Nations Secretariat and also on the part of the African Union. With regard to the possibility of establishing a trust fund based on voluntary contributions, we should examine the relationship with existing mechanisms and the modalities for effectively managing, planning for, implementing and evaluating the fund. We take note of the many interesting ideas presented in the panel’s report. We are committed to supporting the African Union and other regional organizations in Africa and we are ready to consider carefully every feasible option. The panel’s report addresses a wide variety of issues that will require detailed technical consideration. We believe it would be useful to set the priorities and timeframe for the Council’s review. In that regard, we appreciate the Secretary-General’s assessment and analysis of the panel’s recommendations, on the basis of which the Security Council should examine the most appropriate way to follow up the recommendations. Finally, let me reiterate that peace and security in Africa are fundamental to the continent’s economic and social stability. Japan, mindful of that overriding imperative, continues to promote peace and security in Africa and support for the efforts of the African Union and subregional organizations. In that regard, we attach particular priority to enhancing Africa’s peacekeeping capabilities, strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture, funding issues and an effective peacebuilding strategy.

I should like to begin by warmly welcoming to New York the new Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. I would also like to express my gratitude for the way that you, Ambassador Dabbashi, have guided the work of the Council during the time you have been responsible for representing Libya. I would also like to welcome the participation of the Secretary-General and the presence among us of Deputy Secretary-General Migiro; the Foreign Minister of South Africa; the Chairman of the African Union- United Nations panel, Mr. Romano Prodi; and the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Mr. Lamamra. The international collective security system will not be able to ensure observance of the principles of international law unless it enjoys the active participation of regional and subregional organizations. Including them in the process of creating an international environment conducive to harnessing national efforts in ensuring the development and well- being of peoples is an imperative of our day. That was the message that Costa Rica wanted to impart last November when it organized an open debate on strengthening collective security mechanisms, reducing military expenditures and increasing spending on social development (see S/PV.6017). The first and most important contribution that regional organizations can make to international peace and security is to actively participate in establishing an environment in which rights are respected, obligations honoured and all members participate in extending international guarantees as to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. History has indisputably illustrated the value of the participation of regional organizations and arrangements in preventing conflicts and resolving them peacefully. Geographic proximity, shared history and cultural affinities have always been extremely valuable to international efforts to prevent conflict. For instance, is it not the case that peace in Kosovo was facilitated by the regional effort that led to the Rambouillet Accords? Was not last year’s tension between Thailand and Cambodia eased as a result of the efforts of their regional partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations? Was not the peace that was achieved in Kenya following the tension during the elections the result of the decisive intervention of that country’s African friends? My own country’s decision not to possess an army was only ratified following the intervention of our regional body to guarantee our peace and territorial integrity. The whole world of the past 50 years provides numerous examples that confirm the decisive contributions of regional organizations. In addition to their contribution in the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts, regional organizations can also play an indispensable role in focusing attention on a conflict early on. Often, the cumbersome machinery of the United Nations lacks the necessary flexibility to act in the early stages of a conflict. In addition, it is also frequently the case that decisive action by regional and subregional organizations is successful in ending a conflict before it can have devastating effects. Those examples of the real and potential contributions of regional organizations inform our meeting today. As the debate last April (see S/PV.5868) illustrated, this is not an easy subject. However, the current circumstances and the direction that the international Organization is taking compel us to begin to design new models for cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. It is no surprise that it was the African Union that once again raised an issue that has always been on the agenda. The attention that the international community pays to conflicts in Africa, as well as the growing desire of Africans to contribute to resolving them, albeit with very limited resources, make it very urgent for the Security Council to consider this issue. The report before us today (S/2008/813) constitutes an important step forward on a long road that requires us give up old habits and think creatively about how to solve new problems. Costa Rica firmly believes that cooperation between our two organizations must go far beyond merely agreeing on support packages to provide African forces with boots, bulletproof vests, communications equipment and light weapons, as we did recently with regard to Somalia. Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union is of strategic importance. We must move ahead with identifying responsibilities and modalities for cooperation. To that end, it is necessary to increase and improve the quality of communication at all levels. It will not be an easy process; nor will it produce results very quickly. Costa Rica appreciates the report of the joint panel as a tool to identify goals and make recommendations, which must now be the subject of a great deal of consideration, analysis and dialogue. In order to arrive at the needed answers, we must continue to build up experiences and learn lessons. A detailed examination of the experience of the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and of the process launched by resolution 1863 (2009) on Somalia will undoubtedly contribute to the consideration of this issue. Everyone knows that financial cooperation issues will be the most difficult to resolve. Our previous meeting on this issue identified potential significant differences in that regard. Such differences are inevitable. My Government is carefully considering the recommendations made by the panel in that connection. We look forward to the Secretary- General’s recommendations in order that we can contribute to developing greater cooperation with the African Union. Despite the fact that the report clearly establishes the need to build this ad hoc relationship without creating a precedent, my delegation believes that strengthening the relationship with the African Union must go hand in hand with the construction of more flexible and effective models for cooperation with other regional and subregional organizations throughout the world. In the last analysis, what we are building is not a link that will result in preferential treatment for one particular organization; rather, we are bolstering multilateralism and the international collective system of security in our world.

I would like to thank you, Sir, for presiding over today’s open debate and to avail myself of this opportunity to welcome you in your new post as the Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. I would also like to welcome Ms. Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, and Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU), to our meeting today. I would also like to thank Mr. Prodi and the African Union-United Nations panel of eminent persons under his leadership for the report they have submitted (S/2008/813). The report’s recommendations on strengthening the peacekeeping capacity of the AU merit careful consideration. The world today is confronted with more and more challenges. As Africa is the region with the greatest concentration of wars and conflicts, achieving peace and security in Africa has become one of the most immediate and pressing challenges facing us. Maintaining peace and stability on the African continent is not only in the interests of African countries and peoples, but also in the common interest of the international community as a whole. The Security Council is entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Council has invested an enormous amount of energy in Africa; 60 per cent of the items on its agenda relate to the continent, and nearly half of the Council-mandated United Nations peacekeeping operations are deployed there. We are satisfied to note that the AU has played an increasingly important role in maintaining peace and stability in Africa and in settling African conflicts, serving as a beneficial and strong complement to the work of the Security Council. It is therefore both the widely shared aspiration of the African countries and a practical need for the Council’s work to further strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. We are all in favour of a closer partnership between the African Union and the United Nations. This partnership should be built on a stable yet flexible basis. While ensuring its own authority, the Security Council should give priority consideration to supporting the key role of the AU in conflict settlement and should heed the views and suggestions of the Union, including by paying more attention to African Union voices on questions such as Darfur, the Sudan and Somalia. This partnership should be equal and mutually complementary. The United Nations and the African Union each have comparative advantages in addressing African hot spot issues. If the two sides strengthen coordination on the basis of mutual respect and mutual complementarity, and if they make joint efforts to respond to the various challenges faced by the African continent, this will greatly enhance the overall effectiveness of the international community’s efforts to address African conflicts. We support finding more reliable means of funding for African Union peacekeeping operations as part of our effort to provide predictable resource guarantees. While the AU has the strong political will to respond to conflicts in Africa, it finds it hard to play its role fully and put to use its unique advantages, because of logistical and financial constraints. The recommendation in the report of the African Union-United Nations panel of eminent persons on establishing a new financing mechanism merits further study by all parties concerned. In recent years, the United Nations has worked to strengthen African Union peacekeeping operations in places like Darfur, the Sudan and Somalia; this has been broadly welcomed by the international community. We support the enhancement of capacity-building in the area of peacekeeping for the African Union and hope that the United Nations will scale up cooperation with the AU in areas where the Organization has advantages, such as personnel training, institution-building, information- sharing, resource management and logistics support, so as to effectively implement the United Nations Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme for the African Union. We also encourage other donors to continue to commit themselves to strengthening the African Union’s peacekeeping capacity. We support putting the strengthening of the peacekeeping capacity of the African Union on the list of priority areas in the United Nations peacekeeping reform agenda. Currently, United Nations peacekeeping operations are confronted with such daunting challenges as overexpansion, low efficiency and inadequacy of resources. Thus, strengthening the African Union’s peacekeeping capacity will not only increase the efficiency of peacekeeping and save resources, but will also enhance Africa’s sense of ownership and the capacity to take the destiny of the continent into Africans’ own hands. It is necessary for us to study ways to achieve the optimal combination of the two, so that United Nations peacekeeping can be advanced through strengthening the peacekeeping capacity of the AU, and so that Africa can benefit from United Nations peacekeeping reform and improve its overall peacekeeping capabilities.

Mr. President, at the outset, I would like to extend to you my most heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as the new head of the Libyan delegation. I thank the Libyan presidency for convening this important debate of the Security Council. I welcome the participation of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; the Chairman of the African Union-United Nations panel, Mr. Romano Prodi; the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra; the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; and other distinguished individuals from the African Union. I thank them for their contributions. We align ourselves with the statement to be delivered by Ambassador Abelardo Moreno Fernández of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. As the highest body of the United Nations entrusted with the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, the Security Council has, for the past 60 years, played an indispensable role in resolving international conflicts and disputes, especially on the African continent. The fact that half of the 63 United Nations peacekeeping missions have been deployed in Africa since 1948 may reflect the unique relationship between the United Nations and Africa in the area of peacekeeping. Endowed with their distinct knowledge of and experience in tackling issues of their own region, the African Union and African subregional organizations have many comparative advantages in dealing with conflict situations in Africa, while, as defined by the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council plays a leading role in maintaining international peace and security. In the face of the prevalence of threats to peace and security in Africa, enhancing the partnership and cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union has been and continues to be imperative. The transition from the Economic Community of West African States Mission in Liberia to the United Nations Mission in Liberia, the deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, and the upcoming establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Somalia as the follow-on force to the African Union Mission in Somalia, the Security Council’s adoption of resolution 1809 (2008), the meeting with the AU Peace and Security Council last April (see S/PV.5868) and the prompt establishment of the African Union-United Nations panel last September all testify not only to the necessity but also to the viability of this cooperation. By unanimously adopting resolution 1809 (2008), the Council demonstrated a strong determination to elevate its partnership with the African Union to a higher level. We strongly support the Council’s and the African Union’s shared objective of enhancing the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing regional organizations operating under a United Nations mandate. We also support the ongoing effort to search for modalities to strengthen the relationship between the Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council as well as between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission. Recent developments in conflict areas in Africa have shown that much remains to be decided if lasting peace and stability are to be achieved on the continent. Both the successes and failures of United Nations-led peacekeeping operations in Africa have highlighted the importance of enhancing the ability of the African Union to carry out United Nations-mandated peacekeeping operations. It is noteworthy that, while peacekeepers in Africa account for 75 per cent of the total number of United Nations peacekeepers deployed worldwide, only 40 per cent are drawn from African troop contributors. As the African Union-United Nations panel report indicates, the principle of African ownership should be further enhanced. To that end, implementation of the 10-Year Capacity-Building Programme for the African Union approved at the 2005 World Summit should be expedited. We commend the United Nations panel for its report issued last December, which contains many useful recommendations, especially those relating to capacity-building, logistical capacity funding, financing and division of responsibility. While awaiting further assessment, we support the widely shared opinion that, in defining the division of responsibility, the creation of the perception that the United Nations is subcontracting peacekeeping to the African Union should be avoided. That is imperative in order to bring into full play the African Union’s comparative strategies, enhance its capacities, avoid overlapping and ensure the sustainability of the partnership between our two organizations. Finally, as on any other continent, but more so, the root causes of conflict in Africa are political and social antitheses, violations of human rights, absolute poverty and, very often, foreign interference and aggression, which must be addressed in a coherent and comprehensive manner. It is the view of my delegation that the division of responsibility among United Nations bodies in cooperation with the African Union in order to eliminate those root causes could also be clarified. Sir John Sawers (United Kingdom): I join others in welcoming you, Sir, to this Council, congratulating you on becoming the Permanent Representative of Libya and, in particular, on assuming instantly the role of presidency of our Council. You are very welcome here, Sir. I also extend my thanks to Mr. Prodi and his panel for the hard work they have put in to the report (S/2008/813) we are discussing today. It is a particular pleasure to welcome Mr. Prodi here today, as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa and Ambassador Lamamra from the African Union. Peacekeeping is central to the work of the United Nations and in recent years we have seen a rapid growth in the scale and complexity of the missions undertaken by the international community. The United Nations has been central to meeting this demand, but the regional and subregional organizations have played an increasingly important role within the framework of Security Council mandates. No organization has done more than the African Union. I applaud its efforts, not only as a peacekeeper in Burundi, the Sudan and Somalia, but also for creating the conditions for recovery in Sierra Leone, Liberia and elsewhere. In Kenya, the African Union played a crucial role in supporting Kofi Annan’s mediation following the post-election violence. Since the Kenya crisis a year ago, Africa has faced a disturbing number of examples — in Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Zimbabwe and today Madagascar — where power is decided by force and violence rather than in accordance with constitutional requirements. Many other African countries, not least the Sudan, face serious problems of poor governance and lack of respect for national and international law. Those cases all increase the burden on the African Union to uphold the rule of law and constitutionality in Africa, and it deserves our support in its efforts to address those problems. The United Nations-African Union joint Declaration of November 2006 and the Africa- European Union Strategic Partnership, backed by the European Union’s African Peace Facility, are important contributions to building a better global peace and security architecture. The United Kingdom is playing a full part in that. We are helping to develop African peacekeeping capability through assistance in training thousands of troops and support to the African Standby Force. We are also supporting African Union operations in the field. The United Kingdom has already provided some £5 million to the African Union Mission in Somalia to support its crucial role in that country, and we are working to ensure that the peacekeeping mission receives further funding in the weeks ahead. We are committed to supporting the African Union and its growing peacekeeping role. Security Council resolution 1809 (2008) stressed the need for the United Nations to develop effective partnerships, in particular with the African Union, under Chapter VIII of the Charter. The Security Council, of course, retains the primary role in international peace and security and nothing can detract from that, but we want to see the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union enhanced, and that includes further work on how best to provide reliable and sustainable funding for African Union peacekeeping. As my Prime Minister Gordon Brown noted in the debate which preceded the adoption of resolution 1809 (2008) (see S/PV.5868), all those involved need to reach agreement on a way forward. A pragmatic approach is necessary to assure that we find a workable solution. The report of the panel led by Mr. Prodi makes an important contribution to that work. I would highlight the need for a shared strategic vision between those involved in the maintenance of peace and security, the need for increased African Union capacity to manage operations at the headquarters level, the need for more effective logistics support and the need for a more coordinated approach to capacity-building. Those important issues require further debate and further work. We look forward to hearing the Secretary-General’s views, taking into account the full range of financing options, in particular the need for start-up and early sustainment costs. One solution may well be a multi-donor trust fund for African Union operations, an idea that the United Kingdom has advocated before. The voluntary nature of such a trust fund would make it widely acceptable and encourage new donors to play a part. It would also help provide secure funding for an African Union rapid deployment capability. We welcome this debate today as another important step forward for the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Once again, we thank Mr. Prodi and his panel for their work and we support the presidential statement that the Libyan delegation has negotiated. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s forthcoming report. I hope we will also have an opportunity to consider these issues during the forthcoming Security Council mission to Africa.

I wish at the outset to welcome you, Sir, and to assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation, on which you may count. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General and Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the panel, for their statements, as well as all the other speakers. I am grateful to the Secretary-General for having established the panel and for having briefed us on the report (S/2008/813), and to the Libyan presidency for having organized today’s debate, at which the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa has honoured us with her presence. Nearly 18 months ago, the President of the French Republic led a Security Council meeting at the level of heads of State and Government on the topic of Africa and challenges to international peace and security. That meeting enabled us, inter alia, to underscore the key role of the African Union in that area. That role has since been further strengthened through numerous interventions both to prevent crises and to help resolve them. France and the European Union are and have long been fully involved in helping the African Union to enjoy the necessary resources to meet those challenges. Naturally, I fully associate myself with the statement to be made by the representative of the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union, which I would recall is the top financial partner of the African Union. The African Peace Facility of the European Union alone has allocated for €440 million since 2004, and a further €300 million for the next three years. We support the African Union in the operations it leads. We endorse the strengthening of its structural capacities, the building of an African Peace and Security Architecture and the formation of an available and trained African Standby Force, to which France, together with Italy in particular, provides major operational support. France supports nearly 20 African regional training centres throughout the continent. Moreover, the European Union has established with the African Union a genuine strategic partnership in the field of peace and security. I take this opportunity to recall that the emergence of the European Union’s foreign security and defence policies, which has enabled it to become effectively involved on the African continent in peacekeeping missions, makes it a reliable and trustworthy partner both for the United Nations and for the African Union. The report (S/2008/813) before us today represents one phase of a process. In effect, the Security Council will have to incorporate three elements into its consideration. The first is a general approach. The panel has presented guidelines on how to ensure better support to African Union operations. The Security Council must study in detail the recommendations that the Secretary-General will present to it in that regard. On issues of organization and financing, its expertise is irreplaceable. The second element is how to implement the support sanctioned by the Security Council to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Resolution 1863 (2009), which we adopted in January, requested the Secretary-General to set up a trust fund to support AMISOM and the joint Somali security forces, and sanctioned the principle of a logistical support package to AMISOM financed by the United Nations. It is vital to concretely implement those measures. The Secretary-General has started to do so. We would hope that he also takes stock of that in his next report to the Security Council. The third and last element is the need to take into account the consideration that the Security Council has just begun, at the initiative of France and the United Kingdom, on peacekeeping operations in cooperation with all other relevant actors of the United Nations system. Earlier, the Secretary-General reminded us of the United Nations system’s joint study of peacekeeping operations that he has just undertaken. At a time when the number of United Nations operations and troops is rapidly increasing, the Organization must collectively consider how to improve the efficiency of the peacekeeping operations and to harmonize peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development more effectively in the field. Peacekeeping forces cannot do everything. Our first step, therefore, is to consider in detail the recommendations of the Secretary-General. However, at this stage France would like to give some general indications on how we could advance the process together. We must reconcile the necessary support to the African Union with the principle of the universality of the United Nations and with the special role that the Charter entrusts to the Security Council. That has two types of consequences. First, in the political field, there can be no sharing of a priori roles that would lead to regionalization in maintaining international peace and security. Clearly, the African Union has a central role to play, but the Security Council has the responsibility to act every time that it deems it necessary. Moreover, we must be careful to avoid a formalization or institutionalization that paralyses our relations. It is in the field that we must strengthen those relations. With regard to financing, we share the objective to achieve permanent financing for African Union peacekeeping operations, but recourse to mandatory contributions of the United Nations does not seem a good solution to us. For reasons of effectiveness and responsibility, the organization that finances the budget of an operation must control it and head its chain of command. Beyond that, we cannot ignore the severe constraints on the financing of the United Nations itself, which face a growing burden with an annual budget of nearly $8 billion to finance peacekeeping operations. However, there are promising avenues, such as the establishment of a global standing trust fund with resources that can be readily mobilized, financed by voluntary contributions and set up to attract additional funds, in particular to meet needs not fully assessed at this stage, such as those directly linked to military equipment. To conclude, I would like again to welcome the efforts of the panel chaired by Mr. Romano Prodi. Beyond the few differences noticeable today, it is necessary to stress that we are debating not the principle of how but the best way in which to support African Union peacekeeping operations and the African Union itself. France thanks the Secretary- General for the first indications that he has given us today, and we will study in detail and with great interest the report that he will submit to the Security Council on this issue in the coming months.

I shall now make a few remarks in my national capacity. At the outset, I would like to express my gratitude to all speakers for their kind words to me and my country, and to His Excellency the Secretary- General for joining us at this important meeting. I also wish to thank Mr. Romano Prodi for presenting the report (S/2008/813) of his panel; Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, for his valuable contribution; and Ms. Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, for her presence here today and for her significant contribution to our debate. Today, we are meeting to discuss the report of the African Union-United Nations panel on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations. This discussion is particularly significant in the light of the specific recommendations of the panel chaired by Mr. Prodi, and because peacekeeping operations in general, and those of the African Union in particular, face serious challenges that must be addressed quickly. All of us here today agree that the greatest challenge peacekeeping operations face is the growing demand for those operations amid a significant shortage of personnel and financing. The first aspect — the shortage of personnel — is in fact linked to the second, the shortage of financing. We know that many African States are ready to contribute troops to peacekeeping operations if they are provided with the necessary financing, equipment and weapons in compliance with United Nations standards. Then there is the African Standby Force, which is expected to be operational by the middle of next year. This is a significant step for peacekeeping, and we should begin now to provide it with steady support, especially given the possible need for its rapid deployment to address urgent events. Africa suffers from conflict, poverty and disease. It sorely needs the support of the international community in achieving security and stability, promoting development and combating poverty and disease. The money spent on war throughout the world is many hundreds of times the amount needed to enable Africa to maintain and build peace and achieve development. We are disappointed that to date the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been unable to gain sufficient support from the international community to ensure its full deployment. The forces currently deployed have not received weapons and equipment in accordance with United Nations standards, despite the fact that promises have been made. We regret that one AMISOM troop-contributing country is seriously considering withdrawing its troops because they are unable to protect themselves. It is therefore our hope that the Security Council will soon agree to transform the African Union Mission in Somalia into a United Nations mission. The security and humanitarian situation requires this, and, morally speaking, the United Nations cannot fail to engage in peacekeeping in Somalia at a time when millions of Somalis are suffering from homelessness, poverty and disease. The report before us today contains practical recommendations for supporting peace in Africa. These merit a Security Council consensus on the right mechanisms to implement them. To our mind, it is important that Mr. Prodi remain involved in the process of implementing the panel’s recommendations, with a view to strengthening the capacity of the African Union to deploy peacekeeping forces, with reliable, sustainable and predictable resources at its disposal. We believe that the best way to achieve that is to implement the recommendations set out in paragraph 90 of the report. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I give the floor to the representative of Cuba.

I have the honour to address the Security Council on behalf of the 118 States members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). First of all, Mr. President and my friend, I would like to welcome you as you assume your responsibilities as Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations and to express our appreciation to your country for organizing this important debate and for its outstanding work in the presidency of the Security Council. I wish also to pay tribute to Their Excellencies Mr. Romano Prodi, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra and Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma for their statements, which were clearly of the highest interest to the members of our Movement. Today’s debate is a welcome endeavour in our joint quest to advance cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. I thank the African Union-United Nations panel for its report on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813), which it submitted in accordance with Security Council resolution 1809 (2008). The non-aligned countries, which currently provide more than 80 per cent of peacekeeping personnel in the field, including personnel from African countries, wish to reiterate their support for continuing efforts to strengthen African peacekeeping capacities. In that context, the Movement emphasizes the importance of implementing the Joint Action Plan for United Nations support to African Union peacekeeping in the short, medium and long term, focusing primarily on collaboration in the areas of conflict prevention and peacekeeping, in particular assistance to the development of an African Standby Force. The Non-Aligned Movement takes this opportunity to underline the need to enhance and clarify the strategic relationship between the United Nations and the African Union, specifically between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission, as the basis for a more efficient partnership in addressing issues of mutual interest. We subscribe to the recommendation of the panel’s report that in defining the division of responsibility, it is important not to create the perception that the United Nations is subcontracting peacekeeping to the African Union. The objective should be to maximize the African Union’s strengths in terms of its contribution to conflict prevention and mediation, and its capacity to undertake peacekeeping operations in conformity with Chapter VIII of the Charter. The Movement shares the view that resources should be made available to peacekeeping operations carried out by African Union in a sustainable and predictable manner without undermining the value of the flexibility needed to respond quickly to crisis. Non-aligned countries recognize the need to support the African Union in developing the institutional capacities which will enable it to implement its mandate in a coordinated and appropriate manner, in particular the need to build integrated capacities to plan, manage and support conflict-prevention and peacekeeping activities in Africa in close cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Movement would like also to underscore the need to identify innovative financial and logistical support mechanisms that focus on the requirements of the African Union at the continental level. In this regard, the Movement takes note of the financial mechanisms proposed by the African Union-United Nations panel and looks forward to receiving further information on their implementation. We stress the importance of close coordination among all international partners and donors supporting African Union peacekeeping capacity-building, including the necessary support for the creation of effective and appropriately funded training programmes. The Non-Aligned Movement strongly believes that the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security rests with the United Nations and that the role of regional arrangements should be in strict accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter and should not in any way be a substitute for the role of the United Nations or circumvent the full application of the guiding principles for United Nations peacekeeping operations. In that connection, the Movement reiterates that the establishment of any peacekeeping operation or extension of the mandate of existing operations must strictly respect the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the basic principles governing such operations: consent of the parties, the non-use of force, except in legitimate self- defence, and impartiality. Peacekeeping operations must not and cannot be used as a substitute for dealing with the root causes of conflict, but should address them in a consistent, well- planned, coordinated and comprehensive manner, together with other political, social, economic and development instruments. The Movement of Non-Aligned Countries reaffirms the need to establish a logistics base to support United Nations peacekeeping in Africa, since most United Nations peacekeeping activities are carried out there. That would further increase the deployment of missions in Africa, thus ensuring cost- effectiveness and supporting capacity-building of the African Union in the area of peacekeeping operations. Permit me to conclude by emphasizing that Africa’s challenges are multidimensional and cannot be addressed separately. The issues of conflict prevention and resolution and peacekeeping are inextricably linked to sustainable social and economic development. Finally, we hope that this debate will contribute to the adoption of concrete and appropriate measures to strengthen the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union.

I now call on the representative of Brazil.

I would like to extend our greetings to you, Sir, as you assume your duties as Permanent Representative of Libya to the United Nations as well as in the presidency of the Council for the month of March. I thank you for the initiative of convening this timely debate, which is of great interest to all of us. I appreciate the presence of and the statements made by the Secretary-General, Minister Dlamini Zuma and Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union. This high- level attendance only confirms the importance of the matter before us today. I wish to express my appreciation to Mr. Romano Prodi for his leadership in conducting the work of the panel on modalities for cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in support of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We appreciate the extensive consultations with Member States, which added to the already sharp perception of the panel. We believe that the panel’s report (S/2008/813) is a powerful instrument for building a shared strategic vision on an enhanced partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. In recent years, the United Nations has faced an increasing number of challenges in the field of peace and security. Peacekeeping operations have become more complex. African countries and regional organizations have repeatedly stepped forward and expressed their willingness to shoulder increased responsibility in our common effort to keep peace. Such was the case in Darfur, Somalia and Côte d’Ivoire, among other places. That commendable attitude must be met with an equal willingness on the part of the United Nations to provide the necessary support. The importance of cooperation with the African Union and with African subregional organizations was reaffirmed at the level of heads of State and Government when the Council met last April under the South African presidency (see S/PV.5868) and adopted resolution 1809 (2008). Before that, at the 2005 World Summit, the heads of State and Government of the entire membership of the Organization had supported the idea of enhanced cooperation. The report before us gives concrete form to that common objective. The cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union is an expression of the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter, as recognized in the panel’s report. The principles and purposes of the founding document of the Organization, as well as the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security, are the premises of such cooperation. We fully endorse the view of the panel that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through the deployment of military forces alone. The cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union should focus not only on peace, but also on sustainable development. The inclusion of a peacebuilding dimension in the early stages of peacekeeping is most relevant. The promotion of security goes hand in hand with the consolidation of national institutions and the creation of conditions conducive to sustained development. Brazil takes note with interest of the panel’s proposal that a United Nations mechanism be established to help fund African Union peacekeeping missions. We believe that that important proposal deserves thorough consideration not only in the Security Council, but also in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and in the General Assembly. Brazil concurs with the panel and the African Union that one cannot expect peacekeeping missions to be deployed in uncertain scenarios without the necessary means. We agree with the analysis that in the absence of the necessary capabilities, such an approach entails not only the risk of failure, but also the risk of raising expectations that will not be fulfilled, with serious consequences for the credibility of the Organization. The African Union is uniquely positioned to provide expertise and ownership in the process of resolving conflicts on the continent. We must draw on its resources and knowledge, but we should also take an active role in contributing to its success. Subregional organizations — the Southern African Development Community, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Economic Community of West African States, to name but a few — often go the extra mile to ensure peace and act on behalf of the Council. They need to be supported in such efforts. Brazil is a traditional contributor of troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations. We currently have military and police in several missions in Africa — those in Western Sahara, Côte d’Ivoire, the Sudan and Liberia — and in the special political missions in Guinea-Bissau and West Africa. In the past, we sent troops to Angola and Mozambique in peacekeeping operations that were essential for those fellow Portuguese-speaking countries. Our contribution to African peacekeeping is focused less on financial resources and more on training and the transfer of expertise. This modality of South- South cooperation is based on a shared perspective regarding conflict resolution as a holistic experience resting on the three pillars of security, political reconciliation and development. At this juncture, Brazil is examining various ways to improve our cooperation in the area of peacekeeping both with the African Union and with individual African countries, taking into account our budgetary limitations and the ability to produce a significant impact on the ground. Peacekeeping is a global responsibility as well as a global asset. Cooperation with the African Union represents an additional path to ensure peace and security. It does not, however, diminish the duties of the United Nations. Brazil is ready to participate in the discussions following up on the recommendations of the panel.

There are still a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. I intend, with the concurrence of the members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3 p.m.