S/PV.6409 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter dated 19 October 2010 from the Permanent Representative of Gabon to the United Nations, in which he requests that the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, His Excellency Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, be invited to participate in the consideration of the item in accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to His Excellency Mr. Ramtane Lamamra. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Lamamra to take a seat at the Council table. I should like to inform the Council that I have also received a letter from His Excellency Mr. Pedro Serrano, acting head of the delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Serrano to take the seat reserved for him at the side of the Council Chamber. On behalf of the Council, I wish to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency, Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria. On behalf of the Council, I also wish to recognize the presence of His Excellency Mr. Yusuf Hasan Ibrahim, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, at this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I wish to draw the attention of members of the Council to document S/2010/514, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on support to African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations. There is no doubt that peacekeeping is increasingly becoming a shared responsibility in which the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations and the wider international community have critical roles to play. Uganda therefore welcomes the progress being made towards strengthening the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). The report of the Secretary-General on support to African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations highlights areas of progress. This includes increased consultation and collaboration on matters of peace and security, support for the AU’s 10-year capacity-building programme, and assistance in building the capacity of the AU and subregional organizations in Africa to plan, deploy and sustain peacekeeping operations. The African Union, recognizing the detrimental impact of previous conflicts in terms of retarding socio-economic development and causing untold suffering to populations, has shown its resolve and commitment to preventing, managing and resolving conflicts on the continent. It is working on the implementation of a comprehensive peace and security architecture and has underscored the need for its member States to adhere to constitutionalism, democratic governance and the rule of law. As the Secretary-General points out in his report, the African Union is taking critical measures to strengthen its capacity to undertake peacekeeping operations. The AU and subregional organizations — including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Economic Community of West African States, the East African Community and the Southern Africa Development Community — continue to develop their capacities and have invested the resources necessary, within their capability, to respond to conflict situations in various countries. They are making an important contribution through their knowledge of situations on the ground and their ability to respond quickly. It is important to ensure that peacekeeping, which is an indispensable tool available to the United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security, is done effectively. The Security Council, under resolution 1809 (2008), recognized the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of funding to regional organizations when they undertake peacekeeping operations under a United Nations mandate. However, the efforts of the African Union to effectively deploy peacekeeping operations continue to be hampered by the lack of sustainable, predictable and flexible financing. The African Union Mission in Somalia is a case in point, the provision of the United Nations logistical support package notwithstanding. While we appreciate the support rendered by the bilateral partners, the fact remains that such voluntary contributions are not only unpredictable, but also unsustainable. When the AU deploys peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council, it is doing so on behalf of the United Nations and the international community. In our view, extensive deliberations and debates have been held on the need for sustainable and predictable financing of African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations. It is now critical that decisive action be taken on practical ways of actualizing that support, including through assessed contributions, as recommended almost two years by the AU-United Nations panel chaired by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi (see S/2008/813). The benefits that would accrue from supporting effective peacekeeping, coupled with conflict prevention and peacebuilding, are immense in terms of promoting peace, security and development. I welcome the presence of the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and invite him to take the floor.

I thank you, Sir, for convening this important debate. I also welcome the participation of the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia. This is an important opportunity to follow up on last year’s discussions on how to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU), and in particular to enhance the AU’s peacekeeping capacity. The work of regional organizations under Chapter VIII of the Charter is indispensable. The development of the African peace and security architecture is critical to an effective long-term approach to conflict prevention and resolution. It requires the sustained support of the international community. The African Union and Africa’s subregional organizations have made great efforts to prevent, mediate and resolve conflicts on the continent. Often, its personnel have paid the highest price. This year alone, the AU has lost 15 peacekeepers in Somalia. In addition, 44 peacekeepers from African troop contributors have given their lives this year to peacekeeping around the globe. Last year’s debate (see S/PV.6254) and the report of the AU-United Nations panel chaired by former Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy (S/2008/813) detailed the challenges the African Union faces in undertaking peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations. The report before the Council today (S/2010/514) provides an update on the work of the United Nations to support the African Union in overcoming these obstacles. In the past few years, the United Nations and the African Union have entered into a broad range of partnerships, from early warning and conflict prevention to peacekeeping and peacebuilding. These partnerships have deepened cooperation between this Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission. In this regard, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the President of the African Union, President Mutharika of Malawi, and the leaders of African States for their commitment to peace and security and to working closely with the United Nations. I thank, too, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mr. Jean Ping, and the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, for contributing so much to developing close cooperation between our organizations. As we all know, these relationships have yet to reach their full potential. In July, the United Nations established its Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa. Assistant Secretary-General Muburi-Muita, who is with us today, took up his post there last month. We hope that the Office will facilitate a consistent, coherent and strategic approach to the United Nations work with the African Union. In September, I inaugurated the first meeting of the United Nations-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security. The Task Force is meant to engage our organizations at the highest levels in exploring ways to enhance our responsiveness so that we can prevent conflicts rather than simply respond to crises. We are also conducting a comprehensive review of the first triennium of the Ten-Year Capacity- Building Programme for the African Union. I will be reporting to the current session of the General Assembly with recommendations for further strengthening the programme’s management, cooperation, coordination and monitoring. Building capacity is only part of the picture. The African Union continues to face difficulties in securing the necessary resources to support its peacekeeping undertakings. Darfur and Somalia illustrate that clearly. We need to find a solution that will provide predictable, sustainable and flexible resources to the African Union when it undertakes peacekeeping operations authorized by the Council under Chapter VIII of the Charter. AU peacekeeping operations should receive the same support as all United Nations peacekeepers, including reimbursement. By the same token, AU peacekeepers should uphold the same professional standards as United Nations personnel. That is why, for example, the Secretariat has been working with the AU to define guidelines and strengthen capacity on protecting civilians and minimizing civilian casualties. Let me stress again the great importance I attach to the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations. In the months ahead, I will submit a report that will help to define a strategic vision for United Nations-AU cooperation on peace and security. Our partnership has achieved much to date and has great potential for the future. Let us all work together towards effective mechanisms for a long-term approach to conflict prevention and resolution and a reliable system for peacekeeping under the Charter. Let us find our way towards a model that works for Africa and that can, in turn, bring lessons and applications for our cooperation with other regional organizations.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union. Mr. Lamamra: I am pleased to address the Council, for the second consecutive day, to provide an African Union (AU) perspective on issues of common concern. That the Security Council agreed to hold back-to- back meetings on Somalia and on United Nations support to the African Union when it undertakes peacekeeping operations and, more generally, on the partnership between the world organization and the AU, bears testimony to the commitment of this body to the promotion of lasting peace and security in Africa. On behalf of African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping and the AU as a whole, I again salute Uganda, which is presiding over the Council this month. I also salute your personal presence, Mr. President, at this important meeting. I commend Uganda for its leadership and for the many sacrifices that it has made in pursuit of our objective of a conflict-free continent, especially through its participation in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is undoubtedly one of the most challenging operations ever undertaken by our continental organization. Yesterday, we debated the situation in Somalia and the urgent actions needed from the international community, and in particular from the Security Council, to meet the challenges arising from current developments in that country and to extend to the Somali people the support they desperately need as they strive to put behind them the two-decades-long conflict that has torn their country apart. In fairness to the United Nations and the larger international community, we are not starting this journey from scratch, for the United Nations is at the forefront of those providing the financial, logistical and technical support required for AMISOM to fully discharge its mandate. It is only fitting for me to reiterate our appreciation to the United Nations for its invaluable support package to AMISOM, which ushered in a new era in the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations in general, particularly the African Union. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude once again to South Africa, which initiated the process that led to the Prodi panel report (see S/2008/813) and has since continued to work tirelessly towards the effective follow-up of the recommendations contained therein. We at the African Union are pleased that South Africa is rejoining the Council, for its presence in this body and its long-standing commitment to peace will inject added momentum to efforts aimed at making the partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations more relevant to the current challenges and environment. Yesterday’s discussions and today’s debate are intertwined. In many respects, our joint undertaking on Somalia offers a template of how the AU-United Nations strategic partnership should evolve, if our efforts at addressing the challenges of peace and security in Africa are to succeed. Less than two years ago, the Prodi panel, jointly established by the African Union and the United Nations in a spirit of renewed partnership, submitted a forward-looking report on how best to enhance the relationship between the African Union and the United Nations, based on a judicious combination of their respective comparative advantages. To buttress the proposed approach, the Prodi panel pointed out that, while African peacekeeping missions had demonstrated aptitude for rapid deployment, which provided the initial stability needed for a long-term solution, the lack of capacity and other resources hampered their ability to effectively implement their respective mandates over extended periods of time. The panel suggested a number of practical steps towards further coordination and collaboration between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as well as between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. The report identified ways of developing institutional capacity commensurate with the demands placed on the African Union. On the enhancement of the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of the financing of United Nations-mandated peace operations undertaken by the African Union, the report recommended the establishment of new financial mechanisms based on United Nations assessed contributions. Beyond those specific steps, the Prodi panel stressed the need for a shared strategic vision to enable the United Nations and the AU to exercise their respective advantages, but also to reduce the likelihood of duplication of effort and of organizations working at cross-purposes. Since the submission of the report, significant progress has been made towards the implementation of the recommendations that were formulated. I would like, at this juncture, to most sincerely thank Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his report (S/2010/514), which provides an exhaustive picture of what has been achieved and the challenges ahead. Allow me, in particular, to highlight the ever-closer working relationship between the AU Commission and the United Nations Secretariat. On many issues of mutual concern, we endeavour, at various levels, to consult with one another and, to the extent possible, to harmonize our positions. In that respect, the launching, here in New York on 25 September, of the joint AU-United Nations task force on peace and security truly marked a milestone. The presence of both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Chairperson Jean Ping of the African Union Commission at the launching of the task force, which convened its first substantive session a few days later, was a testimony to the commitment of the leadership of the two organizations to deepening the AU-United Nations partnership. It is also worth mentioning the upgrading and streamlining of the United Nations presence in Addis Ababa through the establishment, in July 2010, of the United Nations Office to the AU, as well as through the capacity-building support provided to the AU in a number of areas and the increased coordination on the ground between representatives of our two organizations. The convening in Cairo last August, at the initiative of the AU Commission and within the framework of the Year of Peace and Security in Africa, of a retreat bringing together senior officials and envoys or representatives of the AU and the United Nations, as well as from other partner organizations and countries, gave a new impetus to the ongoing efforts to ensure more effective coordination and harmonization at both strategic and operational levels. In the Cairo Call for Peace, adopted at the end of the meeting, the AU was encouraged to organize another retreat next year and to institutionalize this forum thereafter, while at the same time working with the United Nations to ensure an effective follow-up to the steps agreed upon, including the establishment of regional forums of mediators in support of the quest for peace, security and stability in Africa. This partnership also involves the policymaking organs of the AU and the United Nations. That the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council have now institutionalized their yearly consultative meeting is a further indication of the shared awareness that achieving lasting peace and security in Africa requires that we pull our resources together and harmonize our positions, building on a creative reading and interpretation of the provisions of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. There has been progress even on the more challenging issue of funding AU-led peace support operations, though more slowly than Africa expects. The support package provided to AMIS before its transformation into the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the support given now to AMISOM are indicative of a more innovative approach to peacekeeping and the challenges associated with it. I could not agree more with the observation in the Secretary-General’s report that the logistic support package financed through United Nations-assessed contributions has been a key factor in the operations of AMISOM. With UNAMID, we have gone a step further, joining our efforts in an unprecedented hybrid operation, funded and managed by the United Nations. In so doing, our two organizations have demonstrated a capacity to respond to complex political realities with the required flexibility and pragmatism. The African Union welcomes the joint AU-United Nations lessons learned exercise, planned for mid-November 2010 in Nairobi, to study those experiences, as requested by the Security Council in its presidential statement of 26 October 2009 (S/PRST/2009/26). It is critical that the lessons drawn be applied and that they inform future decisions by our two organizations. As we meet today, we ought, therefore, to be proud of what has been achieved, for it provides a strong platform for further progress in our joint endeavour. At the same time, we should remain mindful of the many challenges that lie ahead, which require a greater and more focused mobilization from all stakeholders. While the AU Commission and the United Nations Secretariat have enhanced their collaboration, as indicated earlier, there is room for significant improvement. That requires an action-oriented approach geared towards achieving tangible results. It also requires that at all levels we fully embrace the spirit of partnership we have committed ourselves to, and that we remain relentless in our determination to make collaboration and coordination a permanent feature of our relationship so as to avoid duplication of efforts and waste of scarce resources. We must maximize our impact and be of better help to those in need of assistance. I trust that the Joint Task Force will provide us with the required tools to precisely see to it that the commitments made at the highest levels are implemented and that the conclusions of the coordination meetings we regularly convene are followed through. It is also important to make sustained efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the relationship between the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. There are many steps that could immediately be taken to that end, ranging from regular consultations between their respective chairs in order to harmonize their agendas and ensure a closer coordination and better synchronization in terms of decision-making, to joint field missions and more substantive discussions at the yearly meetings between the two organs, with the necessary time and attention being allotted to the latter. I cannot conclude my remarks without addressing the issue of funding the AU-led peace support operations. As members are all aware, that issue is of particular importance for the African Union, having been discussed on several occasions by our highest decision-making body, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. Over the past few years, the African Union has demonstrated renewed determination and willingness to deploy peace support operations to help stabilize fragile environments, where more often than not there is no clear-cut distinction between a continuing conflict and a situation where there exists a peace to be kept. That is done to provide the much-needed backing to forces of peace as they battle to keep the upper hand over those bent on pursuing hostilities for narrow and short-term gains, and to create conditions for sustainable peace and long-term recovery, including through the deployment of United Nations operations. Significantly, AU deployments on the ground are labelled peace support operations, and not peacekeeping operations. In Burundi and the Sudan yesterday and in Somalia today, the AU, we believe, has demonstrated the validity of that approach. At the same time, we are faced with serious resource, logistical and capacity constraints, which have hampered the ability of the operations deployed to fully discharge their mandated tasks and achieve their objectives. Yet we have no doubt that the risks inherent in such undertakings were worth taking, not only to seize the opportunities that presented themselves for the advancement of peace — and we feel vindicated by the experience in Burundi — but also to fulfil our obligation and responsibility to protect vulnerable populations caught in deadly conflicts. In so doing, the AU, while fulfilling its own mandate and promoting the goals and principles enshrined in its Constitutive Act and other related instruments, is also acting on behalf of the Security Council of the United Nations. Against that background, the importance of finding a lasting solution for the funding of AU-led peace support operations cannot be overemphasized. Time and again, experience has demonstrated that support using United Nations-assessed contributions is the most viable response to the challenge at hand, especially when the operations concerned, as is the case for AMISOM, are undertaken with the consent of the Security Council. Therefore, I would like to reiterate the AU call to the Security Council and the United Nations in general to approach that issue with the urgency and flexibility required, building on the support packages extended to AMIS and AMISOM and other relevant experiences, in line with the Security Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Clearly, this responsibility should be exercised in full, including when it comes to its financial implications. As the Secretary-General rightly pointed out in paragraph 54 of his report, “The complex challenges in the world today require a revitalized and evolving interpretation of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations”, based on the recognition that support by the United Nations to the regional organizations in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security is an integral part of collective security as provided for in the United Nations Charter. Making peace happen in Africa — a continent that, in spite of the significant advances made over the past years, still accounts for the highest proportion of conflicts worldwide — require no less from the world body and its relevant decision-making organ on peace and security matters. We need an enhanced and innovative partnership to meet today’s challenges and endow ourselves with the required capacity to confront the uncertainties of tomorrow. We need to demonstrate leadership and vision in order to take the bold steps that the changing international landscape demands. We need to guard ourselves against the deceptive comfort that the status quo offers, for it erodes our capacity to explore innovative solutions and better anticipate the future. I have no doubt that the Security Council will successfully navigate the challenges at hand. For its part, the AU is determined to fully play its role, consistent with the provisions of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. We will pursue the efforts initiated to enhance our capacity and accelerate the full operationalization of the African peace and security architecture. The ongoing Amani training exercise to test African Standby Force procedures and the study assessment of the African peace and security architecture are clear illustrations of our determination to press ahead in this area and to improve financial management and transparency and raise more resources from within the continent, including through innovative partnerships with the private sector and civil society, as part of the follow-up to the Year of Peace and Security We will endeavour to make conflict prevention, in particular structural prevention, a centrepiece of our action, making effective use of the relevant components of the African peace and security architecture and building on our solid normative framework on issues relating to governance, human rights, democracy, disarmament and arms control, and border management, to list but a few. We will step up our efforts to resolve existing conflicts, while consolidating peace where it has been achieved in order to prevent a relapse into violence. I would like once again to express our most sincere gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless efforts and unflinching commitment to the cause of peace and security in Africa and in the world as a whole. His excellent report deserves credit, for it not only eloquently articulates the challenges facing us and the steps we need to take, but also gives due recognition to the progress achieved by the AU in the implementation of its reform agenda in the area of financial and administration management, as well as to the contribution the AU is making to the achievement of our common goal of a continent at peace with itself and with the rest of the world.

I thank Mr. Lamamra for his statement. 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 their texts in writing and to read a condensed version when speaking in the chamber. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

I wish to commend His Excellency Mr. Eriya Kategaya, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs of Uganda, and the Ugandan delegation for convening this important debate to assess the support to African Union (AU) peacekeeping operations. Let me also express my appreciation to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his leadership and commitment to peace and security in Africa, in particular, and for his presence here for this debate and his insightful remarks. I am also grateful for the illuminating AU perspective so ably presented by the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union. This debate benefits from the contents of resolution 1809 (2008), the landmark Prodi report of 2008 (S/2008/813), and the Secretary-General’s reports S/2009/470 of 18 September 2009 and S/2010/514 of 14 October 2010. While the validity of the findings of these reports is undeniable, what remains lacking is the will to act resolutely to address the complex challenges we face in Africa. I hope that today’s debate will lay a strong foundation for the set of actions required to substantially enhance the peacekeeping capacity of the African Union and contribute to the observance of the Year of Peace and Security declared by the African Union. Conflicts in Africa bear the hallmarks of the emerging threats to international peace and security. Their root causes are, however, multifaceted, and we must therefore recognize the need for a comprehensive approach to resolving them. Above all, our response must be situated within the rubric of the quest for collective security, responsibility for which does not rest on any one country or region, but on the international community acting in concert. Going forward, we must have a shared strategic vision of our goals, recalling that peacekeeping in Africa is an integral part of the maintenance of international peace and security, for which the Security Council has primary responsibility. When the African Union undertakes a peacekeeping operation authorized by the United Nations, it fulfils a dual responsibility to the people of Africa and humankind at large, represented by the ideals of the United Nations. Nigeria’s experience in Sierra Leone and Liberia has taught us myriad of lessons on the challenges of regional peacekeeping. I would subsume them into three core areas of financing, equipping and mission support arrangements. Let me illustrate the quandary the African Union all too often finds itself. I need not remind Council members that Africa constitutes 70 per cent of the matters on our agenda. Invariably, these matters are also on the agenda of the African Union, which is frequently called upon to respond. Indeed, over time, the AU and its regional economic communities have demonstrated an increasing ability to initiate and lead subregional peacekeeping operations, as Nigeria has done in West Africa. Yet, at best, the AU is but a part of our collective security system facing multiple demands to deploy, mediate or support post-conflict processes across a vast continent. These demands placed on the AU far outweigh its resources and capacities to effectively respond. The consequences of this mismatch include mission failure, increased instability, retarded economic development and a reluctance among potential partners to contribute to what is perceived to be a failing system. If we are to do things differently, we must use our political authority to ensure that, where regional capacities exist, appropriate support follows. We appreciate the growing understanding of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, including their key organs and institutions. Without a truly strategic partnership and relationship, vision and clear guidance, our enormous investments in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding will continue to be short term and ad hoc. As the Secretary-General has observed, the extent to which the administrative bodies of the United Nations and AU can fully realize a meaningful strategic partnership depends on the clarity of guidance and direction of legislative mandates. The burgeoning partnership between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission crystallized in the establishment on 25 September 2010 of the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security — an excellent point of departure. Furthermore, under Nigeria’s presidency last July, the Council reached agreement with the AU Peace and Security Council on the format and modalities of the annual consultative meetings of the two bodies. We welcome the view of the Secretary-General that these meetings will require preparatory and follow-up mechanisms, using the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. Financing AU peacekeeping operations remains a daunting challenge. But, as the Prodi panel report reminded us, “financing options are not difficult to identify” (see S/2008/813). The problem persists because we, the stakeholders, have failed to adopt the far-reaching and creative alternatives required. Given that the current financial frameworks for partnership in peacekeeping are not conducive to building a sustainable long-term strategy, it is imperative that the Council endorse a financing option that guarantees the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of funding for AU peacekeeping operations mandated by the United Nations. The AU remains an organization in transition, whose institutions are still building their capacities. In that respect, we appreciate the knowledge-sharing and information exchange envisaged in the Secretary- General’s report, in particular in relation to preventive diplomacy efforts, such as mediation and early warning. In Nigeria’s view, a hybrid mission like the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) would benefit from a collaborative field mission to enhance synergy in monitoring, the assessment of results and response strategies. Through such collaboration, the AU might also benefit from best practices within the United Nations system in reforming its processes and institutions. Too frequently, AU member States are able to muster sufficient troop numbers to address crisis situations, only to then have a lack of equipment and logistical support let them down. In this regard, we should stress that the capacity development of peacekeeping personnel, though essential, is not a substitute for adequate equipment, logistics and training. We are thus encouraged by the range of initiatives under consideration, particularly the prospect of giving the African Union access to the United Nations Logistics Base capacities and the United Nations strategic deployment stocks and of making a surge capacity team of experts available to the African Union at the initiation of a peace support operation. If we act on the recommendations put forward, we would undoubtedly add substance to AU’s mission capabilities. We encourage the AU to continue with its institutional reform process, as well as development of a long-term capacity-building road map. We believe the United Nations Secretariat can play a key role in pulling this framework together in order to improve the technical support to the African Union. There may also be scope to support initiatives like the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji, Kaduna, to enhance its capacity to train and prepare AU troops for the planned African Standby Force. Nigeria encourages the Secretary-General to carefully analyse the scope for and implications of these options. We strongly urge the Secretary-General to intensify his efforts to find sustainable funding to bring the support package for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to the level of that of United Nations peacekeeping operations. During the mini-summit on Somalia last month, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan reminded us it is only when all parties commit to peace and take practical steps to consolidate it that change will endure. The security situation in Somalia, he added, will improve dramatically if there is a strong, coordinated international presence. By acting together, we would demonstrate the shared responsibility of the international community for the maintenance of peace and security. But in the final analysis, the African Union can only play an effective role in response to crises if there is sufficient political will and commitment of both its own member States and the international community as a whole.

The Chinese delegation welcomes you, Sir, to the Security Council to preside over today’s debate. We also thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his report entitled United Nations support of African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council (S/2010/514) and for his briefing. The Chinese delegation wishes to thank Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, for his briefing. At present, peace and security in Africa continues develop in a positive direction. However, peace and security continue to be fragile in a number of areas, where flashpoint issues have long eluded resolution. Non-traditional threats to security, such as terrorism, piracy and transnational organized crime, are also on the rise. The maintenance of peace and security in Africa remains one of the most real and pressing challenges facing the international community. This is also the major reason for which Africa has designated 2010 as the year for peace and security. As the most important regional organization of Africa, the African Union has been playing an increasingly important role in the maintenance of peace and security in Africa and the settlement of conflicts on the continent. China expresses its great appreciation. However, at the same time, the peacekeeping operations of the African Union have become increasingly constrained in terms of funding and capacity-building. They urgently need the support of the international community, including the United Nations. China supports the creation and development of strategic cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. We are pleased to see that the United Nations Office to the African Union was created on 1 July. China welcomes the continuation of regular communication between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council and expects such cooperation to continue, so as to use the respective advantages of the two organizations to achieve practical results in the important fields of mediation, conflict prevention and security sector reform. China hopes that the recently launched United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security will be able to carry out its mandate and work hard to promote the strategic partnership between the two organizations. China maintains that the United Nations should help the African Union obtain reliable financial support for its peacekeeping operations. China is pleased to see that the package of logistical support provided by the United Nations has markedly improved the living and working conditions of its peacekeepers, but is concerned about the financial constraints that African Union missions continue to face. We believe that, while the United Nations should continue to provide active support, all countries concerned should honour their commitments of support. We believe that all parties concerned should give positive consideration to the recommendations of the Secretary-General contained in his report with regard to various sources of financing and the criteria for financial support, with a view to putting in place a predictable and sustainable financing mechanism for the African Union’s peacekeeping operations. We support institutional capacity-building for the African Union’s peacekeeping operations. The United Nations should strengthen its cooperation with the African Union through training and the sharing of knowledge and lessons learned. It should also speed up the implementation of the United Nations-African Union Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme. We have also taken note of the fact that the United Nations will view its support to and cooperation with the African Union in the field of peacekeeping operations from a new perspective, as pointed out by the Secretary-General in his report. We look forward to receiving a report from the Secretary-General in this regard China has always given importance and support to having the African Union play a greater role in the field of peace and security in Africa, and has provided support to all AU peacekeeping operations in different forms, through both bilateral and multilateral channels. The second political consultation between the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs and his AU counterparts was conducted on 24 September in New York as a General Assembly side event. During the consultations, both sides reiterated the importance of carrying out AU peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union and their readiness to strengthen training to build up the African Union capacity in this important field. In the future, China will continue to provide every support within its capacity to the African Union and African countries and will continue its efforts to strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. China supports the draft presidential statement prepared by Uganda on the theme of today’s debate.

Allow me to welcome you, Sir, in assuming the delicate role in the Council chair today. I would like to thank you for organizing this debate to discuss the important issue of support for African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by United Nations mandate. We are grateful to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and the African Union Commissioner, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, for their comprehensive briefings. It is also an honour to welcome His Excellency Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia and thank him for his contribution. We also welcome the Secretary-General’s report (S/2010/514) before us, noting the progress that has been achieved thus far. Bosnia and Herzegovina attaches great importance to enhanced cooperation between regional and subregional organizations and the United Nations. Strengthening cooperation and strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is of key importance for conflict prevention, crisis management and achieving lasting peace and security on the African continent. Further enhancement of cooperation between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council is vital for reaching those objectives. It should result in concrete action on the modalities and means for the development of strategic partnerships when addressing issues of mutual interest and concern. The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the African Union Mission in Somalia are illustrative examples of cooperation based on flexibility and making best use of the comparative advantages of the African Union and United Nations in the area of effective peacekeeping and peacebuilding strategies. The United Nations Secretariat and African Union Commission need to ensure the complementarities of their efforts, as well as realistic benchmarks and timelines. Strengthening the efforts of African Union and its institutional capacity to effectively plan, deploy and manage peacekeeping operations is a key prerequisite for their success. It is also of high importance that the African Union ensure leadership and ownership of the process. Bosnia and Herzegovina furthermore considers that closer cooperation between the United Nations Secretariat and African Union Commission will, in addition, minimize duplication of efforts. The establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union is a practical step in that direction. We commend the progress made in the past years in the area of implementing the 10-year capacity- building programme. We also welcome the launching of the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security on 25 September 2010. Such initiatives and increasing United Nations engagement in Africa will provide adequate ways forward to make the African peace and security architecture fully operational as soon as possible. As stated in the Secretary-General’s report, focusing on developing the capacities of the peace and security architecture, particularly in the areas of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, is crucial. In that regard, the operationalization of the African Standby Force and the continental early warning system should continue to be priority areas of joint engagement. We welcome the idea of utilizing more efficiently the Security Council’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa as a forum for discussing substantive issues related to peace and security in Africa. Despite many positive developments, the challenge of predictable, flexible and timely financing remains an issue of concern. Therefore, it is vital that all parties concerned continue their engagements in activities aimed at reaching feasible solutions to that important element of comprehensive and effective implementation of peacekeeping and peacebuilding mandates in Africa. We are encouraged by the fact that African Union Commission has implemented significant reforms targeting the areas of staffing, budgeting, financial management and accountability, which have resulted in improved and effective financial management, accountability and reporting. The decision of the African Union and its member States to broaden the resource base and extend resource mobilization by 12 per cent of its regular budget to financing the African Union’s Peace Fund reflects the political commitment to take responsibility for peacekeeping operations. Bosnia and Herzegovina warmly welcomes this decision. Finally, the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, including the African Union, becomes more and more important in addressing the challenges of the contemporary world. Bosnia and Herzegovina expresses its full support for the efforts of the African Union as the regional factor in resolving conflicts and upholding peace and security in the region. In conclusion, allow me to express our support for the draft presidential statement prepared by the delegation of Uganda.

Today’s meeting again demonstrates the special attention that the Security Council devotes to issues of settling crisis situations on the African continent. It is significant in that connection that the Security Council is not the only player in this field. We note with satisfaction that the African Union (AU) is increasingly present in resolving the continent’s problems. What is worthy of support is the resolve of the African Union and its member States to bear the responsibility for preventing conflicts and carrying out peacekeeping activities in Africa. A telling example here is the actions of African peacekeepers in Somalia and Darfur, conducted in cooperation with and with the support of the United Nations. The African Union’s peacekeeping role demonstrates the need for rational utilization of the capacities of regional organizations by the Security Council, pursuant to Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. The existence of robust regional organizations that are capable of bearing a greater share of responsibility for the situation in their regions enables the United Nations to focus on global issues to a greater extent, in the interests of the entire world community. The African Union’s peacekeeping capacities require further strengthening, including through support from the international community. There is fruitful cooperation between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council and between the secretariats of both organizations. We believe that the creation of the United Nations Office to the African Union will optimize assistance for strengthening AU peacekeeping capacities from our universal Organization. Furthering and enhancing the effectiveness of efforts to strengthen regional security and resolving cross-border problems on the African continent will be promoted by the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, which will be established soon. We hope that the United Nations experience in Western Africa will be brought to bear here. Regarding the provision of logistical and financial support by the United Nations for the African Union’s peacekeeping efforts, we are wedded to a rational approach. What is required here is a thorough analysis of the conditions for the deployment and of the needs of specific peacekeeping operations, and multilateral consultations between the African Union and the United Nations on all aspects of United Nations support. What requires separate discussion is the provision of further United Nations support to the African Union Mission in Somalia, keeping in mind the security and humanitarian situation in that country. Yesterday’s Security Council meeting (see S/PV.6407) was useful in this respect. In parallel to peacekeeping, we need to devote our attention to bolstering the African Union’s mediation and preventive diplomacy capacity. The priority here remains the creation by the African Union of a multi-tiered, collective security architecture for the prevention of and timely response to emerging crisis situations. The most important element of the architecture should be the international peacekeeping force known as the African standby force, whose creation the international community is assisting. The Russian Federation is participating in the elaboration and implementation of international assistance programmes for Africa, including for the strengthening of the African Union’s peacekeeping capacities. Russia’s specialized educational facilities are conducting training programmes for African Union peacekeeping personnel. We intend to continue to develop our cooperation with African States aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region. The Russian Federation supports the draft presidential statement prepared by the Ugandan delegation.

Let me begin by extending a warm welcome to you, Sir, and by thanking you and the delegation of Uganda for convening today’s open debate. I would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive analytical report on this issue (S/2010/514). I also wish to thank Ambassador Lamamra for his briefings and contributions. I also extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Mr. Ajumogobia, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, and thank him for his contributions to this important debate. The Security Council, at its summit meeting of 23 September (see S/PV.6389), reiterated its commitment to strengthening its strategic partnerships with and support to regional and subregional organizations in conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Today’s debate presents a unique opportunity to follow through on our commitments and to translate them into concrete action in the African context, and thus contribute to the strategic vision of partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). We are also pleased with the growing recognition of the fact that the African Union has various comparative advantages that need to be utilized in such a way as to contribute to international peace and security. The United Nations has recently assumed the important responsibility of supporting the AU’s efforts to enhance its own capacity in this area. In this regard, we welcome the recent progress made in strengthening the strategic and operational partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, including enhanced collaboration between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. United Nations support to the African peace and security architecture, including the African standby force and the 10-year capacity-building programme for the African Union, are essential elements of our common strategy with respect to the African continent. The establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union in July was also a serious step, and we look forward to the full operationalization of the Office. We are also pleased with the inauguration of the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security between the United Nations and the AU, which we believe represent a strong platform for further efforts. We also welcome the steps taken by the African Union to enhance its capabilities in the field of preventive diplomacy. We are particularly pleased with the joint efforts of the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission in the areas of conflict prevention and peace mediation in a number of African countries. The inclusion of assistance in developing the African Union’s mediation strategy in the 10-year capacity-building programme is also commendable insofar as peace mediation is a cost-effective and efficient method of crisis management and conflict resolution. However, as highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General, important challenges remain and more needs to be done. In his report, the Secretary- General points to a number of such challenges, the notable of which pertains to financing. We note that the Secretary-General’s conclusions on this issue are strikingly similar to those contained in the 2008 report of the Prodi panel (S/2008/813). Indeed, both reports point to the need for sustainable, flexible and predictable financing mechanisms for the AU peace support operations mandated by the United Nations. Voluntary contributions frequently constitute an unstable and unpredictable funding mechanism. That is why resolution 1809 (2008) and the presidential statement of 26 October 2009 (S/PRST/2009/26) acknowledged the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing regional organizations when they undertake peacekeeping under a United Nations mandate. As the Secretary-General also underscores in his report, the current financial framework for partnerships in peacekeeping operations is not conducive to building a long-term strategy. We fully endorse the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report on these issues. In particular, we concur with the Secretary-General that a more predictable, reliable and sustainable funding mechanism must be found, especially to ensure that the African Union will be able to fulfil the goals set out in the African peace and security architecture. In the light of the experiences gained in the context of the African Union Mission in Somalia, where the logistical support package was financed through United Nations assessed contributions, we believe that the Security Council must be ready to consider the use of assessed contributions to support similar United Nations authorized operations on a case-by-case basis in the future. This could help the Council to overcome the biggest challenge standing in the way of African peacekeeping operations, as well as United Nations-African Union strategic cooperation. Investing in the African Union’s peacekeeping capacity means at the same time investing in the security, stability, prosperity and thus the future of that great continent. It is a long-term 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. With these considerations, we support the draft presidential statement prepared by Uganda and look forward to the next report of the Secretary-General to define the United Nations strategic vision for United Nations-African Union cooperation on peace and security.

I would like to first thank you, the Right Honourable Mr. Eriya Kategaya, Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda, for organizing today’s debate and to express appreciation to the leadership of the Government of Uganda in supporting African Union (AU) peacekeeping. I would also like to express appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia for his participation in and contribution to this morning’s debate. I also thank the Secretary- General and Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, for their valuable briefings. Japan highly praises the conflict-prevention and peacekeeping efforts made in recent years by the African Union and Africa’s subregional organizations, as well as the tangible outcomes obtained as a result of those efforts under African ownership. The international community must extend further cooperation to support this positive trend. If the African Union fulfils its unique role and makes the best possible use of its competencies and advantages in the fields of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, it will be to the benefit of the entire international community. Japan believes that we must continue to seek an appropriate path to expand the role of the AU and to strengthen the partnership between the AU and the United Nations. In this regard, Japan welcomes the enhanced relationship between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, and proposes regular action-oriented follow-up meetings through the platform provided by the Security Council’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. With respect to capacity-building, it is essential to continue to extend our support to African troop-contributing countries. Japan has committed itself to assisting in the capacity-building of the African peace and security architecture through the African Union’s Peace Fund. Japan also contributes to efforts in national and regional capacity-building, including the support programme for peacekeeping operations training centres in Africa. Japan stands ready and committed to continuing its support in this field. We are also engaged in security sector reform programmes, such as those supporting the Congolese and Somali police. The United Nations has an important role to play in support of activities that contribute to the protection of civilians. To that end, it is our hope that the United Nations will cooperate further in this area. The international community should pay tribute to the sacrifices that African nations have been making and continue to extend its assistance. Japan recognizes the importance of securing predictable, sustainable and flexible funding. We have been taking active part in discussions addressing the needs, and will continue to make efforts to this end. The use of assessed contributions was one of the requests made yesterday in the discussion on Somalia. To help the Security Council to produce a feasible solution, taking into account that request from the African Union, Japan is committed to continuing to be involved in extensive discussions with relevant actors and the Secretariat concerning the questions of how the troop level of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) can be increased and of whether or not the current logistics support package can be expanded, and if so, what scope and content will be envisaged. It is essential that international partners strengthen their cooperation in support of African Union peacekeeping activities. In this connection, we welcome new partners in our efforts. We also appreciate the current reform efforts of the AU Commission and hope that the AU will be able to increase its capacity by enhancing its financial management. It is crucial to have proactive efforts at both ends. It is our hope that the lessons learned from the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and AMISOM will be closely analysed in the report of the Secretary-General to be issued within six months. Those lessons must be wisely utilized in future missions. Japan also hopes that the report will include an assessment of the activities and operation of the United Nations Office to the African Union. To conclude my statement today, I would like to thank Uganda again for preparing the draft presidential statement, which Japan supports. A durable peace cannot be achieved by peacekeepers alone. Political and reconciliation processes are essential to consolidating peace. The Council is counting on the cooperation of African countries in this regard.

At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this debate on a topic of great importance to our efforts for peace and security. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2010/514) and to welcome the presence and statement of Mr. Lamamra on behalf of the African Union. My delegation associates itself with the statement to be made later by the representative of the European Union. I should like to underscore the following points. First, we commend the efforts undertaken this past year by the African Union, often in the most difficult conditions. The African Union plays a significant role in the Sudan by contributing to the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur; through the African Union High-level Implementation Panel led by President Mbeki, who plays a facilitating role on the issues of Darfur and South Sudan; and, finally, through the role of the Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur, Mr. Djibril Bassolé, heading the Doha peace process. Similarly, in Somalia, the African Union’s establishment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has prevented the seizure of Mogadishu by extremists. The contingents of Uganda and Burundi are making a significant effort to contain the violence of Al-Shabaab and protect the Transitional Federal Institutions. We note that the African Union is one of the world’s regional organizations that have most developed their partnership and cooperation with the United Nations. This exceptional relationship — forged both between the Security Council of the United Nations and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, and between the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretariat — is justified, inter alia, by Africa’s prominent place on the peacekeeping agenda. We welcome the growing role played by African States within peacekeeping operations, which are mostly deployed in Africa. We also believe that it is important to preserve the universal nature of the personnel of these operations. The African Union contributes a great deal to the United Nations. It contributes proximity to the situation on the ground, intimate knowledge of the regional environment, and the conviction that the continent is taking responsibility for its own security, pursuant to the United Nations Charter. Conversely, the United Nations contributes to the African Union legitimacy in the context of its Charter, skills, resources and shared experiences that can assist the Union in its crisis prevention and management missions on the continent. Today, all our efforts are aimed at ensuring that this original and mutually beneficial partnership, imbued with the spirit of Chapter VIII of the Charter, endures and improves. In this respect, we believe that the official establishment in July of the new United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa will contribute to strengthening this partnership by further integrating the United Nations activities. I wish to congratulate the Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Zachary Muburi- Muita, on his appointment to head the Office. France, like its European Union partners, is greatly committed to supporting peacekeeping by African regional and subregional organizations, beginning with the African Union. The President of the Republic announced during the Africa-France summit in Nice in May that we intend to contribute €300 million over the next three years to bolster the peace and security architecture, in addition to our bilateral contribution to the European Union’s African Peace Facility. We also intend to contribute to the training of 12,000 men. We attach a special importance to strengthening African capacities in the field of training and deployment. The network of regionally oriented national schools, which we support, is an effective tool for training the various components of the African standby force and strengthening military, police and civilian capacities. France also contributes significantly to European assistance, which surpasses €1 billion, to the maintenance of peace and security on the African continent. As the Secretary-General underscores in his report, the European Union has become a key partner of the African Union in the field of capacity-building and support for deployed peacekeeping operations. I recall, for example, that in Somalia the European Union’s African Peace Facility has committed almost €95 million to AMISOM, and a decision to provide €47 million in additional financing was adopted last July. We must, however, abide by the operational rules of the European Union in this commitment, which means that, for instance, today we cannot finance lethal equipment with the Peace Facility. In the case of Somalia, I wish to pay tribute in particular to the exemplary mobilization of Uganda, which hosts the European Union Somalia Training Mission and, with Burundi, contributes troops to AMISOM. United Nations support for African Union operations calls for innovative responses on our part to the external and internal challenges we face. From the security perspective, the difficulty today lies in our ability to respond to new forms of cross-cutting threats facing the United Nations and the African Union. I note that the range of peacekeeping and political mediation tools is often not well adapted to this type of situation. In the Sahel and on the west coast of Africa, we note an increase, and a growing overlap, in the factors of instability, terrorism, trafficking and rebellion, which undermine the security and the integrity of States. That is why support for security sector reform and promotion of the rule of law must, in time, become key elements of operations deployed by African regional and subregional organizations. How to achieve that? In that regard, the peacebuilding work carried out by the Mission for the consolidation of peace in the Central African Republic, within the framework of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and with the financial support of the European Commission, France and ECCAS, has opened up noteworthy paths of work. In addition, the African mission project for assistance to security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau, if it takes shape in suitable conditions, would also merit our attention, like its cooperation with the United Nations and the European Union. In other words, all of that shows that ways of supporting peace and security on the African continent are far from being fixed and uniform. Internally, it is also very clear that the current difficult budgetary circumstances of contributing States should force us to seek greater efficiency in peacekeeping operations, while monitoring spending more closely. If we have decided to pursue our work that started in the context of the Franco-British initiative — which seeks to strengthen the chain of command of operations and to improve the cooperation with troop contributors — it is also to ensure stricter financial tracking of those operations, whose budget has increased exponentially in recent years. We also believe that if the United Nations is to be committed to such a reform process, its partners cannot stay in the background, especially when their involvement is so great, as is the case with the African Union. In that regard, in the Secretary-General’s report, we note with interest the efforts undertaken by the African Union to reform its management methods and to diversify its peacekeeping funding sources. However, the issue of operations follow-up remains crucial. The United Nations must retain primary responsibility for the operations that it funds. For those reasons, both budgetary and operational, we believe that resorting to United Nations funding, through obligatory contributions, of operations that it does not lead poses difficulties. That option should not serve as the cornerstone of broader and bolder consideration, which must be undertaken based on support for African peacekeeping capacities. In that regard, I would like to underscore that the new African Peace Facility of the European Union is a first appropriate response to the African request for predictable and sustained financing for peacekeeping operations led by Africa. We believe that we should be inspired by that voluntary step to support security on the African continent. That brings me to conclude by underscoring that such support for African capacities concerns us all — the United Nations, the European Union, bilateral partners and international donors. But it is also, of course, the concern of African States themselves, whose willingness to take charge of their security governs any success. Rest assured that France will remain actively involved at their side. Finally, I would like to voice my delegation’s support for the draft presidential statement.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate today. Let me also thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2010/514) and briefing. My thanks go as well to the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU), Ambassador Lamamra, for his important contributions to today’s discussion. The United States commends the African nations that provide resources, police officers and troops to support vital peacekeeping missions on the continent. In particular, we applaud the major deployment of more than 7,000 Ugandan and Burundian troops in Somalia and the critical work being done together with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. Such contributions have improved security and saved lives across the continent, and they are helping to prevent threats to international peace and security from spreading further. The United States fully supports strengthening the strategic relationship between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). We are encouraged to see improved communication and collaboration between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. We also welcome the increased frequency with which African Union officials have briefed the Security Council and United Nations Special Representatives have briefed the AU Peace and Security Council. My Government also supports the continued United Nations assistance to the AU in the development of the continental early-warning system, which, once it becomes operational, will further enhance the African Union’s ability to prevent conflict. The United States is fully dedicated to supporting the African Union as it grapples with the complex challenges of illicit drug trafficking and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa. We also strongly support plans to enhance joint operational efforts to counter the Lord’s Resistance Army. My Government firmly supports the African Union’s operations in Guinea- Bissau, the Sudan, the Central African Republic and Somalia. Let me just say a few words about Somalia. The Djibouti peace process has moved forward and parts of Mogadishu have remained outside extremist control because of the efforts of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The partnership between the United Nations and the AU has allowed both organizations to accomplish more than they could have on their own. It is in our collective interest to support that partnership, and we welcome the opportunity to review its progress and consider way to make it more effective. The United States will continue its strong bilateral support to AMISOM’s troop-contributing countries, but securing sustainable, predictable and flexible financing remains a key challenge to the AU’s capacity to undertake effective peacekeeping operations. The United States commitment to supporting the vision of the African Standby Force contributing to AU operations is broad and deep. Since 2005, the United States has provided more than $940 million to support ongoing African Union operations in Darfur and Somalia and capacity-building through the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance Programme. The United States support for building up the capacity of the African Standby Force is focused at all three levels — continental, subregional and Member State. My Government welcomes the ongoing simulation and evaluation exercise known as Amani Africa, which we see as an important first step towards that goal. Going forward, we expect that the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa will help make United Nations support to the AU better coordinated and more effective, especially in the area of financial management. That will help ensure that the AU has the capacity to use donor support effectively, even as we improve cooperation and coordination. We also support making more and better use of the AU Partners Group in Addis Ababa to help make donor funding to the AU Commission more sustainable and predictable. We should also work together to further enhance the AU secretariat’s capacity to plan, manage and sustain peacekeeping operations. We must identify areas that need additional support and attention from African and other partners, including logistics, mobility and mission management. We encourage continued efforts to operationalize the African Standby Force, and the United States will continue to support capacity-building and encourage others to support resource-intensive endeavours. The United States would like to explore the possibility of better links between United Nations and African Union capabilities. We support a detailed analysis of the operational, budgetary, human resources and legal implications of letting AU peace support operations authorized by this Council have access to the United Nations logistics base in Brindisi, increased United Nations technical expertise, United Nations strategic deployment stocks and United Nations strategic lift capabilities, as recommended by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. We would like to examine the preparatory reports as soon as they are available. We also urge all those who seek peace and security to pay greater attention to the protection of civilians caught up in conflict and war. We applaud efforts to incorporate doctrine on protecting civilians into all aspects of the AU’s peace support operations and related activities. The United States has increased efforts to deploy formed police units in Africa. Protecting civilians and responding to gender-based violence requires stronger advocacy and programme efforts from the AU and in the preparation of peacekeepers. We support doing more to enhance the civilian and police dimensions of peacekeeping in Africa. Finally, the United States encourages the United Nations to continue its work with the African Union as it develops its peace and security architecture and the African standby force.

At the outset, my delegation would like to welcome you, Mr. President, and to congratulate you on taking the initiative to hold this debate devoted to assessing United Nations support to African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council. As an African country, Gabon recognizes the importance of this issue, which confirms the place that Africa occupies on the Council’s agenda. We thank the Secretary-General for the presentation of his report (S/2010/514). I also take this opportunity to welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia, and to thank him for his contribution to this debate. We also thank Mr. Lamamra for his valuable contribution. We share and support the views he so eloquently expressed. As we take stock of the situation, we will touch on the following three points: the positive aspects of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU), the acknowledged shortcomings, and future prospects. Concerning the first point, my delegation welcomes the active cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, based primarily on the 2006 agreement setting the framework for the 10-year capacity-building programme for the African Union. While it is true that many of the hopes cherished by Africa have not always been met, we must acknowledge that in recent years we have seen positive developments in many of the areas targeted by the programme. Among the initiatives attesting to the vitality of this cooperation, we stress the joint United Nations-AU efforts undertaken in the context of the African-Union United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). This force, whose support, command and control structures are provided by the United Nations — and, I recall, headed by a joint Special Representative — has a military component under African command, functions with financial support from the United Nations, and is assisted by a Joint Mediator. Although its hybrid nature was seen as potentially jeopardizing its effectiveness, we must recognize that UNAMID has contributed significantly to providing greater security in Darfur, without which the peace negotiations currently being conducted by Mr. Djibril Bassolé, and before him by Mr. Rodolphe Adada, would have been impossible. In Somalia, we welcome the logistical and financial support provided by the United Nations to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and its two support offices, based in Nairobi. In fact, the United Nations strategy for Somalia, launched in 2008, has contributed, inter alia, to strengthening AMISOM’s operational capacity, allowing it to carry out more robust action under its mandate to defend the positions of the Transitional Federal Government and to protect the civilian population. I should also mention the joint efforts of both organizations in the area of mediation and peacekeeping in the Sudan, particularly through the coordinated action of the African Union High-level Panel; the Special Representative of the Secretary- General; the United Nations Mission in the Sudan; and the Panel on the Referenda in Sudan, recently announced by the Secretary-General. The joint efforts of the various stakeholders have created a environment conducive to the pursuit of the difficult peace talks currently under way in Darfur. Today, they guarantee the trust necessary to the positive development of the continuing negotiations between the parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, particularly with regard to the Abyei and South Sudan referendums. My delegation also notes with satisfaction the increasingly close cooperation between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. Indeed, the consultative meetings held between those two organs since 2007 have allowed for an ongoing exchange of views and shared decision-making on issues of common interest in the area of peace and security. The signing of an agreement on 25 September by the Chair of the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretary- General creating the Joint Task Force, as well as the opening in July in Addis Ababa of the United Nations Office to the African Union, are also the results of this approach, aimed at bringing the two organizations closer together. While it is increasingly active, the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in the area of international peace and security should be strengthened further. We have particularly in mind the financing of African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the Council, as well as the logistical support for those missions. African Union support and peacekeeping operations require predictable and sufficient resources if they are to be more effective on the ground. In this regard, we welcome the European Union support for the African Peace Facility, a European response to the African Union’s resolve to shoulder responsibility for its own peace and security. Since its establishment, the Facility has allowed the African Union to carry out wide-ranging actions to prevent crises and provide post-conflict stabilization. We also welcome the United Nations assessed contributions. It is, however, essential, as recommended in the Prodi report (S/2008/813), for the United Nations to set up a more flexible, predictable and sustainable financing mechanism for the African Union. We therefore endorse the Secretary-General’s recommendation in this respect by inviting the United Nations to establish a standing trust fund to be managed by the African Union and accountable to it for its disbursements. We cannot envisage the future of security in Africa without considering the effectiveness of the African standby force, created by the African Union to assist it in fully shouldering its responsibilities in carrying out its peacekeeping missions. Unfortunately, due to a lack of sufficient financing and logistical resources, the force is not yet operational. When it does become so, the standby force, whose various components will be based in the five subregions of the continent, will have the advantage of being able to mobilize very quickly. That will undoubtedly allow it to contain conflicts rapidly and to undertake timely efforts to restore peace. We therefore ask the international community to provide support for this force, whose action could be only extremely useful for the United Nations, which, by relying upon it, would necessarily avoid the all-too-frequent serious delays it shows when deploying its peacekeeping forces in Africa. My delegation believes that the African Union, which has in recent years already made considerable efforts to be perceived as a credible partner in the maintenance of peace and security, must now focus in the long term on implementing its global strategic framework to strengthen its capacities with the cooperation with the United Nations and other international partners. We welcome the fact that the presidential statement to be adopted at the end of this debate underscores the need for the Security Council to assist the African Union, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter, and to shoulder its full responsibility in maintaining peace and security throughout the Continent. The ultimate goal is to contribute to building an Africa free from conflict.

Mr. President, it is an honour to have you preside over the Security Council this morning. I also welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and recognize the presence among us today of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Somalia. Let me also express appreciation to the Secretary- General and Commissioner Lamamra for their briefings. Brazil concurs with the Secretary-General when he states that “Africa’s needs are great, but so are the contributions that Africans have made for many years to keeping the peace in their region and beyond.” (S/2010/514, para. 65). We are convinced of the urgency of increasing United Nations support for the peacekeeping efforts of the African Union (AU). This support is a key part of the Organization’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is also a way of recognizing the major role that Africans have come to play in ensuring stability on their continent. We thank the Secretary-General for the concrete and specific measures for enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union that are presented in his report (S/2010/514). The establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union is of special relevance. We hope that the Office will be a valuable channel of communication and that it will help to increase cooperation between the two organizations. The report indicates a number of areas in which the United Nations is assisting AU peacekeeping. We welcome that collaboration. We encourage the Secretary-General to continue exploring initiatives in the area of peacekeeping support and invite him to include his proposals in the report to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at the end of the year. The partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in Somalia is an example of both the positive results it can bring and the need to further improve and strengthen our collaboration. The logistics support package provided by the United Nations has significantly improved the living and operations conditions of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops on the ground. The planning team, now part of the United Nations Office to the African Union, has provided important advice to the African Union Commission. Its work may become even more instrumental as we consider the African Union’s proposal to increase the authorized strength of AMISOM to 20,000 troops, which Brazil supports. Nevertheless, this support has still not been sufficient to raise AMISOM’s standards to those of a United Nations peacekeeping operation. Elements of the support package not covered by United Nations assessed contributions, such as the provision of heavy and lethal equipment and reimbursement for contingent-owned equipment and troop allowances, have suffered from piecemeal donor support. The problem has been compounded by continued and numerous caveats and earmarks that seriously undermine the effectiveness of the support provided. It is therefore necessary to continue to improve AMISOM’s standards and provide the Mission with the enablers and capabilities needed for the fulfilment of its mandate, which is all the more important as AMISOM operates in a conflict whose volatility is extreme. Beyond the specific case of AMISOM, we must also examine, in a serious and action-oriented manner, the question of financial support to African Union peacekeeping missions in general. The requirement for case-by-case authorization by the Council and subsequent budgetary approval by the General Assembly is a challenge that we can and should effectively address. If there is political will, these procedures should be sufficient to allow for adequate support for African Union peacekeeping. Ensuring that United Nations management regulations are duly followed may require some creativity, but it should be possible. Technical considerations, although important, must not prevent us from responding positively to the African Union to the maximum extent possible. Before concluding, I would like to underline that, as we strive to improve our support for African Union peacekeeping, we cannot neglect the areas of conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding. The United Nations has learned, sometimes painfully, that peacekeeping by itself is often not a sufficient strategy for dealing with conflict. The African Union has, in some cases, been even more aware than the United Nations of the need for an integrated approach to such situations. We must strengthen this approach and support the African Union’s conflict prevention and mediation efforts. The case for enhanced cooperation between the African Union and the Security Council has been well established. The cooperation has proven most valuable, as illustrated by the examples of AMISOM and the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. We must continue to strengthen that collaboration and seek to extend it to the whole gamut of issues on our shared agenda.

I should like to start, Mr. President, by extending to you my appreciation for having convened this meeting. This initiative is extremely important in the light of the pivotal role played by the African Union as far as peace and security on the African continent is concerned. I would also like to thank the Secretary- General for his very important introductory comments and the report he submitted for our consideration today (S/2010/514). Of course, I would like to thank Mr. Lamamra for his important statement. I would like to associate myself with my colleagues in welcoming His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria. The Security Council, as part of its responsibility for maintaining peace and security, depends on close knowledge of the region and the background of its conflicts, as well as possessing the necessary tools to resolve its problems. It is clear that regional organizations possess these capacities, and that there is a need therefore to strengthen the role of those organizations. The authors of the Charter of the United Nations devoted a whole chapter, Chapter VIII, to regional organizations, thereby enshrining their complementary role to that of the United Nations in this field. That is why it is important that, to achieve peace and security, there be cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union and that their specific qualities be beneficial to each other. The African Union plays a primary role: in the pre-conflict period, through preventive diplomacy; during conflicts, through efforts to contain and mitigate the impact of a conflict; and in the post-conflict period, by contributing to peacebuilding. Having considered the Secretary-General’s report, we should like to focus on the following points. With respect to the strategic relationship between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations, successful collective action depends on a successful and effective strategic partnership between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. We therefore welcome the annual consultative meetings between the two Councils, which have thus far focused on the best ways to enhance the capacity-building of the AU and to finance its missions in the fields of peace and security, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The success of this partnership strategy will depend to a great extent on close cooperation between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission. In this regard, we welcome the establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union on 1 July. The Office pools and combines the mandates of many agencies and support mechanisms for peacekeeping operations in Africa, including Somalia and the Sudan, and represents an additional framework for joint action to prevent conflicts and promote disarmament and elections. We also welcome the creation of the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security last month. The implementation of the partnership strategy is reflected in support for the African peace and security architecture. I would stress the importance in that regard of the AU 10-year capacity-building programme and the multi-year initiatives referred to by the Secretary-General, as well as joint action within the country framework. With regard to peacekeeping, the deployment by the African Union of peacekeeping operations authorized and sanctioned by the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security is most important. We therefore urge the United Nations to increase its assistance to the African Union in the deployment of and support to its peacekeeping operations, including by enhancing the African standby force and current operations in Somalia and the Sudan. In that context, we await the outcome of the evaluation of the African standby force, known as Amani Africa, which should be issued this month. Similarly, we welcome the joint work of the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission in establishing a series of basic guidelines for the AU in the protection of civilians, as well as the support of the United Nations for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the strengthening of its capacities in the protection of civilians. We anticipate greater future support through a long-term capacity-building road map enabling the partners to provide enhanced assistance to the African Union. Finally, with regard to the United Nations contribution to the success of the African Union’s peacekeeping operations, such success will depend largely on the provision of adequate resources for these operations. However, securing sustainable, predictable and flexible financing, pursuant to resolution 1809 (2008), represents a major challenge. AU peacekeeping operations should not be financed by voluntary contributions, which, while we appreciate them, do not guarantee the sustainability of operations. When it deploys peacekeeping operations, the African Union acts on behalf and relies on the support of the Security Council, which bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The African Union’s request for the consideration of using assessed contributions to finance its operations in specific cases is therefore eminently justified. In this regard, we recall the Secretary- General’s statement that the logistics support package for AMISOM would greatly improve the living conditions of its personnel, as was reaffirmed by the AMISOM Force Commander in yesterday’s debate (see S/PV.6408).

I should like to join previous speakers, Sir, in thanking your country for its leadership on the issue before us today and for having convened this very timely debate. I also thank the Secretary-General for the information he presented to us. We again welcome Ambassador Lamamra to the Security Council. We welcome the positive advances that have been made since the debate that was held on this subject in October 2009 (see S/PV.6206) in strengthening the strategic relationship between the United Nations and African Union, such as the establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union, support for the development of the African standby force, and progress in establishing the African peace and security architecture. The cooperation achieved between the two organizations under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter is an important signal that should inspire us to redouble our efforts to consolidate our energies and common vision of objectives, regular interaction and the coordination of areas of mutual interest to meet the challenges to the continent. We appreciate the United Nations efforts to provide support and training to the African Union and subregional organizations in their initiatives to manage conflicts on the continent through mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding in contexts that are often difficult and dangerous and with limited resources. These activities must be complemented by a review process of peacekeeping operations, such as that initiated by the United Nations last year, in particular in the Security Council, in order to ensure that conflict prevention, the establishment, maintenance and strengthening of peace, and the promotion of development have a tangible impact on the ground. Challenges to international peace and security and the multidimensional nature of this century’s conflicts have further complicated the deployment of peacekeeping missions, in particular in Africa. Although progress has been achieved in cooperation between the main bodies of this Organization and the African Union, much remains to be done given the challenges we face in such conflicts and humanitarian situations as those in Somalia, the Sudan, Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to name but a few. There are also ongoing risks of destabilization in certain regions as a result of institutional changes in Government, political violence, human rights violations and such transnational threats as organized crime and the illicit traffic in weapons and drugs, which undermine institutions and the rule of law. Against that backdrop, it is important that the annual meetings between the African Union Peace and Security Council and this Security Council focus on substantive issues of mutual interest and that they be supplemented with joint strategies and measures to assess results. We believe that the promotion of the capacities of the African Union must continue to focus on areas of cooperation with the Organization. It is essential to continue to move forward in meeting the objectives of the African Union’s 10-year capacity- building programme, in particular by developing the operational capacities of the African standby force and strengthening the African peace and security architecture. We recognize the fact that, beyond training, logistics and material support are key to peacekeeping, in particular in complex conflict situations. Our delegation believes that the successful deployment of any peacekeeping operation requires a clear mandate and the support and resources necessary to the effective implementation of that mandate. The importance of having predictable, sustainable and flexible financing mechanisms is of the greatest importance when it comes to peacekeeping missions in Africa, given the material and logistical constraints of the African Union. We therefore support the Secretary- General’s recommendation to find a more predictable and sustainable mechanism, especially in order to ensure that that regional organization can achieve the goals set out in the African Peace and Security Architecture. We also think it is necessary to make progress on improving peacekeeping operations on the ground and making them more effective. We would also like to reiterate the importance of promoting comprehensive and long-term regional and local strategies and measures in such areas as preventive diplomacy and mediation, the protection of civilians and strengthening institutions and the rule of law. We urge the Secretary-General to ensure that those elements are broadly incorporated in the capacity-building and cooperation efforts of the United Nations Office in Addis Ababa. We hope that his next report, in six months’ time, will include concrete recommendations to improve peacekeeping models in Africa through lessons learned and the collaboration of the African Union and the United Nations in Somalia, Sudan and Darfur. In conclusion, I would like to express my delegation’s support for the draft presidential statement that we will adopt at the end of this debate. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): Thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate, which demonstrates the commitment of the Security Council to strengthening the links with the African Union (AU). I would also like to thank the Secretary- General for briefing us on his report (S/2010/514) and to welcome the important interventions from His Excellency the Foreign Minister of Nigeria and from Mr. Lamamra. The African Union’s designated year of peace and security is an appropriate time to take stock of the United Nations-AU relationship. The African Union has made constructive and significant engagements on peace and security challenges in Somalia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger and the Sudan. As we discussed yesterday, the joint AU-United Nations activity to support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is an example of the vital cooperation between the two organizations. We commend Uganda and Burundi for their continued commitment to AMISOM. Yesterday’s meeting showed how central the relationship is to achieving our shared peace and security objectives. But we should acknowledge that we are only just starting to develop the truly strategic relationship that we all want to see. There has been practical progress in three areas. The first was the launch of mechanisms to promote a more structured relationship between the two organizations. We welcome this. The United Nations Office in Addis Ababa should improve the effectiveness of United Nations engagement with the African Union. We also welcome the launch by the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission of the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security to review immediate and long-term strategic and operational issues. Secondly, work on the institutional development of the African Union is under way. We look forward to the November review of progress made so far in the United Nations Ten-year Capacity-building Programme for the AU. We welcome the African Union’s framework to finance the recruitment of staff to work on peace and security. We will contribute to the joint salaries fund that will facilitate this. We encourage others to do the same. Thirdly, we welcome the progress made in African Union financial management capacity over the past 12 months. Building AU management capacity, including resource management, is essential, not only to manage immediate and future peacekeeping operations but also to enable a more effective partnership between the African Union and donors. We need to build on this progress as part of a transition to a more predictable funding process. The United Kingdom welcomes the financial support provided by all the African Union’s current partners. European Union assistance to the AU on peace and security issues, which totals €1 billion, is a major source of predictable and sustainable funding. The African Peace Facility supports the costs of deploying United Nations-authorized AU peace- support operations. The United Kingdom itself remains a key donor to African Union peace and security efforts in its own right, including through the training of peacekeepers and support for mediation and peace- support operations. We recognize, however, as the Secretary-General pointed out this morning, the need to work towards longer-term and more predictable, sustainable and flexible financing for African Union-led operations under a United Nations mandate. Sustained engagement and commitment from a broader base of donors is essential. As we noted yesterday, AMISOM in particular urgently needs more support from a wider range of donors, and with fewer caveats. These are all important practical steps, which are concretizing the relationship. We are beginning to see some practical impact. I was encouraged by the discussion this past summer between the Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. But I would highlight three areas that need particular attention as we move forward. First, we need to establish a broader strategic framework for the African Union-United Nations relationship. I welcome the Secretary-General’s intention to define his strategic vision of cooperation in his next report, which should provide a good foundation for establishing a clearer idea of what we want to achieve together. Without that overarching framework, the debate over financing risks becoming an obstacle to the future deepening of our cooperation, which we all want to see. Secondly, we need to be more frank with each other about what works and what does not work. There are many lessons to be learned — for example, from the experience of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. We have at times appeared to be talking past each other on Somalia, particularly with regard to military strategy. We need to do better at focusing on concrete plans for addressing specific conflict situations. Thirdly, we both need to do a better job on conflict prevention. Again, this requires a frank dialogue and a determination to take the difficult decisions necessary to address emerging conflict situations. We want to see the Security Council devote more attention to conflict prevention, including in Africa. The African Union’s partnership will be essential in achieving that. We look forward to working closely with the African Union on all these important issues, including through next year’s meeting of the two Councils, and we look forward to the Secretary-General’s next report. I can fully support the draft presidential statement that has been negotiated.

We would like to thank you, Sir, for chairing this important debate. Your presence shows the importance that Uganda attaches to the subject matter before us. We would also like to welcome the Secretary-General for introducing his report (S/2010/514) on support to African Union (AU) peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations. We also thank Commissioner Lamamra for his statement. Austria aligns herself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of the European Union (EU) later in this meeting. Austria has always underlined that efficient United Nations support for AU peacekeeping is of great importance. The role played by the AU in maintaining peace and security on the African continent is essential and complementary to the work of the United Nations and the Security Council. We welcome the numerous positive steps taken by the African Union and the Secretariat to further enhance their cooperation. The first meeting of the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security underlines the commitment of both organizations. We look forward to the outcome of the next meeting in January. The annual meetings between the AU Peace and Security Council and the Security Council are useful opportunities to discuss substantive issues of mutual concern. The Secretary-General’s proposal that the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa should serve as an informal secretariat to these meetings is a valuable idea that should be further considered. In order to complement such high-level meetings, we believe that working- level exchanges should continue to be intensified. For such efforts to be substantial, it is necessary that the conclusions of the meetings receive appropriate follow-up. The establishment of the integrated United Nations presence in Addis Ababa is highly welcome. It reduces duplication, enables the United Nations to make full use of the synergies that have been created and facilitates working in a more cost-efficient manner. We hope that the African Union will make full use of the benefits of the Office. Austria fully supports efforts aimed at intensifying cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, in particular the African Union and its regional economic commissions, the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community. In addition, we believe that intensified cooperation with the European Union, which also cooperates closely with the African Union in the framework of the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership, would be an asset and bring about the benefit of both organizations' comparative advantage. The upcoming EU-AU summit will be an important opportunity to strengthen this relationship. Strengthening the institutional capacities of the AU is a prerequisite for the AU to take on a more significant role in the maintenance of peace and security in Africa. We commend the African Union Commission for its leadership in strengthening African capabilities. It is important for all AU member States to lend their full support to these efforts. We look forward to the midterm review of the Ten-Year Capacity- Building Programme. Capacity-building should be aimed at strengthening national ownership and focus on the most urgent needs, such as enhancing capacities in the fields of security sector reform and the rule of law. As the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo illustrates, these are crucial reforms for the maintenance of peace and stability. Austria concurs with the Secretary-General on the challenge of adequate financing for AU-led peacekeeping missions authorized by the United Nations. We maintain that all existing options should continue to be considered in that regard. In order for operations such as the African Union Mission in Somalia and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur to be ultimately successful, we believe that a clear division of labour and definition of the roles and responsibilities of each organization are paramount. The issue of accountability lies at the core of United Nations support to AU peacekeeping, and we very much welcome that the AU Commission has embarked on significant management reform over recent years. We encourage the Commission to continue its work to that effect. Let me stress that, in the light of the limited human and financial resources available for peacekeeping, preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention need to be given more attention by the international community in general, and the Security Council in particular, as well as by regional and subregional organizations. It is indisputable that, in terms of cost effectiveness, conflict prevention and resolution benefit from a substantial comparative advantage over other forms of engagement, such as large-scale conflict intervention and post-conflict reconstruction. Finally, let me express my full support for the draft presidential statement and thank Uganda for its role in drafting it and leading the negotiations to a successful result.

I now give the floor to the representative of Finland.

At the outset, let me congratulate Uganda as President of the Security Council for taking up the important topic of peace and security in Africa and support for African Union (AU) peacekeeping. I associate myself fully with the statement that will be made on behalf of the European Union (EU). We have to recognize that African Union peacekeeping has already made a difference in two of the most challenging conflicts on the continent, namely, the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, and the conflict in Somalia. The African Union was the first to react to the atrocities in Darfur through its African Union Mission in the Sudan operation, which has now been incorporated into the joint African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. The current African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is working under the utmost of difficult conditions on the ground in Mogadishu and providing basic security for the Transitional Federal Government and for the people of Mogadishu. Uganda and Burundi have continued to be the major troop-contributing countries to AMISOM, despite the risky situation on the ground. The AU-led AMISOM in Somalia is in many ways one of the most demanding operations being conducted. It is in the fundamental interest of African countries and international partners to ensure that the AU-led operations operate efficiently and on a sound financial basis. Together we also need to do more to build African capabilities. We warmly welcome closer cooperation among the AU, EU and United Nations towards that end. While the AU and subregional organizations have a key role in the management and resolution of African crises, cooperation and support from international partners are important. Finland is committed to support EU and United Nations efforts in this field. Currently, for example, we are supporting the Amani Africa exercise as well as a United Nations pre-deployment course for African police officers to be deployed in Darfur and Somalia. Together with other Nordic countries, we are examining ways to enhance our support for the development of the East Africa standby force. With regard to Somalia, Finland contributes to the fight against piracy trough the EU Operation Atalanta and to the training of Somali security forces through the EU training mission. However, we all know that efforts conducted outside Somalia will have little impact unless we are simultaneously able to support the Somali peace process and a stronger AMISOM presence in Somalia. Therefore, Finland is also preparing funding to additionally support the United Nations Political Office for Somalia in its efforts to reach out to all stakeholders to achieve sustainable peace in Somalia. We look forward to the forthcoming report of the Secretary-General on United Nations-AU cooperation on peace and security. We hope that the report will also be able to provide more clarity on the question of more predictable funding for United Nations-mandated AU operations. In that regard, we also welcome the management reforms within the AU Commission as well as the efforts of the Commission to strengthen the African Union’s own resource base. I want to take up two examples of how Finland supports its African partners in the field of peace and security. First, we support the AU in developing its peace mediation capacity through a three-year programme. The purpose of this programme is to develop Africa's own capacities to prevent and resolve conflicts, including support in the participation of women and adequate consideration of gender issues in peace processes. We wish to congratulate the African Union for its work in advancing the agenda on women, peace and security. As the Security Council prepares to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its resolution 1325 (2000) next week, it is good to remember that the strong call for the resolution came from African countries, including civil society actors. Secondly, Finland contributes to the work of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel on the Sudan, led by former South African President Mbeki. The aim of the Panel is to provide support for the Sudanese parties in resolving the conflict in Darfur and in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Also, the role of regional organizations, such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), is important. Finland has supported IGAD in its Somalia and Sudan activities since 2004. Non-governmental organizations have an important role to play in enhancing peace and security. Finland, together with the South African non-governmental organization the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, established the African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme. We have also been a longstanding supporter of Femmes Africa Solidarité, most recently in their work in assisting the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi in the preparations of their national action plans on women, peace and security. Despite the economic crisis, Finland has been able to increase its official development assistance (ODA) funding. More than 50 per cent of our ODA goes to Africa. The African Union and the subregional organizations in Africa have created a political and security architecture for the continent that deserves our full recognition and praise. I believe it is in the interest of everyone that the African Union develops further into an even stronger actor. The crisis prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development efforts of African organizations deserve all possible support from international partners. Also to this end, the United Nations Security Council must be enlarged to better correspond to the current realities in the world. I think it would be in the interest of all of us if Africa were more strongly represented in the Security Council.

I now give the floor to the representative of Algeria.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, for your accession to the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October and for having convened this debate on the issue of peace and security in Africa and support for peacekeeping operations of the African Union (AU), to which our two countries attach particular importance. I would also like to thank you, Mr. President, for having honoured us at this important meeting with your presence. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his exhaustive presentation and to pay tribute to him for his commitment to the service of strengthening the capacity of the AU to meet the challenges facing the African continent in the areas of maintaining peace and security. I would like to recognize the presence of Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, and thank him for his edifying statement. I would also like to welcome the presence at this important meeting of His Excellency Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, and Mr. Yusuf Hasan Ibrahim, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. My delegation has looked with great interest at the report introduced by the Secretary-General (S/2010/514) on supporting peacekeeping operations of the African Union authorized by the United Nations and we welcome the development of cooperation between the AU and the Organization, which reflects our wish to have a strategic relationship between these two organizations that can develop on an equal and harmonized footing. We also note with satisfaction the concrete measures taken to strengthen cooperation between these two organizations, be it between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council or between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. In that regard, we also welcome the fourth joint consultative meeting between the members of the Security Council and the members of the AU Peace and Security Council held this past June and the creation on 1 July of the United Nations Office to the AU in Addis Ababa, as well as the much welcomed appointment of Ambassador Muburi-Muita to head that body. Often seen as the main theatre for peacekeeping operations, Africa is now becoming a stakeholder in its own operations. The African Peace and Security Architecture has now made progress and is experiencing an increase in influence, thanks to further AU efforts to develop a strategic vision and military capacity to meet the challenges of peacekeeping. These efforts are clear proof of the commitment and determination of African leaders to back-up decisions taken at African meetings and summits with operational actions that will accelerate their implementation on the ground. An important example of this is the special African Union Summit, held in Tripoli on 31 August 2009, at which, among others things, a courageous decision was taken to double the part of the AU budget devoted to peacekeeping operations from 6 to 12 per cent. Far from being sufficient to justify full autonomy, the actions of the AU are still facing a lack of resources and capacity weaknesses, while the demands for urgent response are increasingly great. It is in that spirit that, in January 2010, the Assembly of the AU requested the United Nations to consider, under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the possibility of financing through mandatory assessments to the peacekeeping operations led by the AU or those under its authority with the consent of the United Nations. The AU Peace and Security Council reiterated that request at a recent meeting. The adoption of such measures would guarantee the AU the capacity it needs to carry out its activities and to ensure success of its missions under a Security Council mandate. The outstanding work done by the joint task force of the AU and the United Nations, including the recommendations in the report, have identified actions that need to be undertaken. For, despite numerous positive signs in the area of cooperation between the organizations, much remains to be done in terms of role-sharing and defining the modalities for intervention. As a point of fact, the Secretary-General clearly stated in his report that “without a truly strategic relationship and clear guidance, our efforts to work together will continue to be short-term, ad hoc, more complicated and often more costly” (S/2010/514, para. 55). In this context, the report that the Secretary- General intends to submit soon and which will, among other things, further define a strategy for cooperation between the Organization and the AU in the area of peacekeeping, could provide us with guidelines for a better partnership between our two organizations. Before concluding, allow me to reiterate the commitment of Algeria to cooperate with the international community to establish lasting peace and security at the regional and international levels and, at the same time, to pay a powerful tribute to those working on the ground, who courageously work for peace and the achievement of the principles and purposes of the Organization, often at the cost of their own lives.

I thank the representative of Algeria for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa.

My delegation wishes to convey its appreciation to you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to participate in this debate, which is of strategic importance to my country, our region and the international community at large. This debate is also of strategic importance to the strengthening of the relationship between Africa and the United Nations. Your personal presence in presiding over this meeting, Mr. Minister, as well as that of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, provides clear testimony to the importance Africa extends to this relationship. We thank the Secretary-General for introducing his report on this matter (S/2010/514). We view his presence here today as a clear expression of the importance that he too attaches to the issue. In the same vein, we welcome the presence and participation of Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU). In her statement to the General Assembly on 25 September 2010, our Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Her Excellency Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, stated that, “The United Nations should see Africa as a partner in the maintenance of international peace and the management of conflicts, and accordingly do more to strengthen the working relationship between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.” (A/65/PV.17) That statement is consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, which endows the Security Council with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. In Chapter VIII, the Charter also empowers regional organizations to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. In that regard, the AU has developed a comprehensive African Peace and Security Architecture, an institutional response designed to effectively prevent, mitigate and resolve conflict within the region. The political will, commitment and resolve of the AU to address issues of security have found practical expression in the myriad of preventative and diplomatic missions the organization has undertaken over the years. That commitment has also been evidenced by AU initiatives aimed at peacebuilding, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction and development on the continent. In cases where the international community, and the Security Council in particular, was unwilling or unable to act, the AU, despite its own limitations, has sent troops to maintain peace and provide security in conflict areas in Africa. This was the case in the recent past with the deployment of the African Union Missions in Burundi, Sudan and Somalia. In the eyes of ordinary people on the African continent, it seems that so many innocent people have to die, so much innocent blood shed, before the Security Council assumes its responsibility to protect and maintain stability on the continent. Some have even quipped that the Security Council moves with a speed of a cheetah in responding to crises elsewhere, and moves with a speed of an elephant to respond to conflicts in Africa. We must continue to reaffirm through our actions that the United Nations stands for all of us. These examples illustrate clearly that the AU should and must be seen as a partner to the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security, especially in Africa. My delegation, however, takes note of the ongoing efforts by the United Nations in supporting the AU in carrying out peace support and peacekeeping missions authorized by the United Nations. However, this does not absolve the Security Council of its primary responsibility in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security. It remains the AU’s priority to enhance institutionalized cooperation between the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. We believe that this cooperation is essential in establishing sustainable peace throughout our continent. My delegation notes with satisfaction the efforts by the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council to collaborate and articulate a coherent and effective strategic partnership. In this regard, we welcome the annual consultative meetings between the two Councils since 2007 and the commitment expressed during the fourth joint consultative meeting to further strengthening this cooperation. My delegation also encourages more regular and intensified interaction between the two Councils. While the report provides an excellent overview of the tremendous progress made by both organizations in strengthening and operationalizing the AU machinery for peacemaking and peacekeeping, it also raises a number of challenges at the strategic level. In this regard, we shall limit ourselves to commenting on the following areas. We concur with the Secretary-General’s report and encourage the Security Council to move away from the current ad hoc, short-term arrangements to a more strategic vision of the partnership it wishes to have with the AU, one that would better serve its mandate to maintain international peace and security. Such a vision, according the Secretary-General, would empower and enable both the United Nations Secretariat and United Nations legislative bodies to align their actions with this broader strategic vision. The critical challenge of funding, which was highlighted in the Prodi panel report (S/2008/813), is again raised in the report of the Secretary-General, where he states that “the current financial frameworks for partnerships in peacekeeping operations are not conducive to building a sustainable long-term strategy” (S/2010/514, para. 61). This therefore warrants that the United Nations urgently review and seek ways of ensuring predictable, flexible and sustainable financing for peacekeeping operations undertaken by the AU on behalf of the international community. South Africa also welcomes the commitment by the Secretary-General to submit a report within six months that will define and outline the Secretariat’s strategic vision for United Nations-AU cooperation in peace and security and examine the increased variety of models for peacekeeping in Africa. The annual Security Council and AU Peace and Security Council meetings should seize the opportunity to jointly and closely consider that report, with a view to identifying and adopting concrete recommendations for immediate implementation. Regarding the current African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), my delegation wishes to reiterate the call by the AU for the Security Council to, among other things, endorse the newly authorized strength of AMISOM; authorize an enhanced support package for AMISOM funded through United Nations assessed contributions; impose a naval blockade and a no-fly zone over Somalia; approach the issue of piracy off the coast of Somalia in a holistic manner; and commit to recast AMISOM as a United Nations peacekeeping operation. Finally, paragraph 16 of Security Council resolution 1809 (2008) resonates in recognizing “the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing of regional organizations when they undertake peacekeeping under a United Nations mandate”. We therefore call on the Security Council to implement its own resolutions in that regard. We are convinced the results of the implementation of that resolution can only contribute positively to the maintenance of international peace and security. Then the ordinary people of the African continent could say that “the United Nations does indeed stand for all of us”.

I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union.

At the outset, I should like to thank you, Sir, for having invited the European Union (EU) to participate in this debate. The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, align themselves with this declaration. We welcome the Secretary-General’s report on support to Africa Union peacekeeping and today’s debate (S/2010/514), which shows the continued attention that the Security Council is paying to the role of African regional institutions in peacekeeping, as well as to the role and responsibilities of regional organizations on the whole. At the same time, I would like to thank the Ugandan presidency of the Security Council for its efforts in this field as demonstrated by the presence of the First Deputy Prime Minster of Uganda here today. I would also like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Commissioner Lamamra and Mr. Ajumogobia for their important statements. The United Nations relations with regional, subregional and other international organizations should become truly strategic partnerships. Progress in this direction could result in a qualitative leap of the overall United Nations system’s capacity to prevent, respond and stabilize. The EU strongly believes in such partnerships and fully supports any effective, focused and well coordinated effort to further develop and operationalize them. The European Union welcomes the Secretary- General proposals aimed at widening and strengthening United Nations cooperation with the African Union (AU). In practical terms, we consider that close cooperation among the African Union, United Nations institutions and other relevant bodies has improved in recent years. We are encouraged that the modalities and parameters for such cooperation have been well established thus far, including thanks to the Prodi panel report (see S/2008/813) and the subsequent reports by the Secretary-General. The European Union warmly welcomes the launch of the AU-UN Joint Task Force on Peace and Security as an important mechanism to enhance strategic cooperation between the two organizations in preventing and resolving conflicts. We also welcome the consolidation of the United Nations offices in Addis Ababa into a single composite office capable of a playing a stronger role, both in its relations with the AU as well as with the local EU delegation. I wish to congratulate United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Zachary Muburi-Muita for his appointment as head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, and we look forward to work with him and his staff. The European Union welcomes the commendable efforts of the African Union in the area of peace and security and we are pleased to see that the Secretary- General’s report recognizes the relevant role played by the European Union in that regard. We have directly supported the deployment of AU peace support operations but also the progressive build-up of the policies and pillars of the African Peace and Security Architecture. These efforts are articulated in detail within the Joint Africa-European Union Partnership for Peace and Security and its three-year action plans. This Partnership is, in turn, underpinned by a financing architecture of more than €1 billion, which makes possible long-term programming and ensures the sustainability of efforts. The European Union instrument known as the African Peace Facility represents a major source of predictable, sustainable and flexible funding for African-led peace-support operations. With a total allocation of €740 million since 2004, the Facility has provided a major part of the funding for the strengthening of the capacities of relevant institutions and structures and for the strengthening of interactions between the African Union and African subregional organizations. It has also financed a number of African-led peace operations, such as the former African Union Mission in the Sudan, the African Union Mission in Somalia and the Multinational Force of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community and the Mission for the consolidation of peace in the Central African Republic, and two African Union operations in the Comoros. The upcoming third Africa-EU Summit, to take place in Libya on 29-30 November 2010, will therefore be an opportunity to take stock of our first three-year action plan of the Peace and Security Partnership and of the activities carried out so far. As for the future, the summit will lay the foundations of a comprehensive road map based on a joint assessment of the African peace and security architecture pillars and on the results of the Amani Africa exercise, both just completed. In cooperation with the African Union, we are ready to step up our contribution to the work of the United Nations as presented in the Secretary-General’s report, and to share the lessons learned from our political, technical and financial support to the African peace and security architecture and to African peace operations. In conclusion, let me emphasize that the European Union is strongly committed to further developing its own strategic partnerships with the African Union and with the United Nations. The Secretary-General's report highlights the extent of United Nations and African Union cooperation, the scope of which is strikingly similar to the ongoing African Union-European Union cooperation. It is clear that our organizations are driven by common agendas and face common challenges. I therefore fully support the encouragement of the Secretary-General to work more in this direction.

I now give the floor to the representative of Portugal.

I join previous speakers in commending you, Mr. President, for organizing today's debate on peace and security in Africa and support to African Union peacekeeping. The importance of this debate is further underlined by your presidency and the presence here of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and Somalia, whom I greet very especially. I also wish to express my thanks for the useful statement by the Secretary-General, and to welcome his comprehensive and valuable report on support to African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations (S/2010/514). Let me also thank Ambassador Lamamra for his briefing and his important contribution to today’s debate. Portugal naturally shares the views contained in the statement just made by the representative of the European Union, so let me only mention some specific points that we think should be stressed. The history of the United Nations shows that peacekeeping operations are not a short-term activity. In this regard, partnerships with regional organizations are playing an increasingly important role in our collective peace and security, under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and always with respect for the primary role of the Security Council. There are several examples of this collaboration, including with the European Union in Chad or Kosovo and with the African Union in the Sudan and Somalia. Today, we are analysing that last situation: the African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations. It has become more and more clear that, if they are to be successful, it is necessary that we develop an effective and strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union that not only envisages the direct support of the United Nations to the African Union when the latter is conducting operations authorized by the United Nations, but also helps the African Union to develop its own capacities in this area. This is a partnership that will have to work in two directions by also reinforcing the United Nations political capacities and increasing its preventive diplomacy capacities. Both organizations and their member States agree on that, but to achieve it, there must be persistence, flexibility and sustained political commitment from all parts involved. Since the issuance of the Prodi report (S/2008/813), several important steps have been taken, as noted in the Secretary-General’s report under consideration today. Portugal welcomes the recent launching of the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission. This is a commitment of the utmost importance to strengthening the strategic cooperation between the two organizations in this area. We also welcome the establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union in July, headed by our former colleague Zachary Muburi-Muita, whom I salute and congratulate most warmly. We believe that the establishment of the Office will help to reduce duplication and reinforce the joint work where it is most needed — at the local level. All these are very significant steps towards the enhancement of the strategic cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, as are the annual consultative meetings between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, which provide the fundamental political commitment. Nevertheless, more should be done to achieve a truly and essential strategic and operational partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. The new United Nations Office in Addis Ababa will have a key role to play in the development of these relations, and I am confident that it will do so. Also, the day-to-day relations between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission — through the implementation of the framework for the 10-year capacity-building programme for the African Union, and through more regular and operational communication — will be essential. The Secretary-General's suggestion to use the Security Council Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa as an informal secretariat to the meetings between the Security Council and the African Union Commission could be a step towards ensuring that those meetings will have concrete and substantive results. Capacity- and institution-building in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as well as management, are crucial areas to be supported. Portugal praises all the work being done here by the Secretariat and all the efforts being conducted on the African Union side, and we urge the African Union and all its members to continue these efforts, thus becoming more capable of assuming full ownership of their own peace and security. We recognize that, even with all these efforts going on, there are other major challenges, difficult to overcome, to improving the effectiveness of the African Union authorized peacekeeping operations. One example is the imbalance between the number of deployed forces and the vastness of the territories; another is the related challenge of financing the missions. Portugal, while recognizing the enormous efforts the United Nations has undertaken regarding increasingly large and complex operations in Africa, believes that the African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations require more sustainable, predictable and flexible financing in their current form. Portugal welcomes the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General, as stated in his report, regarding budgeting and financial management and accountability reform. We consider that a certain measure of pragmatism and realism will be necessary to address this issue. Finally, I would also say a word regarding the relevance of subregional organizations in the African peace and security architecture. These organizations can have an important role to play in helping to maintain peace and security in their regions, but their capacity must be improved in this sense. The United Nations could also have a role here, helping them to build their capacities and institutions and reinforcing effective coordination with them. This would undoubtedly also reinforce the United Nations capacity in mediating conflicts and in preventive diplomacy. In conclusion, much has been done in the past year regarding the development of this strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Portugal is strongly committed to supporting the continuation of these efforts, as they are essential to promoting peace and security in all parts of the world.

I now give the floor to the representative of Kenya.

I thank you, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to address the Council on a matter that we consider to be crucial to peace and security in Africa. Kenya welcomes the report of the Secretary- General on support to African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations (S/2010/514). The report addresses important issues related to peacekeeping operations and a number of recommendations that warrant our collective consideration. Regional organizations play a pivotal role in matters of peace and security, and indeed serve to further the Council's mandate of ensuring the maintenance of international peace and security. The African Union in particular has played and continues to play this role in the areas of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding in Africa. However, there are many challenges that face the African Union in the deployment and management of peacekeeping operations. The question of capacity-building is vital if the institutional development of the African Union is to be strengthened. Capacity-building is important to enable the African Union to address not only immediate peacekeeping operations, but also conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding. Partnership between the United Nations and the African Union is crucial in addressing the question of peace and security in Africa. In that regard we note that the Secretary-General’s report underscores the necessity of a close strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union and gives direction on mechanisms and processes to be put in place so as to enhance this critical partnership. We are encouraged by the increased momentum of a bid to strengthen and solidify the relationship between the two organizations. We welcome the establishment in July of the United Nations Office to the African Union, headed by Ambassador Muburi Muita. The fusion of the various United Nations offices in Addis Ababa into a single compact office will certainly greatly assist in streamlining the channels of interaction between the United Nations and the African Union. Indeed, by reducing duplication and pooling resources in a more cost-efficient manner, the United Nations Office to the African Union will be a prime example of the evolution of qualitative engagement between the African Union and the United Nations. The issue of funding in support of African Union peacekeeping operations has been on the table for quite a while. The Prodi panel report (S/2008/813) and subsequent reports, assessments and initiatives have all sought ways for the United Nations to assist the African Union to improve effectiveness in deploying and managing peacekeeping operations mandated by the United Nations. The United Nations has indeed recognized the importance of enhancing the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for the African Union’s peace and security capability. It is our hope that the strengthened partnership between the United Nations and the African Union will lead to a better understanding of the dynamics involved and a way forward in this matter. In the specific case of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Kenya strongly supports the call made yesterday to this Council by the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Lamamra (see S/PV.6407) to endorse the newly authorized strength of AMISOM and authorize an enhanced support package for it, as well as all of the other four action points raised by the Commissioner, including rehatting AMISOM. In conclusion, I wish to recall the Secretary- General’s observation in the current report that: “Africa’s needs are great, but so are the contributions that Africans have made ... to keeping the peace in their region and beyond.” (S/2010/514, para. 65) Therefore, it is only right and just that the United Nations and international partners walk the path with Africa as it seeks solutions to the conflicts that have sadly ravaged the African continent for so long. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s report that intends to define the Secretariat’s strategic vision for United Nations and African Union cooperation in peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate. We very much welcome the presence of African leaders in the Chamber today. That is a strong statement of the understandable importance that countries of Africa give this item. Australia shares that sense of importance. The item under consideration today goes to the heart of how the system of international relations conceived by the United Nations Charter in 1945 must remain relevant to the contemporary challenge of maintaining international peace and security in circumstances that we all know are so very different from those when the United Nations was established. It is for the same contemporary reasons that early Security Council reform must lead to increased African representation on the Council. Australia welcomes the latest report from the Secretary-General (S/2010/514). Obviously, some real progress has been made over the past 12 months in strengthening both the strategic and, more importantly, the operational partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). The annual consultative meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and this Council has become a fixture on the meetings calendar. It embodies the importance of those two bodies forging the close and strategic partnership that is needed. Also at the strategic level, we were particularly pleased to participate in the inaugural meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission earlier this year. That relationship also is one that needs to evolve into a strong and effective partnership. We welcome the recent establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa. That should create greater synergies and efficiencies in the United Nations-AU relationship. The range of other measures set out in the Secretary- General’s report are all practical, sensible and need to be expanded into the future, including staff exchanges, annual retreats and ongoing collaboration on country specific issues. All of that should ensure that the AU, in developing its own systems, learns from the experience and best practices of the United Nations. Australia welcomes the progress that has been made. It is in the global interest of all of us that the AU continue to develop as a credible and strong regional organization that is fully equipped to deal with the challenges of the African continent, especially in relation to conflict prevention and response. The AU and African troop-contributing countries are carrying a large and difficult — but impressive — responsibility when it comes to peacekeeping in Africa. The broader international community needs to recognize the role those countries are playing in the direct maintenance of regional and international peace and security, and take steps to support them. For our part, we have been pleased to contribute, in a small way, to strengthening the AU’s peace and security architecture. Australia has given practical support to the efforts of the African Union Commission to develop AU guidelines on the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations, as referenced in the Secretary-General’s report, and we will continue to support the AU in that endeavour. Australia is supporting the E-learning for African Peacekeepers — ELAP — programme and has done so since its inception in 2006. In that time, the programme — which is a good one — has attracted over 200,000 enrolments across 20 peacekeeping operations in distance training courses, at no cost to the participants. The provision of standardized training to peacekeepers is a foundation of strengthening the effectiveness of that peacekeeping. This past summer we provided training to the military planning element of the East Africa standby force, with a focus in the first instance on headquarters and logistics planning. We will continue that assistance with that standby force and other standby brigades. Also this past summer Australia was pleased to sponsor, with Nigeria, the United Nations Regional Conference on Deterrence, the Use of Force and Operational Readiness in Peacekeeping, held at the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria. That Conference attracted participants from around 20 African troop-contributing countries, with a view to developing comprehensive guidance material for all military personnel and support staff. We have also been pleased to contribute to the United Nations Trust Fund for AMISOM, with a view to strengthening the AU’s capacity to manage peace operations. We look forward to remaining engaged with the AU to support its work and strengthen its capacity to address the challenges in Africa. We have recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the African Union Commission, which will strengthen our cooperation in areas of mutual interest across the broad remit of the AU agenda, including in the area, above all, of peace and security — which of course is relevant to today’s discussion. We have also recently opened — I should say “finally”, but it has been done — a resident embassy in Addis Ababa and appointed a defence attaché and staff who are accredited to the AU. Those recent developments should provide a solid foundation for an expanding engagement by Australia with the AU in this area in the future. Obviously, the most difficult issue under consideration today is the question of predictable, flexible and sustainable financing for the AU’s peace and security capability. We commend the major contributors to AU peacekeeping missions for assuming the massive responsibilities that they have done. The issue of funding that responsibility goes to the heart of the global community’s ability to respond to threats and to the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the AU. The question, however, does not arise only when we consider the question of support for AU peacekeeping. Just last week in its debate on post-conflict peacebuilding (see S/PV.6396), the Council expressed a similar sentiment when it reaffirmed “the critical importance of timely, flexible and predictable funding for peacebuilding” (see S/PRST/2010/20). In July, following its consideration of the use of preventive diplomacy tools (see S/PV.6360), the Council recognized the importance of enhancing efforts to ensure predictable, coherent and timely financial support to optimize the use of preventive diplomacy tools. Australia will work pragmatically with Member States to address this issue. It is one in which we all have an interest, not just the members of the Council. We need to collectively consider the financing of peace operations if we are to be serious about assisting countries emerged from conflict and helping them establish themselves as stable, prosperous nations, and if we are to be serious about the responsibilities we have all assumed as United Nations Members under the Charter. All United Nations Member States should give that question priority, and we should give that priority sooner rather than later.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr. President, for having convened today’s meeting. I would like to express my appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, for his report (S/2010/514). I also wish to express my deep appreciation to His Excellency Ambassador Lamamra and his colleagues for the update and for their efforts to consolidate peace in Africa and to coordinate the support for African Union (AU) peacekeeping operations. Early this year, the Secretary-General told the Council, during its open debate on Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, to envision a world in which regional organizations and the United Nations work together on all continents, in accordance with the principles of the Charter, to prevent, manage and resolve crises (see S/PV.6257). The increased attention given to the need to strengthen the partnership and cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union has been a very encouraging development for African states. Ethiopia attaches great importance to the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. We believe it is critical to harness the synergy in the relevant domains of both organizations, maximizing the relative advantages that each can offer. While we acknowledge that this strategic partnership is established within the context of the Security Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the AU’s proximity to and familiarity with the problem and its capability would obviously enable it to respond quickly to issues arising in that regard. We are seeing that peacemaking and peacekeeping have become a shared responsibility in which the global community has significant roles to play, and thus working with the regional organizations would assist the United Nations in attaining its objectives. The Council, taking this into account, has taken steps in the right direction to accomplish our common responsibilities. My delegation emphasizes the need to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations-African Union 10-year capacity-building programme in a consistent manner. Hence, that venture — or, for that matter, investing in building Africa’s peacekeeping capacity — means empowering the regional organ in its handling of the security, stability and future of the continent. It would enable the continental organ to realize its potential to the maximum and to stand on its own by building its capabilities. We share the proposal by the Secretary-General indicating that the time has arrived to elaborate clearer principles and take practical measures to address the challenges of this partnership. The work already begun by the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the African Union Mission in Somalia serve to illustrate the kind of model collaboration that the two need to adopt. Those Missions and the lessons learned could be a basis upon which we can build with regard to what has been achieved thus far. My delegation welcomes the joint effort to develop the African Union’s capacity to respond to crises on the continent and thus supports the proposal to establish a joint United Nations-African Union team to examine the detailed modalities for implementing the capacity-building programme as a whole. The Council’s measures to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of funding to strengthen the AU peace and security architecture, particularly the peacekeeping operations under the United Nations mandate, are commendable. Yet a lot remains to be done. We would like to express our support for the use of United Nations assessed funding to support United Nations-authorized African Union peacekeeping operations, based on the proposal presented in the Secretary-General’s report. The Council should demonstrate its resolve and political will by providing the necessary resources to boost the AU’s capability in this domain. Ethiopia stands ready to work towards the realization of the objectives of the partnership between the two organs. As the time for further action has arrived, I wish to state that my delegation looks forward to the effective measures that the Council will take in this regard.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

I should like to start by warmly congratulating you, Mr. President, on your leadership of the Council this month, all the more so as you come from a neighbourly and brotherly African country that has contributed so greatly to promoting peace and stability throughout our African continent. It is my great pleasure to commend your role as President of the Council and the role you have played in ensuring the success of the Council’s stock-taking visit to the Sudan. That visit enabled the Council to observe the situation on the ground. I would also like to congratulate you for having organized these important discussions on peace and security in Africa in the area of support for the peacekeeping operations of the African Union (AU). The founding fathers of the United Nations wanted to guarantee, through Chapter VIII of the Charter, that there were legally binding texts regarding the support to be provided by the United Nations to peacekeeping operations carried out by regional and subregional organizations. They were fully aware of the fact that global peace is an integral and indivisible whole and that genuine partnership between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations on issues of the maintenance of international peace and security was inevitable. The recommendations of the African Union- United Nations panel established under Security Council resolution 1809 (2008) were aimed at acquiring the means of financial sustainability for AU peacekeeping operations as authorized by the United Nations. The first part of the report (S/2008/813) focused on the ways to strengthen the strategic relationship between the United Nations and the African Union in order to revitalize channels for joint action between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council in a way that fully utilized the potential capacity for partnership and direct coordination in the field of decision-making and the sharing of responsibility, according to the mandates of the two organizations. I welcome here the mutual visits organized thus far and the joint advisory meetings between the two bodies from 2007 to today. However, we all yearn for greater and closer coordination, especially with regard to United Nations support for the African Union 10-year capacity-building programme and the promotion and enhancement of peacekeeping, as provided for by the joint communiqué publicized by the two Councils following their joint advisory meeting held on 4 July 2010 in New York. All of us are aware of the need to step up the number of regular briefings by the leaders of the African Union to the Security Council in which they spell out their position regarding progress made in areas of cooperation between the two organizations. In the past, these briefings have stressed the need for cooperation between the two organizations, especially with regard to the situations in Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Madagascar and my country, the Sudan. We agree with the recent report of the Secretary- General with respect to the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, which is a two-tiered process. The first tier is the implementation of the 10-year capacity-building programme and support for the mechanisms of the African peace and security architecture. The second consists of joint efforts by the two organizations through regional mechanisms and the relevant United Nations agencies and institutions in the areas of peacebuilding. Conflict prevention should also be a priority. I would refer to the concept note on optimizing the use of preventive diplomacy tools (S/2010/371, annex) used by the Security Council to guide its debate of 16 July (see S/PV.6360). The presidential statement adopted on that occasion (S/PRST/2010/14) stressed the enhancement of capacity-building for regional and subregional organizations and national Governments in the areas of preventive diplomacy and peace through mediation, including, more broadly, developing regional working methods in the area of conflict resolution. With regard to peacekeeping, and specifically the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), cooperation between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission has been a success, given the transformation of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan into UNAMID in December 2007. The goal was to create a model for implementation under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. With regard to cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security, the reports of the Secretary-General and the Chair of the African Union at the time clearly asserted that this was to be an African-owned mission, made up solely of Africans. The United Nations was to provide the necessary technical, financial and logistical assistance, including technical advice, in all areas. That experience illustrates the importance of regional capacity-building in peacekeeping, including efforts aimed at strengthening AMISOM and activating its role. We believe, however, that the AMISOM experience attests to the importance of predictable and sustainable financing for AU peacekeeping operations mandated by and in coordination with the United Nations. Such operations face many challenges, including the main challenge of being financially dependent on the contributions of international donors and partners, including the African Union. We are well aware that the AU’s inability to count on sustainable and predictable sources of financing makes its plans and strategies for peacekeeping operations arbitrary, fluctuating and unstable. The position of donors at the moment when peace agreements are signed sometimes change when it comes to providing assistance in the post-peacekeeping phase. I could list several examples in that regard, but will limit myself to reminding the Council of the very generous contributions and pledges made by donors at Oslo in 2005 in order to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the Sudan. However, such contributions were not forthcoming once both parties to the Agreement entered the implementation phase. In conclusion, I would like to say that forging a comprehensive strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union requires practical guidelines and measures on the part of the competent legal bodies of the United Nations, especially with respect to financing and its sources. That is all the more true now that the African Union has assumed many responsibilities in the implementation of promising regional initiatives that have contributed to the settlement of conflicts throughout Africa. I would also like to stress the importance of joint meetings between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. We should establish a broader mechanism to deal with the preparatory work for those meetings, without in any way impinging upon the mandate of the Security Council’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. It is for those reasons that I welcome the African Union’s contributions to and initiatives on the continent, including in my own country, the Sudan.

The Council has before it the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today’s meeting. I thank Council members for their valuable contributions to this statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that the members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2010/21. It is so decided. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.