S/PV.6561 Security Council

I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Muburi-Muita for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to members of the Council.

My delegation welcomes Ambassador Muburi-Muita to the Security Council. We thank him for his briefing on the work of the United Nations Office to the African Union. As this is the first time that he briefs the Council in his capacity as Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), we wish to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his maiden briefing as Special Representative of the Secretary-General. South Africa views the integrated and enhanced presence of the United Nations at the African Union (AU) as a further manifestation and testament to the increased partnership between the two organizations in the areas of conflict resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, in line with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. In that regard, the presence of UNOAU should, in accordance with its mandate, contribute significantly to the effective implementation of the Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme. In addition, the presence of the United Nations Office must further enhance the capacity of the AU in its support and management of peace operations, including the Peace and Security Architecture. We call on the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to bolster support for concerted efforts to fully operationalize the African Peace and Security Architecture, including the development of a continental early-warning system, the African Standby Force and an enhanced mediation capacity, including through the Panel of the Wise. It is important that the United Nations be represented at an appropriate level, taking into account the increasing level of integration of the African Union. This is also important in view of the mandate of UNOAU in enhancing the strategic and operational partnership between the two institutions and the subregions. We welcome the notable efforts under way to forge closer cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, specifically in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. The United Nations retains the primary role in the maintenance of international peace and security, and therefore there is an expectation that it must contribute to the role of regional and subregional organizations, which has in recent years been shown to be seminal, especially in the context of the African Union. We are convinced that the interests of peace will be well served if the requisite synergy and cooperation exist between the two organizations at both the strategic and operational levels. Moving from this common understanding, we look forward to a vision that clearly defines this strategic partnership, a vision that articulates the expectations of the role of regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security. The African Union’s proximity to conflicts on the continent as well as its legitimacy and credibility makes it an important ally in our collective efforts to advance peace and security in Africa. We recognize that a strategic relationship cannot take into account peacekeeping issues only. A strategic relationship will include cooperation on a range of considerations that may include conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy and political mediation. In that regard, we look forward to receiving the report of the Secretary-General on his strategic vision of the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations. At the institutional and operational level, my delegation strongly supports the view that the reports of the Secretariat to the Security Council should incorporate the decisions and the views of the African Union and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in particular. That would be in line with the practice of the African Union Commission, which incorporates the views of the United Nations Security Council in their reports to the AU Peace and Security Council. This, in our view, would be a further contribution to enhancing synergy and possible collaboration between the two Councils. My delegation welcomes the establishment, on 25 September 2010, of the United Nations-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security, which will further enhance cooperation at the operational level. Africa’s commitment to the establishment of peace and security on the continent is further evidenced by its increasing role in peacekeeping operations. In that regard, the African Union Mission in Somalia and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur are further indications of the commitment and political will of the African Union to bring peace to conflict-affected areas. The African Union’s efforts are severely hampered by the lack of sustainable, predictable and flexible financing for AU-supported peacekeeping operations. It remains important that the United Nations, at an institutional level, continue its consideration of this important matter, pursuant to resolution 1809 (2008). The Secretary-General, in reference to this important issue, stated that the current financial framework for partnership in peacekeeping operations was not conducive to building a sustainable long-term strategy. In that connection, we reiterate the call by the African Union for this issue to receive the continued support of the United Nations. In conclusion, we view the United Nations Office to the African Union as strategically placed, first in assisting both the African Union and the United Nations in advancing these broad issues I have outlined, and, secondly, in ensuring that the complementarity and the comparative advantage of the African Union is maximized and adequately resourced. My delegation wishes the Special Representative of the Secretary-General every success in his current endeavours and looks forward to a subsequent update on the progress made by the United Nations Office to the African Union in facilitating a strategic and cooperative relationship.

I wish at the outset to thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this meeting. I am pleased to welcome Special Representative of the Secretary-General Muburi-Muita to the Council and to thank him for his very lucid briefing, and particularly to express my appreciation for the passion with which he has approached his new responsibilities. Nigeria welcomes the growing partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Since the signing of the joint Declaration on the enhancement of United Nations-African Union (AU) cooperation — the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme — several milestones have been achieved in cementing this cooperative relationship. Notable among these are the operationalization of the AU Peacekeeping Support Team within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, training by the Department of Political Affairs for the Secretariat of the AU Peace and Security Council, and an information exchange between the two bodies, facilitated in part by the Security Council’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. The impact of such policy-level cooperation is evident in the giant African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The Tripartite Mechanism on Darfur has been a useful conduit for strategic planning and information exchange and in easing administrative difficulties in the Operation. In spite of the concerns raised by the AU Peace and Security Council in a communiqué dated 8 April 2011 that proposed a start date for a fresh Darfur political process, there are numerous lessons to be derived from the UNAMID model. We are pleased to note that the relationship remains strong, as is evident from the communiqué of last month’s consultative meeting between the members of the AU Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council. As envisaged by Article 52 of the Charter of the United Nations, regional bodies such as the AU have traditionally played a supportive role in relation to the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. This approach is a pragmatic recognition of the asymmetric capabilities of the two organizations. Whereas the African Union has the political will, it is insufficiently resourced to undertake long-term peacekeeping and transition operations. On the other hand, the centralization of resources and expertise within the United Nations system affords it enhanced peacekeeping and peacebuilding capabilities. All too frequently, AU member States will muster sufficient troop numbers to address crisis situations, only to be undermined by a lack of equipment and logistical support. In that regard, we stress that the capacity development of peacekeeping personnel, though essential, is not a substitute for adequate equipment, logistics and training. We are therefore encouraged by the range of initiatives under consideration, particularly the prospect of giving the African Union access to United Nations logistics base capacities and United Nations strategic deployment stocks. Also encouraging is the prospect of a surge capacity team of experts being made available to the African Union at the initiation of a peace support operation. In the context of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), different challenges abound. On 31 January 2011, the AU called on the Council to provide greater support to AMISOM and to fully assume its responsibility towards Somalia and its people, including through increased funding from United Nations assessed contributions. Such direct calls for support are not new. While those appeals have been met in some measure, not all requests have so far been granted. The current challenges facing AMISOM vividly illustrate the need for more predictable funding for AU-led operations as well as the need for the United Nations to assume primary responsibility for AU-led operations initiated as bridging measures. This should not be misunderstood as the African Union’s unwillingness to manage its own operations. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that today’s armed conflicts require complex, nuanced and often high-technology responses that demand a particular level of infrastructure that the AU simply cannot afford. The need for support does not amount to dependency. Instead, it must be viewed as a vital partnership in the global quest for maintaining international peace and security. Cooperation in the area of deployment, including the deployment of expert civilian personnel, is central to this partnership. Our joint vision must be the enhancement of capacity-building for the African Union in peacekeeping operations and ensuring cost- effectiveness. The opening of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) is a step in the right direction. We hope that it leads to a more systematic and less reactive approach to joint peacekeeping between the African Union and the United Nations. We are particularly pleased to note, in the report of the Secretary-General on the budget for UNAOU contained in document A/64/762, the stated objective of facilitating an operational African peace and security architecture with an effective capacity to address threats to regional peace and security. We believe that there is real scope for effective cooperation through the preventive diplomacy pillars of the AU’s Peace and Security Architecture. With the right level of support at the international level, the AU has a chance of developing best-practice models for early-warning mechanisms and for mediation that could be effectively applied globally. Partnership is the cornerstone of Africa’s effort to stabilize its vast region and to shoulder its share of the global responsibility to maintain peace and security.

Let me begin by thanking Mr. Zachary Muburi-Muita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union, for his briefing. I appreciate his hard work in promoting cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. I wish to take this opportunity to make four comments. The first pertains to strengthening the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). The Office, after integrating the components of the relevant United Nations agencies, has saved resources, increased efficiency and promoted cooperation between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations. We hope that UNOAU will continue to strengthen capacity-building and provide better guidance and coordination to the other United Nations offices in African countries, as well as to regional organizations. My second comment concerns defending the United Nations-African Union strategic partnership. We hope that the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council will stay in close touch through the current dialogue mechanism. We also hope that the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security will play a more positive role in promoting the strategic partnership. We call on the Secretary-General, at the request of the Council, to submit a report at an early date so as to provide his thoughts on how to further advance the strategic partnership between the two organizations. Thirdly, we call for respect and support for the African Union’s mediation efforts on some hotspot issues. The AU has an in-depth understanding of the issues in Africa and has achieved positive results in promoting the settlement of such issues as Somalia and the Sudan. It is also working hard on a political settlement for Libya. While considering issues relating to peace and security in Africa, the Council should give priority to the opinions and advice of the AU and facilitate its mediation efforts. The fourth concern has to do with strengthening support to the African Union’s peacekeeping operations. The United Nations should assist the AU to secure financial support for such operations. At present, AMISOM is facing a severe shortage of financial resources. We call on the United Nations to help the AU to establish a predictable and sustainable financing mechanism. In addition, we hope that the United Nations will strictly implement the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme for the AU so as to further support it in building capacity for its peacekeeping operations.

I too wish to thank Ambassador Muburi-Muita for his presentation. As other speakers before me have said, the African Union is one of the regional bodies that has most developed its dialogue and cooperation with the United Nations. The relationship is solid, especially between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as was again recently demonstrated by the meeting between our two Councils at Addis Ababa on 21 May. It is also a rich relationship, particularly between the Secretariat of our Organization and the Commission of the African Union, which is a good thing, because our partnership is justified on several fronts, especially when it comes to ways of working together to improve our peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations on the continent. The African Union supports the United Nations on the ground and with regard to knowledge of the regional environment. This shows that the continent is fully involved in its own security. For its part, the United Nations provides the African Union with competencies and resources and shares experiences that are useful in supporting the African Union in its missions to prevent and manage crises on the continent. Today, our efforts should ensure that this original partnership continues and improves in the spirit of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. In that connection, we believe that the establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa is a good thing. We believe that the Office should contribute to strengthening the partnership between our two organizations by integrating greater United Nations activities and strengthening our forecasting, planning and coordination abilities on the ground. I wish to congratulate Mr. Zachary Muburi-Muita for his work and, again, for the briefing he has given us. Thanks to this work, there is a greater visibility for the United Nations in Addis Ababa as well as greater visibility of the institutional cooperation between our two organizations, which is important. I wish to reiterate our support for Mr. Muburi-Muita and to express our interest in his first report on the Office’s activities when it becomes available.

I would like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Zachary Muburi-Muita. We commend the achievements in the field in connection with United Nations operational support for the African Union (AU), as well as the efforts made to improve the efficiency of the United Nations representation. I will focus my comments today on issues relating to the partnership on peace and security. The African Union, through its Peace and Security Architecture, is making a unique contribution to resolving conflict on the continent and establishing the basis for lasting peace. The Council’s recent trip to Africa provided an opportunity to witness first-hand the urgency of sustaining and increasing United Nations support to the AU’s work in the area of peace and security. Brazil believes that ensuring such support is a key part of the Organization’s responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The creation of the United Nations Office to the African Union was an important and positive step. We hope that it will indeed enhance the ability of the United Nations to take a strategic approach to cooperation with the AU, thereby improving its support for AU peacekeeping, particularly though overarching initiatives such as the United Nations-African Union strategic partnership and the Ten-Year Capacity- Building Plan. It would be equally advisable to intensify the involvement of the African Union in the ongoing policy work of the United Nations in the area of peacekeeping. A number of the studies, policies and lessons learned produced by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support could prove useful to AU peacekeeping and vice versa. Given the AU’s experience with peacekeeping and conflict resolution, it has a valuable contribution to make to the development of policy and guidance. As we strive to improve the Organization’s support for AU peacekeeping, we cannot overlook other relevant areas of cooperation, such as conflict prevention, mediation and post-conflict peacebuilding. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is the main concrete instance of cooperation between the two organizations, along with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. It is clear that AMISOM requires greater material and financial assistance from the United Nations. Brazil favours a serious and action-oriented discussion within the United Nations on financial support to African Union peacekeeping missions beyond the specific case of AMISOM. We must not allow bureaucratic or technical considerations to stop us from giving the African Union the help it needs to do its part in maintaining peace and security on the continent. In closing, we would like to stress that cooperation between the AU and the United Nations in the area of peace and security has a vital and inescapable political component. Cooperation between the Secretariat and the Commission must be predicated on a substantive and mutually respectful dialogue between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. Only at that level can we ensure the common strategic vision and political impetus needed in order for the partnership to fulfil its potential.

I would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), Mr. Zachary Muburi-Muita, for his informative briefing. I also congratulate him on his appointment to that very important and demanding post. Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the early activities of the Office. We are convinced that it will contribute significantly, in close cooperation with subregional actors, to the promotion of peace and stability in Africa. The mandate of the UNOAU includes enhancing the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) in the areas of peace and security as well as providing support to better engage the AU in these areas. The importance of providing coordinated and consistent United Nations support to the African Union, in terms of long-term institutional capacity-building and short-term operational support, cannot be overemphasized. The UNOAU integrated three offices: the United Nations Liaison Office to the African Union, the African Union Peacekeeping Support Team and the United Nations Planning Team for the African Union Mission in Somalia, as well as support elements of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur Joint Support Coordination Mechanism. This integration will strengthen cooperation and the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, which is of key importance for security, stability and durable peace on the African continent. My delegation believes that this concrete step will also improve cooperation between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission and contribute to minimizing duplication of effort. Besides the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture, the Office will play a leading role in the implementation of the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme for the African Union. As noted in the relevant report of the Secretary- General (S/2011/54), the lack of a well-defined programme of work related to the Ten-Year Capacity- Building Programme and of resources has negatively affected implementation efforts. UNOAU should continue to work with African Union institutions to implement the Programme within the framework of the Regional Coordination Mechanism. The success of this endeavour will depend on the leadership and ownership of the African Union Commission and the effective provision by the United Nations of regional support in line with the Commission’s priorities. To that end, building AU management capacity is essential as part of the transition to a more predictable funding process. Much has been achieved in the context of the relationship between the two organizations, on the basis of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. There are a number of noteworthy recent positive examples of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, such as the activities of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel aimed at the resolution of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire and the role of the Economic Community of West African States in resolving the Ivorian post-election conflict. It is therefore critical to develop a broader strategic framework for partnership between the African Union and the United Nations. Meetings of the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security in New York and Addis Ababa should contribute to a better focus on strategic and specific issues relating to the African continent that are relevant and of interest to both organizations. The United Nations-African Union partnership must be built on a shared vision and advantages. Finally, we emphasize that cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union has become increasingly important in addressing various challenges and issues of concern in the areas of peace and security. Bosnia and Herzegovina supports all United Nations efforts and welcomes the efforts of regional and subregional organizations and donors in mobilizing resources that can contribute to strengthening the African Union and its structure so as to better deal with conflicts and to help maintain peace and security in Africa.

I, too, would like to thank Mr. Muburi-Muita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his comprehensive briefing. Strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) for the maintenance of peace and security in Africa is in our mutual interest. Much has been achieved, including through consultations, on issues of mutual concern to the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. The establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) is another concrete step in strengthening the capacity of the AU and in enhancing the institutional cooperation between both organizations. We welcome the update provided by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and look forward to the Office becoming fully operational soon, and also look forward to the Special Representative’s first report. The strong partnership between the United Nations and the African Union for peace and security on the African continent manifests itself, as has been mentioned by many colleagues, in various forms — in the field of peacekeeping, most visibly in the form of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. United Nations support is also provided to the United Nations-mandated African Union Mission in Somalia. The Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur and the close cooperation between the United Nations Mission in the Sudan and the African Union High-level Implementation Panel, under the chairmanship of President Mbeki, also show the relevance of close cooperation in conflict mediation, such as is currently the case in the Abyei region of the Sudan. Other issues relevant to peace and security in Africa have become increasingly pertinent for inter-organizational cooperation, such as transnational organized crime, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and climate change. All of these examples underline the importance of capacity-building for the African Union and regional organizations, with a view to enhancing their ability to manage conflict and to counter security threats, including through the maintenance of constitutional order and the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Effective United Nations-African Union cooperation on peace and security also greatly benefits from the efforts of other actors, such as the European Union (EU) and individual Member States, in further strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture. The European Union, with the joint Africa-EU Partnership on Peace and Security and through its African Peace Facility, provides substantial financial and logistical support, as well as capacity- building, to the AU at the continental, regional and mission levels. Those efforts are complemented by bilateral support. Germany, for instance, is currently constructing the peace and security building for the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa. We also finance the German-African Border Project as part of our joint combined efforts. We also support the training and equipping of African police officers for the African Standby Force and for deployment to United Nations peacekeeping operations. As also mentioned by the Special Representative, enhancing coordination and expanding synergies among the various efforts of the United Nations, EU and bilateral donors is important in order to maximize their impact and avoid duplication. Let me conclude by stressing that Germany remains committed to strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture.

I thank Mr. Zachary Muburi-Muita for his briefing this morning. The United States recognizes the importance of and the challenges involved in forging effective partnerships to carry out peace and security missions in Africa. We thank both the United Nations and the African Union (AU) for their efforts to save lives, protect civilians, mediate conflicts and bring peace to the continent. Building the capacity of the African Union is critical to ensuring effective joint efforts with the United Nations in Africa. The United States fully supports the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme, which details the steps that both organizations need to take in order build such capacity. We urge both organizations to continue to work towards realizing those common objectives. The 2008 Prodi report (see S/2008/813) and the 2009 follow-on report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/470) serve as essential guides to enhancing United Nations-AU cooperation in the fields of peace and security. The United States supports the vast majority of the recommendations in those reports. We have been encouraged by the progress in implementation. With regard to the Prodi report, I would like to make four points. First, we applaud the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission for creating and convening the Joint Task Force on Peace and Security. Secondly, the effective leadership of the United Nations Office to the African Union in coordinating United Nations agencies in the peace and security cluster will be essential to realizing our mutual goals. That is especially urgent given the cooperation on resolving the conflicts in Somalia and the Sudan. Thirdly, there is more to be done in working out clearer mechanisms for United Nations organizations to partner with African Union counterparts. Fourthly, we welcome the AU’s work on building early-warning conflict prevention and conflict resolution capacities. The United States has made efforts to train and equip parts of the AU Commission to help accomplish those objectives. The United States looks forward to further African Union work to develop priorities for the African Standby Force that include training in the areas of the protection of civilians, human rights, and women and children in armed conflict. The Department of Field Support (DFS) can show continuing leadership in assisting the AU to develop a logistics capacity. We encourage the DFS to continue its good work supporting the AU in mission support, procurement and logistics. Some of the most important recommendations found in the Prodi report concern the financing of AU peace support operations. Funding mechanisms for AU-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council should be simple and should promote accountability. The United Nations and the African Union should work together to improve accounting capacities, organizational transparency and internal oversight. The United States fully supports the enhanced sustainability, predictability and flexibility of financing of the AU’s peace and security capability. We again call upon the United Nations and the AU to implement the recommendations of the Prodi report as an initial step in achieving such objectives.

I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Zachary Muburi-Muita, Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, for presenting the report on cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations and, in that regard, the prospects for that Office. My delegation believes that deepening cooperation among the various actors, including the United Nations Office, is an immediate imperative. Such an alliance will give us tangible results to the benefit of international peace and security, in particular peace in Africa. However, today we also have an excellent opportunity to comprehensively assess the progress, achievements and challenges of peacekeeping missions in Africa as ideal tools to achieve and strengthen agreement and harmony among peoples on that important continent. In that context, we appreciate the support provided by the African Union for such aims. We firmly believe that the African Union plays a crucial role in the peace missions currently deployed on that continent. Political support and military personnel, as well as the police and civilian contributions, in coordination with the United Nations, have reached an unprecedented level in the history of those operations, without which Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo would not have been able to put themselves on track towards the broadest goals of coexistence, such as those expected of those countries today. Cooperation between the two organizations is therefore essential. On the basis of Article 52 of the Charter, Columbia acknowledges the importance and value of the efforts of regional organizations to achieve higher goals, such as that of peace. With the support of the Security Council, regions are called on to develop their processes, to exercise their ownership and to promote actions that truly respond to their own needs through timely and appropriate assessments. Supporting the stability and the development of countries through the competent bodies of the United Nations is a priority that should be given to any plan or mission under development. There are specific missions today, such as those in Darfur, the Sudan and Somalia, that require actions in the immediate future. Owing to events that continue to unfold and their destabilizing consequences, we are convinced that peace missions on the African continent must be strengthened. At the same time, we should seek formulas to resolve the fundamental social and economic situations that give rise to such events. Various regions of the continent are still experiencing turbulent times, brought about by violent groups, the impact of which makes it impossible to foresee the ultimate consequences of their actions. Therefore, our appeal is to maintain dialogue and communication with all those who can provide a peaceful solution to the conflicts. Thousands of lives are at stake. In that regard, the humanitarian issue is a priority of any agenda being developed. We know that a peacekeeping mission must go hand in hand with actions seeking peaceful solutions as a prerequisite to the use of the military component so as to exhaust the provisions of Chapter VI of the Charter prior to turning to Chapter VIII. My delegation believes that the training of military, police and civilian personnel should continue, in full compliance with the mandates that the Council issues, with emphasis on the protection of civilians, disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and the development plans for each specific mission. The United Nations Office to the African Union can certainly play a key role in the training process. We still have much left to do. Joint capacity should be given priority over any one-off initiative. To that end, the allocation of and increase in the necessary resources must be planned only when needed. It must be recognized that such resources should not only remain limited to the contributions of traditional donor countries. We must explore alternative financing methods that will make it possible to develop a sustainable mid- and long-term plan, given the difficulties faced by missions as they begin to deploy. Such plans must have essential components, such as the gradual transition to national capacities in order to avoid the continued presence of United Nations troops in certain scenarios. Mission management is another aspect that we believe to be important. We must set out a series of measures and must assess results so that we can achieve real answers as to the effectiveness and efficiency of peacekeeping operations in the field in order for actions and resources not to overlap. Perhaps the United Nations Office to the African Union can also cooperate in drawing up studies to that end. We know that as processes improve, with better training of its members, and, above all, better resource management, results are multiplied. That aspect should be taken into account. As the Secretary-General rightly pointed out, the requirements of the African continent are urgent in order to prevent minor crises from becoming problems to which the only solution is troop deployment. The African Union plays a decisive role in that part of the world with regard to security, development, prevention and sustainability. The United Nations must stand beside the African Union to support its efforts. Colombia is certainly ready to support actions that give rise to the security and peaceful coexistence of all its States and of their citizens within respect for sovereignty, the rule of law and the fundamental principles of the Charter.

First of all, Mr. President, I would like to put on record our appreciation for your efforts in organizing this briefing today. I would also like to thank Mr. Muburi-Muita, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, for his comprehensive briefing. Just last month, the Council visited Addis Ababa and had a very fruitful exchange of views with the members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council and several other leaders in Africa. As many as two thirds of the active items on the Council’s agenda concern Africa. About three quarters of the Council’s time is spent on African issues. It would therefore be no exaggeration to say that the success of the efforts of the Council in Africa will significantly determine its overall effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security. In this connection, it is important for us to hear Africa’s voice so that the Council’s activities are not only based on Africa’s needs, but also complement the activities that African countries and organizations are themselves undertaking. Cooperation with Africa will also enable the Council to act with a better understanding of the situation and establish Africa’s ownership of solutions and thereby promote lasting peace and security on the African continent. Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations recognizes the importance of regional organizations and their role in matters relating to peace and security. The Charter also provides a broad framework for cooperation between the Council and regional organizations. We therefore welcome the establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union. The Office will assist the AU in developing a more effective peace and security partnership with the Security Council; strengthen coordination and cooperation between the AU and the United Nations system; ensure an appropriate level of representation to enhance the strategic and operational partnership of the United Nations with the African Union and subregional organizations; and help the United Nations deliver key outputs in Africa in an integrated manner. We believe that the Office will develop a long- term perspective for its mandate and focus on capacity- building of the African Peace and Security Architecture so that the AU becomes a more effective and capable partner of the United Nations. To implement its mandate, the Office must be adequately staffed and resourced so that the constraints on its functioning are removed. The Office also needs the active support of the Council to carry out its liaison work, in particular in the field of peacekeeping. Simultaneously, the Office should expeditiously work to establish a formalized structure of interaction with different AU bodies and subregional organizations. This would not only ensure the effective flow of information between the United Nations and AU, but also help in regular follow-up. It is our view that progress on the implementation of the Office’s mandate should be periodically reported to the Security Council. It is essential for understanding practical difficulties and gaining perspectives of the Office operating in the field. For effective and enduring cooperation between the United Nations and the AU, it is necessary that the Council not adopt a selective approach to this cooperation. While the Security Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Council, as structured at present, needs to hear the voices of other regions and countries not represented on a permanent basis. Alongside the work of reforming the Council, it would add to the credibility of the Council’s action if serious consideration were given to the views of the African Union, in particular when the AU can help in expeditiously and peacefully resolving a crisis. In this context, we believe that the Council needs to pay heed to the views of the African Union in resolving the Libyan crisis. We hold this view fully mindful of the demonstrated ability of the African Union to solve problems in Africa. In cooperation with the Council, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for the Sudan has been instrumental in the successful implementation of important aspects of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The Panel is also engaged in resolving outstanding CPA issues and in the crisis in Darfur. The African Union Mission in Somalia is a mainstay of international efforts to bring peace and stability to that country. These are but some examples of the AU’s success in resolving African problems. In conclusion, we fully support the Council’s continuing cooperation with the AU and expect that the Secretary-General’s report on the Ten-Year Capacity- building Programme for the African Union will be fully implemented and that the United Nations Office to the African Union will play an instrumental role in that regard.

I join others in thanking Special Representative of the Secretary- General Muburi-Muita for his briefing this morning. The seriousness of the threats to international peace and security in Africa, and particularly the situations in Somalia, the Sudan and Libya, underline the need for the international community to work together effectively. A robust partnership between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations should be central to that. In that regard, the quality of the United Nations presence in Addis Ababa is an important factor. As the Special Representative of the Secretary- General outlined, the United Nations Office to the African Union has, since its establishment last year and under his leadership, helped to improve the effectiveness of the United Nations engagement with the AU. The meetings of the Joint Task Force have also played a role in building a better and more coordinated relationship between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission. This is against a backdrop of continued progress in the institutional development of the AU. This is a key element in good cooperation. It has been facilitated by crucial support to capacity-building from the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and bilateral partners. The United Kingdom welcomes the progress made so far in the United Nations Ten-Year Capacity- Building Programme for the AU. The EU’s assistance to the AU on peace and security issues, totalling €1 billion, is a major source of predictable and sustainable funding. The African Peace Facility helps to support the costs of deploying United Nations-authorized AU peace support operations. The United Kingdom is a key donor to the AU peace and security efforts in its own right, including through recent uncaveated contributions totalling $5.5 million to the United Nations Trust Fund for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as well as through the training of peacekeepers and support for mediation and peace support operations. Joint AU-United Nations activities for AMISOM are an example of the vital cooperation between the two organizations. We commend Uganda and Burundi for their continued commitment to AMISOM at great sacrifice. The United Kingdom greatly welcomes continued consultation and cooperation on Somalia. The situation in the Sudan continues to be a high priority, on which the AU and the United Nations must work together. We would like to take this opportunity to commend once again the cooperation between President Mbeki, as Chair of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Menkerios, with the support of Ethiopian Prime Minister Zenawi, in facilitating the Abyei interim agreement. We must continue cooperation at all levels to ensure that both of the parties follow through on this agreement and that they urgently reach agreement on all outstanding issues relating to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and post-secession arrangements. The United Kingdom looks forward to greater coordination between the Security Council and the AU High-Level Panel on Libya. It was helpful that the High-Level Panel could brief us on their work last week. In line with the aims of the contact group, which serves to coordinate international policy on Libya, we welcome the AU’s efforts to work with and through the United Nations Special Envoy to find a solution to the crisis based on the legitimate demands of the Libyan people. We also welcome the AU’s commitment to resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011). All of these issues demand that the AU and the United Nations have a strong relationship, including between their respective member States. Here is the opportunity to have honest, frank and constructive dialogue, including on issues where we may disagree. We look forward to working closely with the AU on these important issues in the future.

At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Muburi-Muita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his briefing. We welcome his appointment and his efforts as Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union. The relationship between the United Nations and the African Union has developed a great deal in recent years, in particular in terms of peacekeeping and peacebuilding on the African continent. Today there is an increasing need for greater coordination and mutual assistance between the United Nations and the African Union, in particular in managing and deploying peacekeeping operations in several African countries. The creation of the United Nations Office to the African Union both responds to the need for greater coordination among United Nations offices on the African continent and promotes partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, in particular when it comes to the maintenance of international peace and security. We see this very clearly in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa, particularly the hybrid operations such as in Darfur and Somalia. The creation of the Office will allow the United Nations to give continuous advice to the African Union in building long-term capacity. The Office will also help to coordinate peace and security activities in Africa and to follow up the activities of the African Union in the framework of preventive diplomacy in order to prevent future crises in Africa and find a solution to conflicts. Finally, we hope that the African Union and the United Nations will be able to fulfil their mandates in a comprehensive way in order to promote such partnership and cooperation effectively and to promote peace and security in Africa, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations concerning cooperation with regional organizations.

I would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for his comprehensive and very useful briefing. We very much appreciate seeing Ambassador Muburi-Muita here in New York. I wish to congratulate him for all the work that he has already done in the past eight months. On a more personal note, I am always very happy to see him here in the Security Council. Let me also thank the presidency for promoting this first briefing on the United Nations Office to the African Union. We very much hope that it will become a regular feature in our activities in the Security Council. We all welcome the establishment of the United Nations Office as an important contribution to reinforcing the strategic relations and partnership between the two organizations and providing more coherence, efficiency and visibility to the United Nations presence in Addis Ababa. We have come a long way in terms of forging institutional ties and developing original mechanisms of dialogue and cooperation. We should now look ahead and do our best to build upon these achievements to ensure that those mechanisms are used to their full potential. Concerning the role of the United Nations Office in matters of peace and security, there is certainly great potential for efforts towards finding common ground and continuity in the dialogue between the two organizations, and namely between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. The regular dialogue between the two organs — and we recently had an example of this in Addis Ababa and another example here last week when we had a discussion with the African Union Ad Hoc High-Level Committee on Libya — can obviously benefit from the work of the United Nations Office in Addis Ababa, in terms of both substance and working methods. As the Council recalls, there are several common issues on which the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council underlined their cooperation recently in Addis Ababa. I will only mention a few, namely, the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Africa. I would also underline that they expressed a common concern about the situation of women and children in conflict situations and post-conflict contexts. I would also add the common concern on the need to effectively address the problem of sexual violence in armed conflicts, to investigate crimes and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. These are security issues that are common to the agendas of both organizations. This means that we must work on exploiting and reinforcing channels of dialogue on these major security issues. Much has been achieved, but we need better articulation between the African Union and other actors involved in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in Africa, which has not always been present in handling recent crises. We therefore look forward to receiving the recommendations from the report of the Secretary- General on the Secretariat’s strategic vision for United Nations-African Union cooperation in the peace and security areas, taking into account the lessons learned from the hybrid missions in the Sudan and Somalia and from the first years of implementation of the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme. Portugal is a strong supporter of international efforts aimed at strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture in its various dimensions. The African Union and African subregional organizations’ own roles in the prevention and resolution of conflicts on the continent have proved to be an important promoter of stability, and one that should be encouraged. Through our active participation in the European Union-Africa partnership, we have advocated, and will continue to advocate, European financial and technical assistance to African initiatives in the peace and security domain. We would also like to underline the importance of regional arrangements for Chapter VIII peacekeeping operations. In that regard, we encourage a further strengthening and cooperation with the African Union in planning and conducting peacekeeping operations in Africa and any other initiatives aimed at improving the interoperability between the United Nations and the African Union. Finally, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the African Union Mission in Somalia constitute two concrete models of peacekeeping cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union from which we believe there are a number of lessons we can learn, but where there is also much room for improvement, as has already been mentioned here today. Let me conclude by thanking again Ambassador Muburi-Muita for his work and by assuring him of Portugal’s full support.

We are grateful to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Muburi-Muita, for his detailed briefing. Today’s meeting, as shown by the statements by our colleagues, reaffirms the particular attention that the Security Council continues to give to issues pertaining to the settlement of crisis situations on the African continent. It is extremely important that the Security Council not be the only player in this field. As other speakers have done, we too note with satisfaction the fact that the African Union and subregional African organizations are working increasingly actively in resolving the continent’s problems. We should support in particular the determination of the African Union and its member States to take on responsibility for preventing conflicts and for carrying out peacekeeping activities in Africa while showing a flexible and diversified policy for cooperation with other partners. In that context, we note the significance of the creation of the United Nations Office to the African Union, which should help our universal Organization to optimize the peacekeeping potential of the African Union. The peacekeeping activities of the African Union clearly illustrate the need for and validity of the rational use of the potential of regional organizations by the Security Council on the basis of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. We have no doubt that the peacekeeping capacity of the African Union needs further strengthening, including through the international community providing appropriate support. A particular role in that regard is played by the United Nations, both through the dialogue between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and through cooperation between the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission. In addition to peacekeeping, we would like to highlight the need for attention to be paid to strengthening the African Union’s potential in mediation and preventive diplomacy, which is very necessary in today’s world. Another priority is the formation by the African Union of a multilevel institution for collective security, to prevent and react in a timely way to emerging crisis situations. In terms of the provision of material, technical and financial support for peacekeeping efforts by the African Union from the United Nations, we support a flexible approach. There is a need here for a detailed analysis of the conditions of deployment and the needs of specific peacekeeping operations, and for comprehensive consultations between the African Union and the United Nations on all aspects of cooperation in terms of goals, parameters and duration. In that regard, there is a need for maximum cooperation. The Russian Federation participates in developing and implementing programmes for international assistance to Africa, including by strengthening the peacekeeping potential of the African Union. We intend to continue this work in the future. We would like to wish Mr. Muburi-Muita every success in his future work in this area.

I shall now make a brief statement in my capacity as the representative of Gabon. I would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Zachary Muburi-Muita, for his briefing and to congratulate him on his work as Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union since its creation by the Secretary- General in July 2010. My country places great importance on the work of the Office and its contribution to cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU), in particular on issues related to peace, security and development. The representative of Portugal recalled some specific concerns that deserve the attention of the Office. In May, at the meeting between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa, I presented an assessment of cooperation between the two bodies on behalf of the Security Council. I noted the progress made in several areas, including strengthening dialogue and contact on issues related to peace and security; United Nations support for the Ten-Year Capacity- Building Programme for the African Union; and assistance to the African Union and regional African organizations to help them develop the necessary capacity to plan, deploy and carry out peacekeeping operations. Nevertheless, members of the two Councils recognized that more needed to be done in terms of planning strategy and mobilizing resources. That is precisely the role and place of the Office. Specifically, it is able to enhance synergies in follow-up activities, evaluate results and develop response strategies, as do the African Union Mission in Somalia, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the United Nations Mission in the Sudan. In that respect, we would like to recognize the commitment of the contributors, Uganda and Rwanda. The recommendations made in the Prodi report (see S/2008/813) and the relevant subsequent reports of the Secretary-General are, in our view, the foundation for the work of the Office in implementing the recommendations contained in the reports themselves and in analysing methods for improving and strengthening the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union. In conclusion, I would like to assure the Council of my country’s and my delegation’s support. We will be sure to give special attention to the next report of the Secretary-General on the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I once again give the floor to Mr. Muburi-Muita to respond to the statements and comments made by delegations. Mr. Muburi-Muita: Thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to take the floor once again. I do not have much to respond to, but I wish to seize this occasion to thank you personally, Mr. President, and Council members for the very warm words expressed to me personally and especially to my new Office. Again, we are taking a very broad approach to our work. As I mentioned earlier, we worked on a multi-pronged approach in which the two Councils play a primary role, as do the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security, the Secretariat and the Commission — all the way down to the desk-to-desk meetings. One such meeting has just been convened in Nairobi to bring together technical staff of the African Union (AU) and United Nations. With regard to the issue of the regional economic communities, they play an important role in resolving conflict situations on the continent of Africa. United Nations agencies and the partners’ group have also been effective in marshalling efforts to enhance the capacity of the AU to better address matters of peace and security. So we are taking a multifaceted and very deep approach in the new Office. As we continue to establish ourselves, we look forward to having a more prominent presence there on behalf of the United Nations. In conclusion, I hope to have another opportunity in the future to present a more comprehensive report as our Office grows.

I thank Mr. Muburi-Muita for his comments. 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.