S/PV.6702 Security Council

I would like to begin by commending you, Sir, for having organized this very important meeting at the beginning of the new year, 2012. At the outset, I would like to welcome most warmly the delegations of Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, which have joined the Security Council as the newest non-permanent members. I look forward to their active participation and to their committed involvement in the various agenda items before the Council. Their contributions will be greatly valued by the Council, as well as by the Secretariat. I wish them a very productive engagement in this Chamber. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to the delegations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria for their committed involvement and hard work during the past two years. They have done much to bring credit to the Council, and their contributions will be long remembered. The African Union (AU) is a vital strategic partner to the United Nations, and South Africa is utilizing its presidency to deepen that relationship. I welcome its continued engagement. I also recognize Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, and welcome the recent and first-ever AU report on United Nations-AU cooperation. I thank the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping, for his initiative and leadership. As Secretary- General, my remit is global, but I attach great importance to the role of regional and subregional organizations, as recognized in Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. Here at the United Nations, activities to enhance stability in Africa take up a significant part of the agenda of the Security Council and they are among my leading priorities. Over the past decade, the AU and subregional organizations have significantly bolstered their own role in building an architecture for peace and security on the African continent. Together, our collective efforts in conflict prevention and mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding are making a real difference throughout the continent. Of course, there is more room for improvement. We often face complex and fast-moving crises, and we are establishing mechanisms to build common understanding and approaches. The annual meetings between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council are one important example. There will be differences. That is natural. Organizations with different mandates, membership and perspectives will occasionally have differences in approach. The question is how we manage those differences — how we work together. My report (S/2011/805) and this discussion are about building on our successes, improving coherence and harmonizing decision- making from a firm foundation of shared values and principles. Over the past few years, we have strengthened our partnership with the African Union at the Secretariat level in several concrete ways. First, the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security has proven to be an effective mechanism for consultations on an array of issues, including Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, Somalia and the Sudan. Secondly, we have revamped our Office in Addis Ababa to further strengthen our cooperation, including by improving early-warning information that will help foster timely action and joint threat analysis. Through military and police planners based in Addis Ababa, we have supported the AU’s planning for its expansion of the operations of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). We also continue to work closely on other key areas, such as elections, conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction. Thirdly, our regional offices, peacekeeping operations and special political missions are cooperating closely with the AU and subregional organizations. Examples abound, including the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and joint mediation efforts there, United Nations logistics and planning support to AMISOM, joint efforts to combat the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), cooperation between Special Envoy Menkerios and the African Union High-level Implementation Panel led by President Mbeki, and much more. The United Nations Office for West Africa, working closely with the AU and the Economic Community of West African States, has also been active in defusing tensions throughout the subregion. The newly established United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, in cooperation with the Economic Community of Central African States, can play a similar role. Fourthly and finally, joint assessment missions have also been essential in ensuring a common understanding of emerging issues. For example, we recently deployed such a mission to the Sahel to assess how developments in Libya are affecting the region. We also have just dispatched a joint mission to the four countries affected by the LRA. And under the leadership of the AU, we have worked together to develop a strategic concept for future AMISOM operations, which is now under consideration by the Security Council. I am greatly encouraged by the concrete progress we have made in recent years. Let us pledge to do even more to enhance our partnership. We can do so by learning new lessons, developing new tools and intensifying our engagement with civil society and women’s groups active in mediation and conflict prevention, particularly at the local level. As we look ahead, we will need to ensure flexibility, so that each new situation is addressed on its own merits. We must also promote innovative arrangements in complex situations that may require joint actions, joint operations or enhanced partnerships. As we do so, let us strive to maximize our collective efforts and limited resources, and ensure that each partnership arrangement has a clearly defined division of labour and roles and responsibilities for each organization. Regional organizations have comparative advantages. So does the United Nations, not least the weight of international law and the primary responsibility of the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security. Finally, let me say that I am eager to attend the African Union summit later this month. It will be my sixth African Union summit in a row. I look forward to my meetings with African leaders and to continuing to explore how we can make our strong partnership even stronger in the years ahead.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement. I now give the floor to Mr. Lamamra. Mr. Lamamra: I would like to first acknowledge the presence of President Jacob Zuma of the Republic of South Africa. His decision to be here with us to preside over this meeting is a further illustration of his leadership and the commitment of South Africa to the promotion of a strong strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) in peace and security matters. Over the years, South Africa has used its successive memberships in the Security Council to push forward that agenda, within the framework of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. The African Union Commission is deeply appreciative of that effort and the results achieved so far. Let me also recognize the presence of Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon. Since his appointment at the helm of the Secretariat, he has spared no effort in promoting the AU-United Nations partnership in the area of peace and security, building on earlier initiatives aimed at ensuring that regional arrangements fully play their role in the post-cold war security architecture. In his report of October 2010 on United Nations support to AU peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council, the Secretary- General rightly observed that “[t]he complex challenges in the world today require a revitalized and evolving interpretation of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations” (S/2010/514, para. 54). The African Union fully shares that view. It would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to the Security Council and to its members. In the past three years, the Council has held no less than four meetings devoted to the African Union-United Nations partnership. This is a clear indication of its commitment and of its realization that, indeed, the daunting peace and security challenges that continue to face Africa require an innovative and creative partnership between the AU and the United Nations. Today’s debate comes at a time of renewed recognition of the importance of building a strong partnership between the AU and the United Nations in order to enhance our efforts to promote peace, security and stability on the African continent. The turbulence that the partnership went through last year only adds to the urgency of more clearly defining this relationship. In carrying forward this debate, we have the privilege of learning from our most recent experiences. We also have the privilege of having before us the reports submitted by both the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the African Union Commission Chairperson. These are two complementary inputs which provide not only an assessment of where we stand as far as the partnership is concerned, but also useful recommendations on the way forward. I note that at their fifth consultative meeting, held in Addis Ababa on 21 May 2011, both the AU Peace and Security Council and the Security Council stressed that they were looking forward to these reports. The strategic relationship between the AU and the United Nations has been growing steadily. Cooperation between the Commission and the Secretariat has recorded commendable achievements, as demonstrated by the regular consultations between AU and United Nations senior officials on issues of common concern and the mechanisms put in place to that end. Innovative modalities such as the hybrid operation in Darfur and the United Nations support package to AMISOM have been devised and implemented to meet the requirements of the fast- evolving realities on the ground. The AU Peace and Security Council and the Security Council have also endeavoured to deepen their partnership. Their efforts are all the more praiseworthy as they have to overcome numerous challenges, not least the novelty of the exercise and the differences in their respective mandates and scope of action. Yet we are just at the beginning of our journey towards a more strategic relationship between the AU and the United Nations in the area of peace and security. Such an approach is made more compelling by the fact that Africa, in spite of the significant progress made over the past few years, still accounts for the highest number of conflicts worldwide. In addition to the traditional threats to peace, security and stability, the African continent is now facing a new set of threats: first, governance-related intra-State conflicts and violence, including election- related ones, which could severely undermine the nascent democracies on the continent and negatively affect the social fabric in many countries; secondly, terrorism and transnational crime, which is compounded by the proliferation of weapons; thirdly, maritime piracy off both the east and west coasts of Africa, as well as other challenges to continental maritime security; fourthly, border disputes, especially in view of the limited progress made in the delimitation and demarcation of the African borders, a situation which gives rise to “undefined zones”, within which the application of national sovereignty poses problems; and fifthly, climate change, whose consequences, whether they relate to scarce water resources, damage to coastal infrastructure and cities, reduced agricultural yields or environmentally induced migration, will have a negative impact on the quest for peace. Clearly, those challenges require concerted responses by the African Union and the United Nations and a much closer partnership, based on a creative reading of the provisions of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter to allow the African Union and its regional mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution to fully play their role as integral components of collective security. The African Union and its regional mechanisms are particularly well placed to make a significant contribution to collective security, in view of their proximity to and familiarity with the issues at hand. In addition, they have developed comprehensive architectures covering the whole range of security challenges facing the continent, including those related to governance. It is critical to provide more effective support to the African continent and its institutions, especially as Africa has demonstrated renewed determination to deal with peace and security issues on the continent and provide the leadership that is required. Nowhere has this proactive stance been more evident than in the area of peacekeeping, where the African Union has shown a strong willingness to take risks to seize the opportunities that present themselves in order to advance the agenda of peace, but is constrained by the lack of the necessary resources, particularly in terms of flexible, sustainable and predictable funding. That is the background that informed the report of the Chairperson of the Commission and the subsequent decision of the Peace and Security Council regarding the need for the AU and the United Nations to develop a stronger partnership, based on an innovative strategic and forward-looking reading of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. More specifically, the African Union and the United Nations should agree on a set of principles aimed at clarifying their relationship and anchoring it on a more solid platform. From the AU perspective, such principles should revolve around the following: support for African ownership and priority-setting; consultative decision-making, division of labour and sharing of responsibilities; and comparative advantage. The African Union is committed to engaging in earnest on a dialogue with the United Nations on the principles that should underpin the relationship. In parallel, and on the basis of the communiqués of the consultative meetings held between the Peace and Security Council and the Security Council, practical steps should be taken to enhance the effectiveness of the annual meetings between the two organs, develop regular interaction between their respective chairs and undertake joint field missions. Equally important is the need for the Security Council to give due consideration to our legitimate requests and to address, in a more systematic manner, the funding of AU-led peace support operations undertaken with the consent of the Security Council. On their part, the AU Commission and the Secretariat should continue to work towards greater collaboration and coordination. We have come a long way in our efforts to build a stronger partnership, but much remains to be done. As we forge ahead, we need to draw appropriate lessons from our past experiences, both our shortcomings and our successes. We ought to be pragmatic and results- oriented, driven, as we should be, by the imperative to respond to the needs on the ground, to assist countries and shattered communities to turn the page of violence and conflict, to consolidate peace where it has been achieved and, ultimately, to help Africa to fully exploit its potential for the good of its people and humankind overall. In the past years, the African Union and its regional mechanisms have demonstrated a strong commitment to act, building on their comprehensive and solid normative and institutional framework. The responsibility of the United Nations, as we understand it, is to fully support those efforts, which are consistent with the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter, politically and by making available its resources and expertise, as and when required.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Lamamra for his briefing. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Moses Wetangula, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kenya and Chair of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.

It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this Security Council meeting on the United Nations-African Union (AU) relationship in matters of peace and security. In that context, I wish to commend President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President of the Council for the month of January, for making the partnership between the United Nations and the AU the centrepiece of its presidency and for having convened this meeting and deeming it fit to invite the AU, in particular Kenya as Chair of the AU Peace and Security Council, to join in this debate. I convey to the members of the Council the very best wishes of my President, Mr. Mwai Kibaki, who, owing to prior commitments, could not join them at this meeting. He asked me to express his full commitment to the ongoing efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership between the AU and the United Nations, in general, and in peace and security matters, in particular. Last Monday, 9 January, I chaired the 307th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, in Addis Ababa, on the AU-United Nations strategic partnership in the maintenance of international peace and security. Framed by the report of the AU Chairperson, that discussion elaborated the form and content of the desired partnership from an African perspective. It is our hope that the recommendations of the communiqué of that meeting will inform our discussions today. The quest for peace and security is a pressing challenge in Africa today. Over the past two decades, the continent has witnessed a number of crises and violent conflicts, with huge negative consequences for the African people, as well as our aspiration to a peaceful and prosperous continent. We are therefore faced with the tasks of resolving protracted conflicts, such as those in Darfur and Somalia, and of facilitating reconstruction and development in countries that have emerged from conflicts, such as Burundi, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and, more recently, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt — societies that have undergone radical transformation. The need to prevent conflicts and de-escalate fragile situations calls for proactive engagement. Additionally, growing threats of transnational crime, including terrorism and piracy, especially off the coast of Somalia and Western Africa, as well as the trafficking of persons and contraband, increasingly pose serious challenges to the consolidation of peace and security. In view of those conditions, for a considerable time Africa has dominated the agenda of the Security Council because such threats impact international peace and security and their causes and dynamics extend beyond the affected countries, regions and the continent itself. In that regard, the need to maintain a strong and well-structured strategic partnership between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council cannot be overemphasized. While the Security Council has the primary mandate for the maintenance of international peace and security, the resolution of today’s complex threats calls for collective action. That reality underscores the wisdom that underpins the provisions of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, which provides for regional mechanisms to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts. From that reality, modalities of engagement have evolved. That that relationship is gaining momentum is commendable, and that both sides demonstrate a willingness to improve the relationship needs to be encouraged further. Yesterday’s Security Council meeting on Somalia (see S/PV.6701) was instructive on the necessity to enhance the relationship. Indeed, as most speakers emphasized, the opportunity to turn Somalia around depends almost entirely on the extent to which we can elevate and improve the strategic and operational relationship between the AU and the United Nations, in general, and the AU Peace and Security Council and the Security Council, in particular. We commend the focused attention of the United Nations on its partnership with Africa. The statements by the President of the Security Council in 2009 and 2010 (S/PRST/2009/26 and S/PRST/2010/21), as well as the reports of the Secretary-General to the Council on both occasions (S/2009/470 and S/2010/514), reaffirm the importance of developing effective partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union, in the maintenance of international peace and security, consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter. However, that relationship has not been without challenges, especially in the past year. For that reason, today we have the opportunity to reflect on innovative ways of interpreting Chapter VIII that add value, improve the relationship and optimize the chances of achieving sustainable peace. In that context, I wish to highlight several issues that require measures of improvement. First, the process of decision-making, particularly in determining when and how to engage in specific crisis situations, has been a matter of divergence at times, with serious consequences. The practice in the past two years seems to indicate an undesirable trend that appears to be selective on the part of the Security Council and that seems to disregard full consideration of the position and/or recommendations of the AU or its organs. We all recall the manner in which the African position was either ignored or partially considered in the cases of Libya and Côte d’Ivoire last year. President Zuma has articulated that point much more than I myself can. I fully agree with him, and have nothing useful to add. We have proposed a number of measures, including regular consultations beyond the annual meetings of the Councils, even before decisions are taken. It would also be valuable to give meaning to the principles envisaged in Chapter VIII, namely, complementarity, subsidiarity and comparative advantage. The caution here is to avoid a framework that compromises the value of the African Union and other regional organizations as first responders to a crisis. A second significant area is the gap between the requirements of an operation and the resources available, about which many delegations spoke eloquently yesterday in relation to the African Union Mission in Somalia. To the extent that Africa’s peace support operations are contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security, the recommendations of the Prodi report (see S/2008/813) echoed yesterday to guarantee predictable, flexible and sustainable funding/resourcing for such operations is imperative. That is so because poorly resourced operations are unlikely to deliver sustainable peace. We welcome calls by some speakers for an increase in voluntary contributions without caveats. However, those are unlikely to be sufficient given the tasks on the ground. For that reason, a reflection on the modalities of bringing the value of the United Nations for sustained operations, particularly through assessed contributions, to AU-led missions is an unavoidable necessity. Thirdly, institutionally, we have witnessed progress between the United Nations and the AU at the various levels: between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council, the departments of peace and security, political affairs et cetera, as well as between the United Nations and regional organizations. Those relationships need further clarification, particularly with regard to the roles and responsibilities of all actors involved. Clarity will minimize duplication and enhance coherence, synergy of action and comfort levels, and bring focus to the efforts of both the AU and the United Nations. Fourthly, operationally, Africa is demonstrating renewed determination and willingness to deploy peace support operations in fragile, even insecure, environments. That calls for a shift in the United Nations doctrine on peace operations. The practice that the United Nations can only engage where there is peace to keep translates into the United Nations abandonment of some of the most challenging crisis situations. That leads to the trend observed in the Prodi report where the most challenging crisis situations are left in the hands of the least resourced and able organizations. Such a situation engenders less, not more, security in the world. Fifthly, at the AU we recognize that the improvement of the AU-United Nations strategic relationship also depends on building the capacity of our institutions. We are now exploring ways of increasing the pool of resources available for AU activities, and are calling upon all our partners to assist us in that regard. We are also in the process of strengthening the interface between the various AU offices, in particular between Addis Ababa and New York, to ensure common messaging of African perspectives and positions, especially where decisions have been made by the AU. This meeting follows an unprecedented window of opportunity to finally restore security, peace and stability in Somalia. The Council will recall that in October 2010 the AU Peace and Security Council held a meeting, ahead of the renewal of the AMISOM mandate, in which we asked the Security Council to consider a number of recommendations that we viewed as critical for the operation in Somalia. The Security Council responded to them in a limited manner. This time around, we have approached the Security Council after significant progress on the ground and with a strategic concept developed by a joint assessment team comprised of the AU, the United Nations and troop- contributing countries. That underscores the growing cooperation and partnership. Our expectation is that the joint efforts will translate into better international and Security Council support, as well as an effective operation. Equally, we hope that the decision on Somalia will be expeditious, and in no way be predicated upon the outcomes of any future meetings and engagements on Somalia. We must note that time is of the absolute essence. The Security Council must therefore act swiftly in order to protect and expand the current gains. In the area of mediation, it is crucial that that we draw upon lessons from successful mediation processes — for example, in the case of the Sudan, where we have attained a good mix of United Nations material, logistical and political support, together with political legitimacy and access of the AU and its subregional organization, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. That is a vital lesson on complementarity, comparative advantage and strategic convergence. In the light of those observations, the AU looks towards a more innovative interpretation of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter and to the development of consensus on a set of principles that will underpin greater synergy between the AU and the United Nations. Key among those principles are support for African ownership and priority setting; flexible and innovative application of the principle of complimentarily; and mutual respect and adherence to the principle of comparative advantage. In conclusion, I wish to re-emphasize the significance of this agenda and to underscore the hope of Africa that today’s deliberations will lead to greater coherence between the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council in the areas of conflict prevention, management and resolution on the continent. More important, I hope and believe that the cooperation will be governed by the basic and cardinal rules of mutual trust and respect. Once again, I wish to express the gratitude of Kenya for the invitation to attend and participate in this historic meeting of the Security Council.

I thank Minister Wetangula for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

On behalf of the Government of Colombia, I would like to congratulate South Africa on its presidency during this month, as well as to thank you, Mr. President, for the timely initiative of convening this debate of great pertinence and relevance for the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. It is an honour to participate in this meeting presided over by His Excellency President Jacob Zuma. It is also a pleasure to see high level representatives from the different regions gathered here today. During its presidency, South Africa will celebrate 100 years of the establishment of the African National Congress. We joint them in commemorating that event. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2011/805) detailing the progress and remaining challenges in the area of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union on issues of peace and security, as well as for his participation in today’s debate. I also wish to thank Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, for his briefing. The report of the Secretary-General leaves us wondering how to complement peacekeeping operations, as they, in and of themselves, do not produce the changes that countries need in the long- term to consolidate their stability and development. In that context, in the debates of recent months, Colombia has emphasized recourse to peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms. Today, we would like once again to underscore the great contributions of the provisions of Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations, which allows the United Nations and the Council to support the search for lasting solutions based on negotiation, mediation and agreement. For those practices to be effective, the role, vision and leadership of regional organizations are crucial. Without them, no action carried out focusing on the interest of global balance will have the local effects that improve the situation on the ground to provide relief for populations affected by conflict. Concrete actions have already been taken with regard to such coordination, such as the common guidelines that support a mediation framework in Africa based on the cases of Kenya, Darfur, Somalia and Guinea-Bissau. We hope those actions will be expanded and that additional mechanisms will be found. United Nations operations in Africa make up a large portion of the Organization’s agenda. Without a doubt, the coordination with the African Union in recent years has been essential to the success that has been achieved. The 25 operations authorized by the Security Council in Africa since 1990 highlight the importance of the work carried out by this body with the African Union and other subregional organizations on that continent. The presence of some of those peacekeeping operations on the ground for extended periods serves to draw attention to the issue of exit goals in evaluating joint work, as the criteria of strengthening national capacity and the creation of conditions for countries to be able to take on their full independence and sovereignty and generate development and welfare for their people must have a central role. The experience of the African Union highlights the need for an integrated approach to address conflicts. That regional organization is in a privileged position to contribute and define elements and establish strategies on how to strengthen conflict resolution in its region. The fact that the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union meet annually is an indication of the greater awareness that exists with regard to the need to coordinate policies and actions in the search for solutions. Chapter VIII of the Charter envisions the contribution of regional organizations as an integral part of collective security and values their vision, actions and initiatives to find solutions within their range of competence. The fact that the application of Chapter VII makes way more frequently for Chapter VI can hinge on the support of the Security Council for those efforts, thus strengthening peaceful agreement and diplomatic channels in conflict resolution. We cannot lose sight of the fact that the greatest aspiration in the face of conflicts is to achieve peace. In this regard, the preservation of cooperation efforts must include their continuous adjustment to ensure that they do not to become permanent, self-serving structures, or whose purpose becomes solving temporary problems.

At the outset, I would like to thank and congratulate the South African presidency on convening this debate on the United Nations-African Union partnership. We welcome the presence at this very important meeting of His Excellency Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa. We are grateful for the report (S/2011/805) of the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. I would also like to welcome the delegation of the African Union Commission and the chairs of the African subregional organizations. Over the past decade, the role of the African Union and subregional organizations has increased significantly. Indeed, not all regional organizations can boast of their ability and political will to understand the root causes of armed conflicts and to contribute effectively to their resolution. As a country suffering from the occupation of almost 20 per cent of its territory and the forcible displacement of hundreds of thousands of its citizens, Azerbaijan fully understands the threats and challenges affecting countries with unresolved conflicts, including those in Africa, as indicated just a few minutes ago by Mr. Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union. The African Union has made great efforts to promote peace, security and stability on the continent, and has demonstrated its ability to take the lead. The launch of the African Peace and Security Architecture and the establishment of its constitutive elements, as well as the African Union’s peace support operations authorized by the Security Council, should be particularly noted. The challenges that Africa faces today and that constitute a considerable part of the Security Council’s deliberations can be better addressed through collective political and diplomatic efforts. The high interest in today’s debate demonstrates the vivid commitment of the international community to supporting African countries in bringing stability and ensuring sustainable development on the continent. In recent years, we have seen progress achieved in developing the strategic relationship between the United Nations and the African Union in the area of peace and security. At the same time, we have to admit that challenges remain and that more should be done to further strengthen this relationship to effectively address common collective security concerns in Africa. It is critical that we further strengthen our joint efforts to prevent conflicts before they occur. Greater focus on the area of conflict prevention and mediation has acquired additional significance. The development of common guidelines by the United Nations and the African Union as a framework for mediation in Africa would contribute to achieving this objective. It is crucial that all Member States strictly adhere to their obligations, as laid down in the United Nations Charter, with respect to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States. An important determination in this regard has also been made by the General Assembly in its resolution 65/283 of 22 June 2011 on strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution. We recognize the vital role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and post-conflict reconstruction. The United Nations and the African Union need to work to ensure that women and gender perspectives are fully integrated into all peace and security efforts undertaken by the two organizations, including by building the necessary capacity. It is important that the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as well as the secretariats of both organizations, further enhance their relationship, including through annual meetings and more intense informal communications between them. As the Secretary-General points out in his report, efforts to find a solution to ensure sustainable financing for African Union peace support operations need to be continued. While the steps taken by the African Union in developing its own financing mechanisms are commendable, other means and options provided by the United Nations and the international community should also be available in this regard, including in the prevention, management and resolution of conflict, as well as in peacebuilding. In recent times, Azerbaijan has significantly developed its cooperation with the African Union and its member States. Obtaining the status of observer with the African Union has allowed my country to advance mutually beneficial relations and dialogue. Azerbaijan is actively participating in implementing various assistance programmes for Africa. We responded to the appeals of the respective Governments and international organizations to provide urgent aid aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere on the continent. Furthermore, we have contributed to supporting the institution and capacity-building programme of the African Union Commission and offered scholarships for diplomats from African countries to study in the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Azerbaijan has also joined the work of one of the Peacebuilding Commission’s country-specific configurations, and looks forward to pursuing its efforts in this regard. We have started consultations with the relevant stakeholders to apply in Africa our rich experience in the field of demining, provided by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action. We look forward to advancing our cooperation with the AU Commission and African countries and are planning to host in Azerbaijan, in cooperation with the United Nations and the African Union, a high-level international conference on the issues of concern to Africa. In conclusion, I would like to express our full support of South Africa’s draft resolution (S/2012/25), aimed at developing effective partnership relations and cooperation between the two organizations. Last but not least, I would also like to take this opportunity to stress the importance for the Council to monitor the implementation of its existing resolutions, in particular those related to the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

We thank your Government, Sir, for having organized this timely debate, as well as for the concept paper circulated among us (S/2012/13, annex). We highly appreciate your personal presence at this gathering, which undoubtedly adds to its relevance. We also value the presence of the senior officials of the five subregional institutions who have joined us, and we thank the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union for his briefing on United Nations- African Union cooperation in peace and security. We also sincerely appreciate the Secretary-General’s complete and illuminating report on the same topic (S/2011/805). This is a very special occasion for me — I would even say an emotional one — since this is our first participation in a debate of the Security Council since we took our place as an elected member last week, and because it takes place two days before the present Administration of my country relinquishes power to the new Government elected by popular vote in November. In other words, this week is of special relevance for our history of democratic consolidation at the national level, and also for our presence, for the first time, in this body of the United Nations. I therefore welcome the opportunity to be present on this occasion. It might be argued that Guatemala has little to offer in a debate on the strategic partnership between the Security Council and the African Union, since we do not belong to the latter, but that is not the case. On the contrary, today’s debate is very pertinent for us, since regional cooperation is one of the pillars of our foreign policy. For 60 years now, our subregion, Central America, has been a pioneer in promoting a broad and deep integration process, which partially explains the high value we place on regionalism in all its manifestations. The support we offered to the recent creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States is, of itself, one more example of that vocation. The expression of that policy in the context of the United Nations is found in the area of peace and security under Chapter VIII of the Charter, which covers the compatibility between the work of the Security Council and regional organizations. Indeed, we have witnessed the growing link between the Council and regional entities in the resolutions adopted by this organ recently, in which the African Union certainly plays a prominent role, together with other regional economic communities, such as the Economic Community of West African States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the League of Arab States. The link between the Security Council and regional entities is not limited to the preventive actions and mediation contemplated in Article 52 of the Charter or to the coercive measures contemplated in Article 53; indeed, as the report of the Secretary- General reminds us, those entities increasingly participate in peacekeeping operations and, by extension, in peacebuilding activities. In both endeavours, we feel part of a community of interests with our colleagues of the African continent, in our double capacity as a troop-contributing country and as a country that experienced a post-conflict situation with very unique experiences of peacebuilding on the heels of the signing of our own peace accords in late 1996. Judging from the concept paper circulated by the presidency (S/2012/13, annex) and the report of the Secretary-General, much has been achieved in partnering the Security Council with the African Union — the latter, through the African Peace and Security Architecture — since the Security Council adopted resolutions 1625 (2005) and 1809 (2008). At the same time, we take the point made in the concept paper that there remains much to be done, above all in the area of mediation and conflict prevention. To the degree that concrete proposals emerge to strengthen the link between both institutions, my delegation will consider them with a positive inclination. We are also well aware — and the Secretary-General’s report makes the point — that cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union has at times faced divergent positions on particular issues. The same can be said for different points of view regarding complementarities and burden-sharing. However, we feel that the existing consensus-building mechanisms between the parties should help to resolve those issues. In more general terms, we believe that the partnership between the Security Council and regional institutions in the area of peace and security contains the conceptual underpinnings of a productive relationship based on the clear comparative advantages derived from the Council’s mandate to maintain international peace and security and the greater knowledge and identification that regional institutions tend to have regarding their own member countries. That is why we applaud the growing tendency of the Council — tacit, in some cases, and explicit in others — to follow the guidance offered by the regional entities, in contrast to the possible temptation to try and dictate the path to follow from this Chamber without consultations. Perhaps the best examples of the results of this cooperation are the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the African Union Mission in Somalia. We also note that progress in the area of cooperation has taken place both at the level of the Secretariats of the United Nations and the African Union and within the intergovernmental machinery. We find that the yearly meetings of the Security Council with the African Union Peace and Security Council are of particular interest. We also applaud the establishment in 2010 of the United Nations Office to the African Union, which will bring greater consistency to the relationship between the two entities. Naturally, cooperation between the United Nations and regional institutions goes well beyond the mandates of the Security Council. As is well known, there are several agreements between the United Nations and the African Union in the area of development cooperation, all under the umbrella of the framework agreement signed in 2006 between them, which contain a 10-year capacity-building programme which is not limited to the peace and security cluster. We naturally support cooperation in the area of development, in the spirit of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. That, too, can be perceived as a conflict-prevention activity, under the broader aegis of the General Assembly. In summary, Guatemala, in its multilateral vocation, has always been partial to combining the presence of the United Nations with that of regional and subregional institutions. That is valid for development cooperation, the maintenance of international peace and security, humanitarian assistance and the promotion of human rights. It is valid for our own continent — Latin America and the Caribbean — and there is no reason to doubt that it is equally so for Africa, where the African Union and a host of subregional institutions have a solid and proven track record of achievements. In the latter instance, South Africa has played a leading role that merits our recognition.

I want to thank the Secretary-General for his presence and remarks. I also welcome the Ministers present here, as well as Commissioner Lamamra. At the outset, I want especially to thank President Zuma for convening this important and timely debate. The relationship between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is important to both bodies. As the AU approaches its tenth anniversary, the time is ripe for considering what we have learned, where we are going and what needs to be improved. Collective African efforts at advancing peace and security on the continent have indeed come a long way since the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded, in 1963. Since 2002 in particular, when the African Union succeeded the OAU, African Governments have shown that, acting together, they can prevent conflict. The AU marked a new beginning with its doctrine of non- indifference. The AU charter recognizes that it might be necessary to intervene in the affairs of a member State “in respect of grave circumstances, namely: war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity”. Those are brave and worthy words. The African Union’s first major mission was in Burundi, with initial deployment in April 2003. The African Union then acted responsibly in Darfur, when other international actors were still hesitant. The AU Mission in the Sudan was operational in August 2004, before any other force. The AU was also active early on in pressing for peace between the Sudan and South Sudan. President Mbeki’s efforts continue to be valuable, and South Africa deserves praise for its leadership and dedication to peace in both the Sudan and Burundi. Above all, the African Union has taken on a very tough mission in Somalia, where it has deployed troops to advance peace since 2007. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia have come a long way in developing their relationship and in improving coordination. All of those missions were undertaken with the collaboration of the international community, notably the Security Council, and sometimes with that of subregional organizations such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Recognizing the importance of the international community’s engagement with the AU, the United States Mission to the African Union was established in 2006; it has been significantly strengthened since 2009. That is consistent with the Obama Administration’s overall policy of intensified engagement with regional organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Organization of American States. The United Nations has likewise strengthened its ties to regional organizations, notably after the General Assembly established the United Nations Office to the African Union, in 2010. It is precisely because the relationship between the United Nations and the AU, and between the Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, is so important that we must confront the challenges facing that relationship forthrightly and honestly if we are to make progress. The United Nations needs a strong African Union, and the African Union needs a strong United Nations. Yet, African Union member States have sometimes indicated that they feel ignored or disregarded by the Council. At the same time, some Security Council members feel that African Union member States have not always provided unified or consistent views on key issues, and that the African Union has on occasion been slow to act on urgent matters. Beneath those perceptions and frustrations, however, is a deeper issue, that is, who is on first? Under the Charter, the Security Council has a unique, universal and primary mandate to maintain international peace and security. The Security Council is not subordinate to other bodies, or to the schedules or capacities of regional or subregional groups. Nonetheless, the Security Council wants and needs to cooperate closely with regional organizations, as demonstrated by our growing collaboration with the African Union over nearly a decade. Such collaboration, however, needs to be based on the exigencies of the issue at hand, and that cooperation cannot be on the basis that the regional organization independently decides the policy and that United Nations Member States simply bless it and pay for it. There can be no blank check, either politically or financially. The Security Council should, and will, take into account the views of regional and subregional institutions, while recognizing that sometimes there is disagreement among them. For example, the positions of organizations such as the Economic Community of Western African States or IGAD on an issue in their subregion might not be exactly the same as the consensus view of the 54 member States of the African Union. The United States urges the Security Council to seize this opportunity to define our relations with the African Union more precisely, so that we can move forward together in better meeting the urgent challenges that confront us all. In that vein, let us be candid. The periodic African Union-Security Council consultations have not, thus far, been altogether productive or satisfactory. If they cannot be improved, they risk being jettisoned by one side or the other as not useful or worse. To make the United Nations-AU relationship more effective, we must do more than consider formalizing African Union-Security Council meetings. The meetings must prove their worth. The meetings must have set agendas and concrete priorities that lead to tangible improvements, not only in how we work together but in how our work helps people in Africa and around the world. Nonetheless, the opportunities for us to seize together are considerable. The European Union has set an example in its work to strengthen the AU’s Peace and Security Architecture. In peacekeeping, the African Standby Force is being improved and shows promise. Bilaterally, the United States continues to train and equip African militaries for deployment in multilateral peacekeeping operations. The United Nations-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security is a valuable forum that can greatly contribute to better United Nations-AU cooperation on peace and security. The United Nations could assist further by standardizing training of peacekeepers. It could go further still in offering Department of Peacekeeping Operations guidance to the AU, including through peacekeeping programmes that give instruction on the rule of law, sexual- and gender-based violence and the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We would also welcome sustained collaboration on lessons learned and best practices. It is also time for a formal lessons learned exercise concerning United Nations-AU joint operations so far, including the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and AMISOM. One lesson that the United States and others learned in Bosnia is that joint command and control operations, or so-called dual keys, do not typically work well. Hybrid missions are very challenging at best. We need to analyse our experience in the field, discuss it and agree on optimal mission structures that are linked to the objectives of the situation at hand. Recent United Nations-AU coordination in fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army provides one positive example to consider. The United Nations, for its part, could be more effective in Addis Ababa. The creation of the United Nations Office to the African Union is a positive step, but the annual review of the United Nations agencies supporting the AU needs to improve. At present, no single United Nations office is in charge of United Nations efforts to assist the African Union. That leads to unnecessary duplication. United Nations officials on the ground need stronger backing to streamline their own structures, to better aid the African Union. That is definitely, however, a two-way street. For its part, the African Union should improve its internal management in the areas of administration, accounting, financial management and human resources. Improvement in those areas would help to foster a more productive relationship on the ground in Addis Ababa and would energize progress on the United Nations-AU 10-year capacity-building programme. Key to that, as the African Union Chairperson suggested in his report, is for the African Union to identify priorities, and the United Nations should be responsive to that. Since the programme was established in 2006, far too little progress has been achieved through United Nations delivering as one in its engagement with the African Union and regional economic communities. The African Union and the United Nations have already agreed on a range of actions to strengthen their operational relationship. More must be done to galvanize improvements at the programmatic and administrative levels. South Africa has rightly emphasized conflict prevention and mediation in envisioning the future of AU peace and security policies. An atrocity-prevention framework should also be developed, and African Union mediation efforts should be expanded. The role of women in conflict mediation has not advanced nearly enough, and the African Union should consider developing a regional action plan on women and peace and security. As we approach the African Union’s tenth anniversary, we should seize this milestone to take stock and consider where we are going. We all hope that the peace and security challenges in Africa will continue to lessen over time. Improved cooperation between the Security Council and the African Union is critical to that goal. I urge colleagues not only to laud progress but to acknowledge frankly the challenges to that cooperation and to devise concrete ways to match reality to our shared aspirations. I thank President Zuma again for convening this discussion.

I too would like to thank you, President Zuma, for convening this important debate today. Let me also thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Mr. Lamamra, as well as the Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council, Mr. Metangula, for their important contributions. The cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations envisaged in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations is indispensable for finding appropriate solutions to crises and conflicts and for making optimal use of resources and capacities. The partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is particularly well developed. Their expanding involvement and achievements in past years have made the African Union and the subregional organizations into indispensable actors in resolving crises in Africa. I would especially like to call attention to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). That involvement deserves our great respect. Another important contribution by the AU to solving humanitarian crises is its regional initiative in the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army. The pragmatic cooperation between the United Nations and the AU in resolving conflicts was recently illustrated when their representatives in charge of issues relating to the Lord’s Resistance Army jointly travelled to South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In recent years, much has been accomplished in promoting cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union at both the strategic and operational levels. We especially welcome the regular meetings between the members of the United Nations Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as well as the work of the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa, joint high-level meetings, more desk-to-desk meetings and also the recent joint assessment mission to the Sahel. More progress is possible. We must use both formal and informal means to intensify cooperation. Specifically, I would like to mention the following areas. At the strategic level, the dialogue between the United Nations Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the AU should be strengthened. The African Union’s position and that of subregional organizations are important for the United Nations Security Council when it deals with issues relating to Africa. That does not mean that the positions will always be the same and must always be so. In addition to the annual meetings of the members of the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, Germany supports inviting representatives of the AU and subregional African organizations to the meetings of the United Nations Security Council on an ad hoc basis. At the same time, we welcome the participation of United Nations Special Envoys at meetings of the AU Peace and Security Council. More attention must be paid to conflict prevention and mediation in the future. The AU, subregional African organizations and the United Nations Secretary-General’s special representatives are already active in this field. In the future, they should work together more systematically, both formally and informally. Cooperation between the Peacebuilding Commission and African organizations should also be strengthened in order to support national and regional efforts to consolidate peace. At the operational level, we should constantly analyze the experience gained in the various partnerships between the United Nations and the AU in the area of peacekeeping, especially the current AMISOM and UNAMID missions, and put that knowledge to use for further cooperation. Examples for such study are providing and training troops and the close integration of political mediation and the presence of peace missions on the ground. Capacity- building in the AU must continue to be pushed forward. The 10-year capacity-building programme has so far proven to be a useful instrument, but clearly defined guidelines for implementing its aims could make it more efficient. Effective cooperation between the United Nations and the AU on peace and security issues can also profit from the efforts of others, such as the European Union (EU) and bilateral partners. The European Union offers considerable financial and logistical support for African initiatives and capacity-building for the African Union. Worthy of special mention in that context are the joint Africa-EU Partnership on Peace and Security and the African Peace Facility. Well- known examples are the joint efforts of Operation Atalanta, AMISOM and the United Nations Support Office for AMISOM, as well as the EU’s support for the AU’s efforts within that framework. Those efforts are complemented by bilateral support. Germany, for example, is currently supporting construction of the peace and security building for the AU Commission in Addis Ababa. We support the AU programme for border management in Africa within the framework of our joint efforts in conflict prevention. We also support the reinforcement of African peace and security structures, for example by training and equipping African police officers for the African Standby Force and for deployment in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Finally, I would like to express the support of my delegation for the draft resolution to be voted on today.

Madam President, I wish to thank you for having convened today’s debate on cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) in the area of peace and security. I welcome your presence here today, which bears witness to the leadership role that South Africa intends to play in the Security Council. I wish also to extend my thanks to the Secretary-General for his presentation and for his report (S/2011/805), as well as to Commissioner Lamamra. I should like to make several observations. As you recalled, Madam President, almost two thirds of the discussions held in the Security Council pertain to Africa, and 80 per cent of all peacekeepers are deployed on the African continent. It is against that backdrop that the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in the area of peace and security has continued to grow. The African Union provides the United Nations with on-the-ground access. Its efforts in that respect bear witness to the fact that the continent is endeavouring to gradually shoulder responsibility for its own security, in accordance with the San Francisco Charter. For its part, the United Nations provides the African Union with legitimacy in the framework of the Charter as well as skills, resources and expertise that can provide support to missions charged with conflict prevention and management on the continent. Today all our efforts are focused on ensuring that that original partnership, which is fully in line with the spirit of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, lasts and flourishes. The Secretary-General’s report recalls that today conflict prevention, peacekeeping — in the strict sense of the word — and peacebuilding lie at the heart of the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. So as to ensure conflict prevention, the United Nations has established regional offices in Dakar and Libreville and has created partnerships with African organizations. The United Nations Office in West Africa is fully engaged in initiatives in the area of mediation and good offices, specifically in Guinea, the Niger and Benin, in systematic coordination with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. The new United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, established in Libreville, is tasked with a similar role. Moreover, the African Union is involved in the assessment missions deployed on the ground by the United Nations in the face of the new cross-cutting threats, such as the recent ones in the Sahel region. In addition to its presence on the ground, the United Nations has strengthened the mediation capacities of the African Union by supporting the creation of a unit to that end within the African Union Commission. That cooperation has increased the capacities of the African Union, which today is carrying out complex mediation missions, particularly in Somalia and the Sudan, where the African Union High-level Implementation Panel, led by Mr. Mbeki, is addressing the settlement of pending disputes between Khartoum and Juba. In future, the challenge will be to better coordinate the respective mediation efforts of the United Nations and the African Union. The guidelines in this respect that are currently being drawn up will undoubtedly be useful in that context. The United Nations and the African Union are also cooperating in the conduct of peacekeeping operations. The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur is playing a decisive role in the stabilization of the security and humanitarian situation. One of the challenges facing the mission is that it is governed by a chain of command that is split between the United Nations and the African Union. Experience has shown that strengthening day-to-day cooperation between the Secretariat and the AU Commission will improve the effectiveness of military personnel on the ground. In Somalia, the United Nations is providing significant logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is tasked with supporting the Transitional Federal Institutions and the Somali security forces in the establishment of security in the country and in the implementation of the process of political transition. That technical cooperation is crucial to enabling AMISOM to carry out its mission in a particularly complex context and to counter the challenges posed by Al-Shabaab fighters. While the African Union is calling for increased United Nations support, we should nevertheless ensure that the options put forward not fall exclusively under the domain of security. The progress made by troops on the ground must be consolidated by the implementation of the political strategy by the Transitional Federal Government, backed by the international community, as the Security Council has recalled in several resolutions. The conduct of peacekeeping operations is, of course, interlinked with the issue of funding, in particular in the current, very difficult budgetary context. Along those lines, we must seek improved operational effectiveness, in particular by strengthening the chain of command in such operations and by improving cooperation with troop-contributing countries. We also take note with interest of the efforts made by the African Union to reform its management methods and diversify its sources of funding for peacekeeping operations. The African Peace Facility provided by the European Union is an initial appropriate step in response to the request by the African Union for lasting and predictable funding for its operations. It is crucial that new players step up to the plate so as to guarantee the lasting nature of this funding. Peacebuilding should also be at the heart of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. In the Sahel, in West Africa and in the Great Lakes region, we have seen an increasing number of, and a growing interlinkage between, factors of instability, terrorism, trafficking and rebel activity, which undermine the security and integrity of States. Such challenges must spur us to continue to support security sector reform; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration initiatives; and the promotion of the rule of law. Here I should like to underscore the importance that France attaches to support for the holding of free, fair and peaceful elections. In the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, the combined efforts of the United Nations, through its peacekeeping operations in the region and its Office in Libreville, and of the African Union in combating the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) are yet another example of the cooperation between these two organizations. Regional participation is key to finding a lasting solution in the face of that threat. The recent adoption by the African Union of a strategy to combat the LRA is most welcome. Clearly, challenges to peace and security on the African continent are far from being homogenous. Thus increased cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union is essential. The contacts and meetings promoted by the Secretary- General between the Secretariat and the African Union Commission, as well as between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, fall within that framework and will, in keeping with the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, guarantee the best possible coordination between the African Union and the United Nations. That is also the task of the new United Nations Office to the African Union. My country welcomes the progress made as a result of the cooperation between the United Nations and the AU and will continue to play an active role in supporting United Nations peacekeeping, as well as the African Union and subregional organizations in terms of both funding and training. As President Sarkozy stated during the Africa- France summit held in Nice last year, Africa must be a key player with respect to larger issues of peace, security and global equilibrium. France has taken action in that respect and hopes that in the framework of the necessary reform of the Security Council, Africa will assume its rightful place, including among the permanent members.

I would like to start by thanking South Africa not only for giving us the opportunity to discuss this important issue, but also for President Jacob Zuma’s presiding over the meeting. We are particularly honoured by this fact. Portugal believes that a strong relation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is critical to peace and security on the African continent. Portugal also strongly supports a greater role for the African Union and African subregional organizations in a context that embodies the principle of African ownership when dealing with the major challenges of the continent. In that regard, I wish to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kenya and Commissioner Lamamra for their very useful statements. We are also grateful for the report of the Secretary-General (S/2011/805), which provides us with a very useful update on AU- United Nations cooperation in the fields of peace and security. It contains useful conclusions and lessons learned, as well as recommendations on the way forward. It shows us that we still have much to do together to ensure that the existing mechanisms and practices are used to their full potential. The further development of the AU institutional and political role is unstoppable. The reinforcement of the United Nations presence in Addis Ababa is the recognition of the AU’s progressive affirmation as a leader organization and indispensable player in African peace processes. It also represents a serious effort to make United Nations interaction with the AU more coherent and efficient. Let us not forget that roughly two-thirds of the issues addressed by the Security Council pertain to Africa. As such, the views of the African Union should be adequately taken into consideration in the decision-making process of the Council. In addition, the ongoing dialogue between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council is critical in that regard. We need to make sure that that dialogue is more substantive and productive. We could achieve that by identifying more clearly the issues of common concern to both bodies, be they country situations or cross-cutting issues. Key among those are human rights, democracy, the rule of law, the defence of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations, and effectively addressing sexual violence in armed conflicts, especially by bringing the perpetrators to justice. We should also look more carefully at how we can improve the efficiency of our preventive diplomatic initiatives, which should be geared towards more coordinated action. During its presidency of the Security Council last November, Portugal promoted a debate on new challenges to international peace and security (see S/PV.6668), which feature regularly on the agendas of both the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. The outcomes of such discussions must be fed into the larger United Nations- AU dialogue, as they will enhance our understanding of and response to specific African security concerns. Another important aspect of the United Nations- AU relationship is the further development of the African Union’s capacities, which should include the areas of mediation and conflict prevention. The African Union and subregional organizations are often much closer to conflict situations on the continent than anyone else and enjoy privileged access to local actors. Those are clear advantages when trying to prevent tensions from escalating into conflict. The United Nations and other international partners, such as the European Union, should thus continue to support the capacities of the African Union. In that regard, the full implementation of the 10-year capacity-building programme is clearly a priority. Portugal also strongly supports international efforts aimed at strengthening the various dimensions of the African Peace and Security Architecture. Through our active participation in the Africa- European Union Strategic Partnership, we have consistently advocated European financial and technical assistance for African initiatives in the peace and security fields. On that score, let me underline the important contribution of regional arrangements to peacekeeping, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter. We strongly encourage enhanced cooperation between the United Nations Office to the African Union and the African Union when planning and conducting peacekeeping operations in Africa, as well as on any other initiatives that seek to improve the interoperability between the United Nations and the African Union. Accordingly, we welcome the recently published AU report, detailing its strategic vision on the partnership between the African Union and United Nations in peace and security matters. We note that the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are two models of concrete peacekeeping cooperation between the United Nations and the AU. We have learned many lessons from those two experiences, but there is still room for improvement. Meetings such as yesterday’s on AMISOM (see S/PV.6701), bringing together key partners from the AU and the United Nations, as well as representatives of countries that contribute troops to AMISOM, are fundamental in that joint learning process. In that way, we will ensure that the strategic dialogue between the two Councils translates into effective operational cooperation on the ground. Finally, we underscore the fact that contradictory signals from international actors are likely to prolong conflict and delay peaceful solutions in Africa. Stronger United Nations-AU cooperation and a better use of existing channels between those two organizations are clearly the only way to ensure coherence and to avoid the duplication of efforts. Indeed, they are the only way to ensure the effective response of the international community to crises, including when they occur on the African continent. Let us all work together to make sure that that is so.

China appreciates the initiative of South Africa to hold today’s high-level meeting on the United Nations- African Union (AU) partnership. We are convinced that this meeting will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the AU, build consensus and bolster efforts to resolve conflicts in Africa and to achieve peace and security on the continent. In June 2008, during its presidency of the Council, South Africa convened a high-level meeting on strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union (see S/PV.5868), at which broad consensus was reached on establishing a strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Over the past three years, thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties, cooperation between the United Nations and the AU has increased and yielded effective results. Various forms of exchange and cooperation mechanisms have been established between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council and between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. With the assistance of the United Nations, the AU has strengthened its internal mechanism and capacity-building, and cooperation between the two sides has led to progress on issues such as Darfur and Somalia and enhanced peace and security in Africa. However, it should be noted that Africa remains the continent with the highest number of conflicts and the most fragile security situation. Faced with a plethora of interconnected traditional and non-traditional security threats, constrained by its capacity and lack of resources, the AU finds itself unable to cope with all the challenges alone. It is of even greater concern that some AU peace efforts in recent years have not received the timely and effective support of the international community and failed to achieve the anticipated results. That is detrimental to the long-term development of the United Nations-AU partnership. The international situation is now undergoing complex and profound changes. The prosperity and future of countries have never been as closely interlinked as today. Under such circumstances, peace and security in Africa have a direct impact on the interests and well-being of each and every member of the international community. Helping Africa to deal with global challenges is not only the unshirkable responsibility of the international community, it is also in the common interests of all parties. As the most universal, representative and authoritative intergovernmental organization in the world, the United Nations has a unique role to play in supporting and assisting Africa. It should work hand in hand with the AU to build on the results of, and increase, the existing cooperation in order to make a greater contribution to peace and development in Africa. In that connection, China wishes to make the following proposals. First, we should take full account of the importance of Africa and continue to increase input in the continent. In recent years, the United Nations and the international community have increased their investment in Africa, but it still falls short of the huge demand from Africa. Against the backdrop of a bleak global economy, with countries facing fiscal contraction, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the international community to increase assistance to Africa. Nevertheless, we should still view Africa from a strategic and long-term perspective and fully understand the significant impact of African peace and development on the prosperity and security of the world as a whole. We need to address African issues with a greater sense of urgency and continue to increase input in Africa. The United Nations and the international community should heed the views of African countries and earnestly address their concerns. The United Nations should continue to mobilize funds, optimize the allocation of its resources and give priority to efforts aimed at building peace and security in Africa. Secondly, African efforts to resolve African issues should be strongly supported. In recent years, African countries have actively engaged in settling conflicts in Africa. The relevant African countries and the AU have played their role in the settlement of the Libyan crisis. China highly commends the leadership of South Africa and of His Excellency President Zuma in that regard. We believe that many African issues have complicated causes and involve the interests of many parties. As a regional organization built and led by Africans, the AU has a better understanding of those situations. Moreover, African parties are generally very cautious about external interventions. They are more likely to accept peace and mediation efforts from fellow Africans. In that regard, the international community should have faith in the wisdom and experience of African people, take into full account the opinions of the AU and provide all manner of support to the AU in its efforts to carry out mediation, good offices and peacekeeping missions. We encourage the United Nations and the AU to increase communication and coordination so as to give full play to their comparative advantages. Thirdly, we should assist the AU in strengthening capacity-building. As a Chinese saying goes, it is better to teach one the skill of fishing than to offer him fish. In the long run, peace and development in Africa mainly relies on the efforts of the AU and African countries themselves. The AU, however, is constrained by insufficient capacity in human resources, material and financing. The UN and the international community should respond sincerely to the legitimate requests of the AU and strengthen cooperation with the AU in personnel training, institutional development, the sharing of information and experience, the management of resources, logistic support and other areas. In the meantime, the United Nations should enlist other countries in providing assistance. In recent years, the United Nations has undertaken some active exploration and gained positive experience in providing assistance to the African Union Mission in Somalia and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. Such exploration and experience merit timely study, assessment and dissemination. China highly values its friendly relations and cooperation with the AU. The development of our friendly relations has gained momentum in recent years. China appreciates and fully supports what the AU has done to resolve hotspot issues in Africa, and has provided financial and material assistance to the AU. China will continue to work with the international community to support the close strategic and cooperative relationship between the United Nations and the AU, and make its contribution to African peace and security.

I would like to join the Secretary-General and previous speakers in thanking the South African presidency of the Security Council for the organization of this debate on the important issue of the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) in the maintenance of international peace and security. I also welcome the presence in the Chamber of His Excellency President Jacob Zuma of South Africa to preside personally over this debate, thereby illustrating his country’s adherence to the principles of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, especially the African Union. The presence here today of representatives of the African Union and subregional economic communities is testament to the high degree of attention that such cooperation enjoys in the daily management of United Nations and African Union affairs. The latest comprehensive and very informative report (S/2011/805) of the Secretary-General on that cooperation, which is rooted in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, should be commended. My delegation welcomes it. The report addresses the crucial issues on which that cooperation is based, namely, ensuring peace and security through peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations; security sector reform; the protection of civilians; humanitarian efforts; and human rights. More than just cooperation, as the report repeatedly highlights, this is about a partnership. The report also indicates that the two organizations acknowledge a shared responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security on the African continent, even as it is understood that, in accordance with Chapter VII of the Charter, the primary responsibility in that regard falls above all on the United Nations and, in particular, the Security Council. That partnership has taken root throughout the years, with joint efforts having been undertaken that have produced conclusive results. The establishment, in July 2010, of the United Nations Office to the African Union was aimed at strengthening cooperation and coordination between the two organizations in the area of peace and security. The establishment, on 25 September 2010, of an AU-United Nations working group on peace and security reflected the desire to strengthen the strategic partnership covering various areas, including the protection of civilians and human rights. The coordination that took place at the highest levels last year on the situations in Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, the Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, which continues today, illustrates the desire of the United Nations, in cooperation with the African Union, to find peaceful ways to resolve many crises and conflicts on the African continent, which makes up more than 60 per cent of the issues on the agenda of the Security Council. It is by drawing lessons learned from past experience and from the cooperation between the two organizations with regard to peacekeeping operations on the African continent, as was the case with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), that this strategic partnership takes on its full significance. Indeed, with respect to AMISOM, the frequent lack of coordination, delays in mobilizing logistical support and inadequate financial resources have long been at the very heart of the Mission’s mixed results. Although the situation may have changed, it remains true that AMISOM continues to experience all sorts of difficulties. My country believes that one aspect of the United Nations-AU partnership that should be a priority is cooperation in conflict prevention and mediation. In presidential statement S/PRST/2010/14, adopted following the open debate of 16 July 2010 (S/PV.6360) organized by the Nigerian presidency on the instruments of preventive diplomacy, notably in Africa, the Security Council deemed it necessary to make cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in Africa closer and more operational in order to create regional and national capacities to use the instruments of preventive diplomacy, including mediation, data collection and analysis, early warning mechanisms, prevention and peacemaking. From a subregional perspective, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has long made prevention, mediation and the peaceful settlement of disputes a pillar of its policy. The adoption in 2001 of an additional protocol on democracy and good governance was part and parcel of such efforts. We welcome the active role being played by the United Nations Office for West Africa in that initiative, pursuant to its mandate. In the final analysis, preventive diplomacy remains by far the most cost- effective of all peacekeeping activities because it is less expensive and allows the use of weapons to be avoided. It should therefore be favoured. The most recent report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office (S/2011/811) notes its many activities, organized jointly with ECOWAS, on matters as diverse as drug trafficking, piracy at sea, organized crime and the proliferation of all manner of weapons, in particular in the Sahel. The United Nations has developed improved cooperation with the African Union and subregional organizations in these areas in recent years. The fight against these scourges must be stepped up. My country welcomes the establishment of a similar office in Central Africa on 1 January 2011. The United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa became operational on 2 March of that year. The security problems encountered in that region require the United Nations ongoing presence. Another important aspect of United Nations-AU cooperation is the protection of civilians. In helping the African Union to develop guidelines in that field, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has shown that peacekeeping operations have made such protection a priority. The training of troops in the implementation of the guidelines should be extended and supported financially. As we have seen, there are many areas in which cooperation exists between the United Nations and the AU. Progress has been made, but much remains to be done. The United Nations and the African Union have therefore agreed to create a series of mechanisms, including the joint support and coordination mechanism within the framework of UNAMID. Despite such efforts to coordinate the activities of both organizations in order to allow them to manage crises more efficiently, certain shortcomings remain in United Nations-AU cooperation. The management of the Ivorian and Libyan crises last year demonstrated the dysfunction between the two organizations, and in particular the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council. The prevarication concerning the action to be undertaken in those crises was very harmful to the populations involved. Decisions must be taken jointly and responsibilities defined in serious situations. Clearly, the need for the participation of regional and subregional organizations in the settlement of conflicts is irrefutable. Regional actors play a crucial role, because subregional organizations have their own conflict-settlement mechanisms based on the cultural and social particularities of the countries and regions in crisis. The rules they establish for conflict prevention must be observed on a priority basis. My country firmly believes that the opinions of regional and subregional actors must guide the joint action of the AU Peace and Security Council and the Security Council. Our organ, which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, must be attuned to the needs of the regional and subregional organizations, including regional economic communities, and avoid getting bogged down in speculation, which is harmful not only to the Council’s authority, but also to the lives and security of people in distress. Another problem facing United Nations-AU cooperation is the lack of sufficient resources to support the peace operations established by the African Union. AMISOM is often cited as one example of that. While Somalia has experienced an unprecedented situation for the past 20 years, the efforts of the international community still fall short of what is needed to resolve that lengthy conflict. The displacement of people within that country and the thousands of refugees in neighbouring countries are the result of the crisis. Wishing to solve the problem of refugees and the hungry without settling the basic conflict could be considered the equivalent of trying to cauterize a wooden leg. In the light of all these observations, we need to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, especially with respect to the challenges raised by new threats to international peace and security. I refer in particular to terrorism and transnational organized crime in the Sahel, and to piracy at sea, which threatens the peace and security of the countries of West Africa and on the Gulf of Guinea. In both cases, capacity-building and the allocation of financial resources are crucial challenges to be addressed by the partnership between the United Nations and the AU and subregional organizations. We also believe that a clear definition of complementarity and subsidiarity, as well as the predictable allocation of resources, would help to make the partnership between the two organizations more effective. Togo sincerely hopes that today’s debate will be an opportunity for the Security Council to strengthen and promote the bases of its necessary cooperation with the African Union Peace and Security Council with a view to taking more effective, coordinated and swift action in peacekeeping and the management of crises on the continent. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): I thank you, Madam, for scheduling the discussion on relations between the United Nations and regional organizations. President Zuma’s presence earlier, together with that of the Secretary-General, Commissioner Lamamra and other honourable ministers, underlines the importance of the issue. I believe that it is also one of the most important strategic challenges facing the Security Council. Since the Security Council last debated this topic, the United Nations and regional organizations have worked increasingly closely on matters of peace and security. While mindful of the Security Council’s primary responsibility, the United Kingdom supports efforts to further enhance relations between the Council and regional organizations on peace and security. That is not always straightforward. We have seen in the past 12 months major differences of substance between the League of Arab States and the African Union, two separate regional organizations, on Libya. There have also been differences of approach between subregional and regional organizations, such as between the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union on Côte d’Ivoire and between the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and some members of the African Union on Eritrea. Such complexities cannot be swept under the carpet. The relationship also needs to be taken forward in a manner consistent with the Charter of the United Nations. Efforts should make the most of the complementarities between the United Nations and individual regional organizations. Such organizations often have comparative strengths, such as their knowledge of social, ethnic, historical and political issues in their regions and their ability to convene regional States. That is particular true for subregional organizations. The situation surrounding issues of peace and security are diverse. Each needs to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, which calls for an emphasis on timely communication and consultation and the avoidance of procedures that are inflexible in the face of varied and urgent challenges. While underlining the importance that the United Kingdom attaches to the United Nations relationship with all regional organizations — including, of course, the European Union — I would like to concentrate today on the United Nations relationship with the African Union, a relationship that the United Kingdom has sought to encourage. We believe that good progress has been made. The African Union and Africa’s subregional organizations have been among the most active in pursuing peace and security. The United Nations and the African Union have together worked effectively in many countries across the continent. But, equally, there have been cases, such as that of the Sudan, where managing the complexities of the United Nations/African Union relationship has proved challenging. The United Nations/African Union relationship is becoming deeper and more productive. We have seen increasing cooperation on the institutional relationship, capacity-building and peacekeeping. I would like to comment briefly on each of those areas in turn. On the institutional relationship, I welcome the intensified cooperation between the Secretariat and the African Union Commission. I also welcome the annual meeting between the Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. As Ambassador Rice has pointed out, those meetings have not always been easy, but it is right that they should be a forum for substantive discussion, enabling us to be aware of each other’s perspectives. I encourage the two presidencies and Secretariats to ensure that such meetings are well prepared. Capacity-building needs to be at the heart of the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union and its subregional organizations. That is essential if those organizations are to deliver on the responsibilities they have assumed for peace and security on the continent and to build on the progress that has been made in developing the African Peace and Security Architecture. In that context, I reaffirm the United Kingdom’s commitment to support the 10- year capacity-building programme. Finally, let me turn to peacekeeping led by the African Union. Yesterday, we heard a briefing from African Union Commissioner Lamamra on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a mission that plays a critical role in efforts to establish peace and stability in Somalia. The United Kingdom is grateful for the efforts and the courage of the AMISOM troops. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s recommendations on AMISOM later this month, and we are ready to lead a constructive Security Council response to those recommendations. Peacekeeping missions such as AMISOM have benefited from developments in the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union. By linking operational support and capacity-building, the United Nations Office to the African Union has provided assistance in real time that will also deliver in the long term. The European Union and bilateral donors have made very significant contributions in that regard, including supporting the development of the African Standby Force. The first operational deployment by the Eastern African Standby Force has been made in support of AMISOM and is being closely supported by the United Kingdom. Looking ahead, I would like to conclude with three recommendations. First, a one-size-fits-all approach to the institutional relationship is unrealistic. The relationship developed with one regional organization should not set a precedent for relations with others. The first step would be for the Security Council to give a fuller consideration to all the issues involved at a Security Council retreat. Secondly, we would like to see greater cooperation on early warning and rapid preventive diplomacy between the United Nations and the African Union and other organizations, such as the European Union and the Arab League. With their unique geographical insight, regional organizations have a key role to play in early warning and mitigating the risks of conflict through preventive diplomacy. Greater donor coordination of capacity-building support will facilitate regional organizations’ efforts in those areas. Finally, while noting that regional organizations have primary responsibility for securing human, financial, logistical and other resources for their organizations, the United Kingdom would like to encourage international partners to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing regional organizations when they undertake peacekeeping under a United Nations mandate. In offering that support, our focus should be on improving effectiveness and efficiency and on building a culture of accountability, transparency and professionalism. The United Kingdom supports the draft resolution to be adopted at the end of today’s debate (S/2012/25). We have, however, concerns about some of the ambiguities in the text as a result of the somewhat hurried negotiation process. I shall be making an explanation of vote to clarify our position on those points.

Madam President, we are pleased to welcome you as you preside over today’s meeting of the Security Council. We welcome the participation at today’s meeting of President Jacob Zuma, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, African Union (AU) Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra, and the Chair of the AU Peace and Security Council, Mr. Moses Wetangula. The African Union and subregional organizations in Africa are playing an increasingly active role in the settlement of conflicts and crises on the continent, demonstrating the preparedness and ability to shoulder responsibility for resolving their issues. We are pleased to note that they attach great importance to the political and diplomatic settlement of conflicts. In many cases, that has won significant results. In particular, many mediation efforts undertaken by retired and active African politicians have proven their effectiveness. In other cases, very useful and constructive proposals have been put forward, but by no fault of African partners have not been acted upon. The effectiveness of multilateral approaches to settling contemporary crises should logically lead the United Nations to develop a partnership with the African Union. Such cooperation must be underpinned, first and foremost, by Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, which assigns to the Security Council the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, while underlining the complementarity of United Nations efforts and those of regional organizations, and encouraging each to draw on its own comparative advantages. We are convinced that scaling up such partnerships will significantly bolster the global capacity to respond to crises and promote peace on the African continent through, inter alia, early warning of crises, their timely settlement and post-conflict rebuilding. We believe it important to further and actively step up the African Union’s initiatives on the continent in preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Of particular relevance in that regard is the implementation of the 10-year capacity-building programme for the African Union. We hope for tangible, practical results, from the establishment of a continental system of early warning and the African Standby Force, which would be able to react swiftly to emerging crises in African countries, with the participation, if necessary, of the Security Council. It is important to provide dynamic assistance in bolstering the African peacekeeping toolkit and establishing a pan-African security architecture so as to ensure that mechanisms of conflict settlement and prevention on the continent are fully exploited. Russia supports the growing independent role of African organizations in maintaining peace on the continent and has consistently called for the steps taken by the African Union in that regard to be backed by the authority of the Council. Against that backdrop, it is encouraging to note the consistently evolving forum of partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Hybrid peacekeeping forces in Darfur are effectively operating under the auspices of the United Nations and the AU. Active efforts are being made to move the Darfur peace process forward and overcome the issues between the Sudan and South Sudan. A cooperation mechanism to resolve the situation in Somalia has been launched. Those are examples of innovative models of cooperation, which can and must be drawn upon in the future, provided that the necessary improvements are made. We support the Secretary-General’s proposal for the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission to prepare joint assessments and recommendations, which would be used in taking decisions on crises in Africa, as was the case, for example, with the Council- mandated African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. An important component of coordination could be the United Nations Office at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Given the unique purview of the Security Council, which under the United Nations Charter is tasked with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security, we advocate the further development of practical cooperation between the United Nations Security Council and AU Peace and Security Council so that targeted solutions can be identified. Those solutions would frame that cooperative relationship and ensure that emerging military and political crises on the continent are met with swift, agreed and effective responses. As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia works to improve strategies for the settlement of African conflicts and plays an active role in drawing up and implementing international cooperation and assistance programmes in Africa, including the preparation and training of African peacekeepers in Russian institutions. We stand ready to continue to provide assistance to African peacekeepers and multifaceted aid as part of efforts to resolve African issues on the basis of an open, equitable and mutually beneficial partnership that does not involve a supervisory mentality, ideological stereotypes or nationally biased approaches.

There are still a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. Given the lateness of the hour, however, I intend, with the concurrence of Council members, to suspend the meeting until 3.30 p.m.