S/PV.9633 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czechia, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Morocco, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and Viet Nam to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: His Excellency Mr. Sérgio França Danese, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, in his capacity as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission; and His Excellency Mr. Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite Her Excellency Mrs. Hedda Samson, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. I also propose that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of the Holy See to the United Nations to participate in the meeting, in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard. There being no objection, it is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2024/327/Rev.1, which contains the text of a letter dated 22 April 2024 from the Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a concept note on the item under consideration. The Council has before it the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today’s meeting. I thank the Council members for their valuable contributions to this statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that the members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2024/2. I warmly welcome the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, to whom I now give the floor.

I thank Mozambique for bringing us together to discuss Africa’s critical role in maintaining peace and security. (spoke in English) Today’s discussion is about peace in Africa itself — but also strengthening Africa’s role in peace and development globally. Africa is an important voice for the global good. The continent is home to many examples of unity and solidarity in a fractured world. We see that unity in Africa’s focus on ending poverty and hunger, supporting refugees fleeing across borders and achieving sustainable development. And we see it in the continent’s efforts to work together to build a modern, diverse, innovative and powerful continental economy to benefit all Africans, from the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area to African countries leading the way on renewable energy systems like solar and wind — a continent with the potential to become a renewable energy super- Power, to Africa’s bold calls for reforming the global financial architecture so it better serves and represents the countries who need it most. All of those efforts require peace in Africa and beyond. Too many Africans are caught up in the hell of conflicts or living with the relentless danger of terrorism and violent extremism in their communities — from the countries of the Sahel rocked by unconstitutional changes of Government, uncertain political transitions and a growing terrorist threat to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in the Lake Chad basin, Somalia and elsewhere; to the continued violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Horn of Africa; and to the deepening humanitarian nightmare in the Sudan, now entering its second year, with increased hostilities in El Fasher opening an alarming new chapter in that conflict. My Personal Envoy, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, is working tirelessly on mediation efforts with all parties. We need a concerted global push for a ceasefire, followed by a comprehensive peace process to end the bloodshed. The death, hunger, disease and displacement fuelled by those conflicts are playing out against a bleak backdrop. Many African countries are still suffering the impact of the pandemic, including higher rates of debt, limiting their capacity to fight poverty and hunger. Meanwhile, climate impacts are escalating, including droughts and ferocious flooding — as we saw recently in East Africa. Rising geopolitical tensions are also having an impact on the continent. In some countries, we are seeing grave human rights violations and abuses, an epidemic of gender-based and sexual violence, a flouting of international law and a global climate of impunity. The human cost of those conflicts is heartbreaking. And the cost to development is incalculable. Now is the time to unleash Africa’s peace power. We need to strengthen Africa’s peace leadership on the continent itself and on the global stage. First, we need peace in Africa itself. Our partnership with Africa is based on the clear perception that we must work with the African Union based on the principle of African-led solutions for African problems. The United Nations fully supports Africa’s pursuit of peace through the African Union’s flagship Silencing the Guns initiative. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our African partners to help ensure security, stability and respect for human rights and the rule of law across the continent, in line with the New Vision for the Rule of Law. We are working closely with the African Union to strengthen the foundations of stable, peaceful societies — including democratic processes and institutions that people can trust. And we are working closely with the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and others to end the scourge of terrorism — including support for prevention, legal assistance, investigations, prosecutions, reintegration and rehabilitation and human rights protection. We fully support the establishment of the African humanitarian agency to help people caught within complex emergencies. And we are supporting key processes to build peace in places where it is in short supply. I am pleased that the Council agreed to our long- standing call to support African Union-led peace support operations — including peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations — with mandates from the Council and with assessed contributions covering a large chunk of the expenditure. Resolution 2719 (2023) is a critical milestone. Our two organizations will be developing a joint road map to take forward that important breakthrough. Partnerships like this are central to the New Agenda for Peace. The Agenda connects the dots between investing in development, building strong governance structures and justice systems that people can trust and creating sustainable peace. The African Union and the United Nations will continue working together to defuse conflicts before they escalate, manage them effectively when they occur and build sustainable peace when they are resolved. (spoke in French) Secondly, we need to embed African participation and leadership across the global peace and security architecture. Following the Second World War, the mechanisms of global governance — including the Council — were designed by the most powerful countries at that time. Many African countries were still in the process of throwing off the shackles of colonialism. Since then, the world has changed — but global institutions have not. Today African countries continue to be denied a seat at the negotiating table, including in the Security Council. The impacts of the structural inequalities are plain to see. African States suffer disproportionately from the effects of conflicts, an unjust global financial system and the climate crisis. At the same time, African countries are stepping up and contributing to peaceful solutions beyond the continent. For example, I commend Kenya for leading the upcoming Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti — and other African countries for offering to send troops. Africa deserves a voice in the global peace and security architecture. But strengthening Africa’s voice can happen only if African countries can participate in global governance structures as equals. That must include correcting the lack of permanent African representation at the Council. And it must include reforming the global financial architecture — especially its handling of debt — so African countries have the support they need to climb the development ladder. September’s Summit of the Future will be an opportunity to push forward on all of these issues. I have invited all Heads of State to attend. I count on African Member States to seize the moment and put forward specific proposals aimed at enhancing Africa’s representation within all global governance structures. We must be clear-eyed about the deep challenges ahead. But the people of Africa have always risen to the challenges of the day. Peace is the key to unlocking Africa’s future for Africans themselves and for strengthening the continent’s voice and influence in building peace around the world. Peace depends on African leadership. I look forward to working with the Council and with the Governments, institutions and people of Africa on this critical task.

I thank the Secretary-General for his important briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Adeoye. Mr. Adeoye: Africa’s role as an influential global player is undoubtedly crucial in the current geopolitical landscape. The continent’s vast natural resources, strategic location and youth make it a significant, highly valued actor in the international system. Its perspectives provide fresh insights for a changing world. Addressing insecurity challenges, particularly terrorism and violent extremism, as well as economic and governance challenges, require multidimensional, but also African-led structured solutions premised on supporting global security. At the very root of those challenges is the state of health of individual African States and the quality of engagement with the rest of the world. The African Union is committed to supporting the building of strong, capable African States that will serve as a significant boost to global security and development. In that regard, the African Union (AU) is fostering institutional capacities and resilience, at both local and national levels, through the underlying currency of the nexus between peace, security, governance and development. I therefore wish, on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, to commend Mozambique for the focus of this meeting. The African continent and the rest of global South stand ready to take stronger action at the international level. Throughout the coronavirus disease pandemic, we individually and collectively demonstrated human resilience. Today African institutions are being tested by the combined weight of the impact of climate change and other socioeconomic implications and ramifications in the security and stability domains. To enhance the ability of African States and institutions to address multipolarity and the challenges of global peace, let me underscore several factors. First, a reconfiguration of the global peace and security architecture and ecosystem is imperative. The emerging global order must promote renewed and networked multilateralism for the sake of global stability. That is Africa’s right and not just a demand. The new Security Council must be enlarged, inclusive, pro-Africa, more democratic, responsive, legitimate, equitable and accountable. The New Agenda for Peace and the Summit of the Future in September present two unique opportunities to promote Africa’s positions on the global stage. Secondly, the effective representation of Africa in the Group of 20 (G20) is a happy historic decision, under the leadership of India as Chair of the G20 in 2023. Africa is ready to continue to serve as a viable model in this global architecture. It is indeed an added boost to realizing the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Agenda 2063, in particular, and, in general, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is a modest beginning for Africa. Thirdly, exactly as the Secretary-General stated — adequate, flexible, predictable and sustainable financing of continental and regional peace operations will serve to promote peace enforcement in the areas where peacekeeping is shrinking. The African Union stands ready to address the complex, intractable conflicts on our continent. It is in that regard that we call for 100 per cent unhindered and unconditional access to United Nations-assessed contributions for peace and security activities. That is why we welcome resolution 2719 (2023), which constitutes a significant step in the right direction. Its implementation will be the litmus test for the pace-setting initiative on financing peace support operations. Fourthly, on the primacy of politics, the African Union continues to canvas for promoting effective conflict prevention, re-energized preventive diplomacy, mediation and dialogue. The AU is convinced that through its Peace and Security Council, which marks its twentieth anniversary this month, it will continue to promote inclusive and transformative dialogue, which is critical. It is necessary at this point to look at our accomplishments, particularly the Pretoria peace agreement on Tigray, and we hope that the Sudan will change course through better mediation or the implementation of a cessation of hostilities. Fifthly, the reform of the global financial architecture governance is another imperative. The existing architecture has been unable to support the mobilization of stable and long-term financing for development. It is plagued with inequities, gaps and inefficiencies that need to be addressed. Developing instruments and institutions that can bridge the technology gap and help develop innovative financing mechanisms will benefit Africa. In that respect, Africa has been at the forefront of a new architecture for the global economic system, for debt relief and the cost of sovereign borrowing and for improved access to special drawing rights, favourable public finance and a financial safety net. There is also a need for better linkage with the private sector, in terms of profitability with sustainable development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. A new global tax architecture will also be in the interest of women and youth, in particular. We also want to emphasize the inclusion of women and youth and child protection as we look ahead towards the New Agenda for Peace at the Summit of the Future. These are areas of interest that will help boost Africa’s role in the international system, in terms of the maintenance of peace and security. Youth engagement, in particular, needs to be all-encompassing and all- embracing. The indivisibility and interconnectedness of human rights is a strategy that is fundamental to the African Union. We continue to promote a delicate balance between the first-generation political and civil rights and the second-generation economic, social and cultural rights. For us, that should be premised on the right to peace and, most importantly, the right to development. Those are pre-eminent rights for promoting good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice for all and the rule of law. Those factors are predominantly enshrined in Africa’s input to the New Agenda for Peace. Before I conclude, let me emphasize that Africa’s adequate representation and effective participation in global affairs will be a public good that will help to promote meaningful contributions to ensuring and maintaining peace and stability. Africa must remain resilient, strong and united in its effort to play a global role. A restructuring of the Security Council will be inevitable, given the need, and the time for it is now. We must strengthen coordination, leveraging comparative advantages between the United Nations and the African Union through the regional mechanisms and the regional economic communities. That will lead to sustainable peace and stability. Allow me to conclude by emphasizing that State capacities and institutional resilience at the local and national levels must be sustained. We must also strengthen the means of implementation, so that the global partnership for peace will be enduring and of great benefit to Africa as a whole. Silencing the guns remains on our agenda. It is also necessary for zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government to continue to support the peace-security-development nexus.

I thank Mr. Adeoye for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. França Danese.

On behalf of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), I thank Mozambique for the invitation to brief the Security Council. Today’s discussion is indeed welcome, given the long-standing engagement of several African countries with the PBC. The PBC is fully committed to partnering with Africa in promoting sustained peace in countries that voluntarily come to the Commission for assistance in their peacebuilding processes. In working with them, the PBC supports identifying and addressing context- specific root causes and drivers of conflict and provides assistance in that regard by convening all relevant actors within and outside the United Nations, as appropriate. Institution-building, electoral processes, the rule of law, transitional justice, the women and peace and security agenda, the youth, peace and security agenda, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform are among the main pillars of our work to build solid foundations for sustaining peace. Additionally, the Peacebuilding Fund continues to support peacebuilding activities in Africa. Those are only starting points for normalizing States in transition and post-conflict situations. Investment in sustainable development is crucial to long-term social cohesion and stability and must be undertaken in tandem with other initiatives. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. That is all the more important given the proportion of young people in Africa’s rapidly growing population. As highlighted in the concept note for this debate (S/2024/327/Rev.1, annex), Africa’s demographic surge offers a wealth of opportunities for robust, sustainable and inclusive growth. Inclusive economic growth is important for that young population to realize its full potential. The African continent has made impressive progress in institutionalizing its regional policies through the African Union, subregional organizations and regional economic communities. During the sixth informal annual joint consultative meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the PBC, held in November 2023, we discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two bodies, taking into account comparative advantages and complementarities in peacebuilding and sustaining peace in support of national priorities and the activities of regional organizations in Africa. Both parties underscored the importance of supporting specific African Union peacebuilding and sustaining peace efforts, including the implementation of the African Union policy on post-conflict reconstruction and development. Such support is essential to ensure that African countries are able to build foundations for sustainable peace according to their specific needs and priorities, based on national ownership. Investing in infrastructure for peace is key to achieving stable, prosperous and just societies and to preventing the devastating human tragedy and socioeconomic costs associated with conflict. African problems must be solved with African solutions, yet partnerships are fundamental. Financial institutions should expand cooperation in peacebuilding and sustaining peace efforts in Africa, including in conflict prevention. The PBC hopes to assist by connecting countries in need of financial support with international financial institutions and other potential partners. We also hope that the implementation of General Assembly resolution 78/257 on financing for peacebuilding will expand the possibilities for supporting initiatives in Africa through the Peacebuilding Fund. The Commission is of the view that efforts must be made to ensure coherence and complementarity between peacebuilding, peacekeeping missions and counter- terrorism operations, taking into account the Secretary- General’s proposals in his policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace. In that regard, the implementation of resolution 2719 (2023) to support African Union-led peace operations with United Nations-assessed contributions provides an opportunity to promote closer cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. The PBC stands ready to offer its expertise in laying the groundwork for transitions and durable solutions, including through addressing the root causes of conflict, and to engage with African countries on their path to stability and prosperity. Finally, we reaffirm the importance of reinforced implementation of the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, particularly with regard to preventing and mediating conflict and sustaining peace, responding to conflict and addressing root causes, as well as the African Union-United Nations Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I thank Mr. França Danese for his briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Mozambique. Mozambique wishes to thank the Secretary- General for his continued faith in and commitment to Africa. His briefing to this open debate today bears witness to his profound commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It is also testament to his unwavering support for our continent’s right to an enhanced voice and influence in global affairs. We thank His Excellency Ambassador Adeoye Bankole, Commissioner of the African Union (AU), for having eloquently articulated the vision of a strong and committed Africa. We are grateful to His Excellency Ambassador Sérgio França Danese of Brazil for his important message and for emphasizing, on behalf of the Peacebuilding Commission, the importance of Africa to global prosperity. This debate is taking place in May, which is Africa Month. It coincides with the celebration of two important landmark events: the commemoration of the sixth decade since the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and of the second decade since the launch of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, the pillar of the African peace and security architecture. Ten years ago, during the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the OAU/AU, Agenda 2063 — a blueprint of the Africa we want — was conceived. Aspiration number 7 of Agenda 2063 states that Africa’s aim is to become “a strong, united, resilient, peaceful and influential global player and partner with a significant role in world affairs”. Like other parts of the globe, Africa is a mosaic of peoples, trends, challenges, opportunities and narratives that are deeply connected to, affected by and affecting events — internally and on the world stage. That is why we are framing our advocacy for strengthening Africa’s global role around Africa’s pivotal and consequential connectedness to the global good. We are aware of Africa’s diversity. But we are also mindful of the enormous challenges Africa has to face. They include a high poverty rate, the rapid Africanization of terrorism and violent extremism, political instability and illiteracy. In order to overcome those challenges, it is critical for Africa to emerge from the present status and to become an important player on the global stage. What is, then, required to boost Africa’s capacity is, first, a recognition that Africa’s role in global security and development hinges on a unified approach among its countries. The old call by our founding fathers that Africa must unite still rings true today. That is the lesson that we take from various examples that emerge from decisions taken by our Heads of State and Government when they meet in their summits in Addis Ababa. Those decisions include vital matters of peace, security and development, along with the formulation of Africa’s common positions on climate change, a pandemic treaty, trade and other global issues. When united, our 54 countries form a powerful, united bloc that also serves the interests of the global South and of all humankind. Secondly, Africa shall continue to advocate for addressing the structural deficiencies of the multilateral system, particularly the reform of the Security Council and of the international financial institutions. Thirdly, while we underline the importance of representation and visibility in multilateral forums, visibility should be a means to an end — not a goal in itself. What Africa aspires to is to ultimately be able to exert influence and have the ability to set the agenda in ways that reflect its own perspectives. We believe that the world can benefit from an Africa that seeks mutually beneficial relations and partnerships with other regions and continents in order to share its wealth and benefit from it. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this very timely open debate on the significant topic of strengthening the role of African States in addressing global security and development challenges, even as we celebrate Africa Day in just two days, on 25 May. At the outset, let me congratulate Mozambique for the successful negotiation and adoption of the presidential statement on this meeting (S/PRST/2024/2). I thank His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; His Excellency Mr. Bankole Adeoye, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; and His Excellency Mr. Sérgio França Danese, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations and Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, for their invaluable insights on today’s topic. We take due note of their recommendations on strengthening the effective participation of Africa in maintaining global peace and security. Sierra Leone also extends congratulations to the African Union Peace and Security Council on its twentieth anniversary. In acknowledging the AU Peace and Security Council’s pivotal efforts to strengthen peace and security in the African continent, we take great pride in our present concurrent membership and contributions in the AU Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council. States in Africa remain challenged by a wide range of security, political, socioeconomic and environmental issues, including long-standing and emerging localized and cross-border conflicts, a deteriorating state of governance, a decline in State authority, economic decline and the adverse impact of climate change. The data on the impact of conflict on the continent paints an alarming picture. The Secretary-General’s latest report on the protection of civilians (S/2024/385) indicates that approximately 21,000 persons were killed in conflicts in just four countries, with hundreds of thousands more injured across the continent. Millions of people remain either internally or externally displaced, with 6 million new internally displaced persons in the Sudan and 1.4 million fleeing to neighbouring countries, resulting in a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale and scope. The Sahel region has become an epicentre of terrorism, in a very worrisome development for the Sahel and West Africa. According to the World Bank, the continent remains the least economically competitive region in the world and States finds it difficult to create and maintain the economic conditions necessary for poverty reduction and macroeconomic stability, including accessing private sector investment and trade. Approximately one third of the continent’s population is characterized as living in extreme poverty, below the $2.15-a-day threshold. Therefore, Africa’s capacity must be strengthened to address its myriad challenges, including through enabling effective representation in global governance decision-making, particularly with regard to the mutually reinforcing principles of peace and security and sustainable development. Addressing the multidimensional challenges facing the continent requires an integrated approach, through which strategic policy and logistical support are rationalized in line with the continent’s policy aspiration of African solutions for African challenges. That is about both ownership and leadership. African States and the wider international community must commit to targeted political and economic initiatives at national levels, as well as measures to resolve the systemic and historical injustices, inequities, inequalities and divergences that continue to have an impact on the continent’s full political and socioeconomic capacity. The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, which seeks to address the confluence of historical, political and economic factors for sustainable development on the continent, remains the most viable mechanism to ensure the ownership and participation of African States in their own development. We note the concerted efforts of the United Nations system to support the objectives of Agenda 2063 and call on the wider international community, in particular the international financial, development and trade institutions, to employ flexible and relevant financing and investment mechanisms that support sustainable socioeconomic development for sustaining peace in Africa. We note that, while Africa’s contribution to the adverse effects of climate change is wholly insignificant, it continues to bear the brunt of climate-related disasters such as desertification and flooding. In addition, it receives the least amount of global financing to address that existential planetary crisis. The urgent need for increased financial commitment to address the climate crisis in Africa cannot therefore be overemphasized. Through the Silencing the Guns initiative, the African Union has set out a bold plan for a conflict- free Africa, focused on solidifying development gains by 2030. Achievement of the goals of that initiative requires continued support from the Security Council, as reflected in its resolution 2457 (2019), especially given the rapid spread of terrorism and violent extremism, the regrettable resurgence in unconstitutional changes of government and a rise in resource-linked instability and conflicts in the region. The spread of terrorism, particularly in the Sahel region and parts of West Africa, requires collaboration and partnership both at the regional level among African countries and at the global level. The recent fragmentation of the Group of Five for the Sahel presents a significant gap in the institutional framework for security and counter-terrorism strategies in the region, which we must continue to address through dialogue and collaboration. In that regard we welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations of the presidential statement on the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) (S/PRST/2024/3), which will strengthen the mandate of UNOWAS to meaningfully engage and partner with Member States in the region and the Economic Community of West African States in addressing the security, humanitarian, socioeconomic and political challenges in the region. Sierra Leone remains grateful to Switzerland for its partnership as co-penholder and the Security Council for the demonstration of unity on that important issue. Sierra Leone emphasizes the importance of strengthening Africa’s role in addressing security challenges on the continent through the effective operationalization of resolution 2719 (2023) on the financing of AU-led peace operations. We welcome the Council’s joint collaboration with the AU Peace and Security Council and the African Union Commission to expedite work on the joint planning guidelines for implementation of that resolution, and take this opportunity to encourage Council members to consider further exploring designated sources for raising the remaining 25 per cent of funding from international donors other than the African Union, in due consideration of African countries’ ultimate sacrifice in providing the troops for potential AU- led peace support operations, and United Nations assessed contributions. In the same vein, we call for implementation of General Assembly resolution 78/257, which provides us a road map for strengthening the role of the Peacebuilding Commission through sustainable, predictable and flexible financing for peace, prevention and peacebuilding. The spate of unconstitutional changes of government is troubling evidence of push back against established governance and policy frameworks on the continent. Unconstitutional changes of government are antithetical to fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, as well as the targeted African normative framework on the issue, including the Lomé Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the 2022 Malabo Declaration on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa. We call on the Security Council to support the African Union’s efforts to address the underlying drivers of unconstitutional changes of government, as well as to undertake realistic and practical preventive and response measures to address governance deficits. Our efforts to strengthen Africa’s role in addressing global security challenges would be meaningless, unless purposeful and practical steps are taken by the United Nations to reform the Security Council in order to address its structural imbalance and the historical injustice concerning Africa. The enlargement of the Security Council to redress the historical injustice against Africa as a priority while treating the continent as a special case cannot be overemphasized. Security Council reform is necessary and imperative, given the imbalance in the composition of the Council, which leads to a lack of representation in global decision-making and has a further impact on the Council’s legitimacy. The well-formed view that, absent structural changes, the Council’s performance and legitimacy will inevitably suffer has gained ground. Accordingly, representational legitimacy is a necessary condition for good institutional performance, particularly when the objects of an institution’s decisions have little say in the decision-making process itself. The United Nations must adapt to current geopolitical realities and emerging threats, in particular, by addressing Africa’s non-representation in the permanent category and its gross underrepresentation in the non-permanent category of Security Council membership. We therefore welcome efforts by Member States in their broad support for the aspiration of Africa and the Common African Position on Security Council reform, as espoused in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration. In conclusion, Sierra Leone welcomes the African Union’s membership in the Group of 20, a move that affords the continent the opportunity to shape policies and decisions with a direct impact on its own financial and economic development and that of the world. That step must herald an era of strengthening African States in addressing, inter alia, global security and development challenges.

Guyana commends Mozambique for convening this open debate on a topic of special importance for the maintenance of international peace and security. We thank Secretary-General Guterres, African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye and Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission Sérgio França Danese for their insightful briefings. Given the number of African files on the Council’s agenda, Guyana sees great value in our collective deliberation on how to strengthen the role of the African State to address global security and development challenges. We are of the view that constant and structured dialogue with those countries, as with all other countries on the Council’s agenda, should be the bedrock of our efforts to promote strong responses to peace and security and development challenges. On the latter note, allow me to emphasize Guyana’s conviction that peace and security issues cannot be divorced from development issues. In fact, a common feature across many of the African issues of which the Council is seized is poverty and underdevelopment and their concomitant challenges. The Council must therefore take a holistic approach to peace and security matters in Africa, incorporating a development dimension. In fact, having examined the Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU), Guyana has taken good note that a prosperous Africa is equally a peaceful and secure Africa. Guyana also underscores in that context the importance of addressing the historical injustice against Africa in its exclusion from permanent membership of the Security Council. Correcting that wrong and the overall imbalance is also critical to the full involvement of Africa in the global peace and security regime. With the foregoing in mind, I proffer four points for reflection on the theme of today’s debate. First, the Council must continue to work closely with regional institutions to promote peace and stability in the region, including on initiatives geared towards addressing the root causes of conflicts in Africa. In that regard, Guyana underscores the centrality of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture and its pillars. Its Continental Early Warning System, for example, is an extremely useful mechanism in the context of conflict prevention, peace, security and stability in Africa, and that could potentially be one area for closer collaboration between the Council and the AU. That collaboration could explore both a strengthening of the mechanism to increase its effectiveness and cooperation with the Council to capitalize on the utility of the system for the Council’s work. Also, in the context of collaboration with regional institutions, Guyana highlights resolution 2719 (2023) as an important tool to take forward that collaboration. Secondly, in the Council’s engagement with African countries, including through peacekeeping or special political missions, priority must continue to be given to strengthening governance. Good governance is critical to stable societies and is the best framework in which to tackle conflict. I hasten to underscore that while supporting the strengthening of governance, the Council must adhere to the principle of African solutions for African problems. The principle itself can be as potent only as the capacity of States in the region to confront the challenges to their stability and security, and the Council must be a key partner in that respect — not prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions but genuinely collaborating with States in their efforts to develop strong, sustainable governance models, including through drawing on the good examples of other African States. My third point concerns combating interference by external actors. We see a familiar storyline across several conflicts in Africa where actors with commercial and other interests in several African countries in conflict situations manipulate those conflicts with the sole aim of preserving those interests. The Council must take a firm stance against that phenomenon, which in itself can be thought of as a new form of colonialism. Furthermore, it can jeopardize efforts at promoting African-owned and African-led solutions. Fourthly and finally, Guyana stresses the importance of supporting Africa to increase its economic prospects and, ultimately, its stability. Africa is a rich continent with 65 per cent of the world’s most arable land, 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reserves and 45 per cent of the world’s technical potential for renewable energy. It also has the world’s largest youth population — 70 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population are under the age of 30. However, while several African countries are making good progress, in most cases that wealth is not reaching the ordinary man and woman. The result is poverty and underdevelopment in several instances. An international financial architecture that is skewed against developing countries only compounds that situation. As Guyana continues to advocate global reform of the financial architecture, it also underscores the importance of encouraging and supporting national efforts to increase productivity. The work of regional mechanisms, such as the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development, is especially critical with the focus given to food and nutrition, energy, water, infrastructure and natural resource governance, among other areas. The Council must keep the issue of productivity in focus as it engages the region on peace and security issues. I conclude by expressing Guyana’s full support to the region as it works to bring development, peace and stability to every African citizen, always conscious that there can be no peace without sustainable development and no sustainable development without peace.

I begin by thanking Mozambique for convening this open debate on such an important issue. I also thank the Secretary-General and the briefers for sharing their valuable insights. As the world grapples with significant challenges such as climate change, rising authoritarianism, gender inequality, violent extremism and harmful influences from bad actors, the foundations of peace, democracy and human security are under threat, including in Africa. In that regard, Malta firmly believes in the mutually reinforcing relationship among stability, security, effective democracy, governance, human rights and sustainable development. That forms the foundation of any country and its meaningful engagement on the global stage. After experiencing challenging times in its development in previous decades, Africa is now undergoing rapid growth and holds immense potential. With an increasingly young population and diverse cultural and geographic contexts, Africa is the continent of the future. At the same time, instances of terrorism, violent extremism and the rise of unconstitutional changes in Government, particularly in West Africa, remain causes for concern. Those happenings not only inflict severe suffering on civilians, but also steal their futures and squander entire generations. Silencing the guns remains as important as ever. Furthermore, climate change compounds those hardships, underlining the urgency of strengthening State institutions, which are fundamental pillars in ensuring democratic and peaceful societies. While on the subject, Malta wishes to encourage the ratification and implementation of all relevant international and regional instruments and commitments related to the protection of conflict-affected children and to ensuring that perpetrators of such crimes are held accountable. The remarkable work carried out by several United Nations peace support missions, as well as the African Union, deserves our attention. In South Sudan, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan has supported the joint special mobile court for Bahr el-Ghazal and Warrap states by increasing complementarity between formal and customary justice actors and strengthening accountability for intercommunal violence, as well as sexual and gender-based violence. In Somalia, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia has supported alternative dispute mechanisms, useful in addressing cases for specific populations, while the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia has been instrumental in assisting Somalia in its security transition, supporting national forces in combating Al-Shabaab. In the Central African Republic, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic supports national authorities and local-level institutions to strengthen the complementarity and coordination between formal and informal justice actors. Resolution 2719 (2023) on United Nations-assessed contributions for African Union-led peace support operations underscores the Council’s landmark support to the complementarity of regional configurations for security in Africa. We also recognize the contributions of subregional efforts, including through the Economic Community of West African States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. Furthermore, we remain inspired by the determination and courage of many young persons and women in the region actively engaged in overcoming divisions and fostering peace. The full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and young people is indispensable for any State-building or peacebuilding process. Their voices must be heard, and they must have a place at all negotiation tables. Ensuring access to quality education remains crucial in narrowing the development gap. As indicated earlier, that must be accompanied by strategic policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation and the use of renewable resources. We also welcome the impressive technological leapfrog throughout the African continent where the potential of digital technologies is translating into innovation that enhances resilience and serves as a tool for inclusive progress now and in future. Partnerships have the potential to uplift entire communities from financial poverty and reintegrate them into the decision-making process. That is the ethos behind Malta’s strategy for Africa, launched in 2020. The strategy has enhanced business-to-business contacts with enterprises in Africa, while sharing best development practices and pursuing a wider diplomatic strategy. Those efforts complement the European Union’s Global Gateway Initiative, which sees at least €150 billion invested in key sectors. In conclusion, today’s discussions provide a fitting moment to reflect on the progress achieved by the African State through local, national, regional and international cooperation. The Council must ensure that this progress is not compromised by threats to its own stability and security. Investing in Africa’s future generations has therefore become an immediate necessity.

Like my colleagues, I would like to thank Mozambique for convening us here today, and I wish to thank the Secretary-General and Commissioner Adeoye for their insightful briefings. I also wish to thank the Peacebuilding Commission for its support of peacebuilding efforts and, in particular, Ambassador Danese, for his briefing. I also wish to take this opportunity to welcome the adoption of presidential statement S/PRST/2024/2 and to thank — along with our co-penholder, Sierra Leone — all of the members of the Council for having reached consensus on the presidential statement on the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel. “Africa is a continent on the rise, a land of incredible potential and a market brimming with opportunity. It is time to start thinking about Africa in terms of its future, not its past.” Those are the words of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, uttered in 2021. Africa can indeed be synonymous with the future, with a powerful future. We can further mobilize the potential of African States, based on their experience in the field of prevention, to better address global challenges in terms of security and development. Prevention is part of the Council’s mandate and has an important place in the Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace, as well as in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. I see three key lessons in that regard. First, we need to share a common vision of peace, sustainable development and human rights. Instability and conflict on the African continent are fuelled by a mixture of different root causes: lack of economic prospects, marginalization, weak State presence in certain regions and competition for resources, but also, with a more indirect impact, climate change. Effective prevention addresses all those factors of instability and, in particular, their interaction. With national prevention strategies, countries can draw on Africa’s rich tradition of conflict resolution and mediation, often rooted at the local level. A good example of that is an initiative launched in northern Benin, with Swiss support, which aims to prevent the spread of armed extremist groups. By implementing a holistic approach that invests in territorial development and creates economic incentives, the initiative effectively prevents the recruitment of populations targeted by armed groups. Secondly, I stress the importance of dealing with the past. At the national level, there are many successful examples of innovative formats for delivering justice, such as the Special Court for Sierra Leone, or non-judicial means, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. Such mechanisms can simultaneously serve to ensure that atrocities are not repeated, to deliver justice to victims and to foster community reconciliation. Thirdly, I note the power of close regional coordination. We see the importance of instruments such as Agenda 2063, the African governance architecture or the Silencing the Guns initiative in uniting forces on the continent and beyond. Indeed, while we fully support the principle of African solutions to African problems, that does not relieve the international community of its responsibilities. That is because solutions often contribute to a global common good, such as combating cross-border factors of instability and creating conditions conducive to growth, sustainable development and integration. However, with a more effective implementation of the common normative framework, those peace and prosperity dividends could continue to increase. African States and their regional institutions play an important role in prevention. We recognize their strong voice and their role as bridge-builders. The African Union (AU) has always been a driving force behind the women and peace and security and youth, peace and security agendas. In that sense, initiatives such as FemWise-Africa and the Panel of the Wise are exemplary models for the African Union. We also welcome the development of a common African position on the links between climate, peace and security — an important signal that could also inspire the Council. Closer cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations, including the Council, has great promise. Resolution 2719 (2023), adopted in December, on the financing of AU peace support operations, is a promising foundation. Among other things, it has enabled a first substantial exchange between the Military Staff Committees of the AU Peace and Security Council and the Security Council. I am confident that the first cases of application of the resolution will soon be identified. The Security Council has every interest in learning from the experience of African countries in conflict prevention. The annual exchanges between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council are a crucial instrument in that respect. Switzerland looks forward to the next exchange between the two Councils, which will take place during our presidency in October. We will do our utmost to make it as visionary, effective and constructive as possible.

At the outset allow me to join others in thanking Secretary-General Guterres, African Union (AU) Commissioner Adeoye and Ambassador Danese, as the current Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, for their insightful contributions to our discussions today. We also thank Mozambique for organizing today’s debate in order to explore opportunities to unlock the full potential of global agency of African States. We welcome today’s adoption of the presidential statement S/PRST/2024/2 in that regard, and we look forward to the adoption of the presidential statement on the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel. With its strategic position, wealth in natural and human resources and growing young population, African States are essential partners in our collective efforts to shape a more peaceful, secure and prosperous world for all. Allow me to offer some of Slovenia’s observations on three points in that respect. First, on strengthening national resilience, strong and effective national institutions are key to maintaining stable, secure and resilient societies and contributing to regional stability. Promoting transparency, accountability, inclusion, the rule of law, and respect for human rights strengthens good governance and builds trust in State institutions. Liberia’s recent establishment of the war crimes tribunal to provide justice for victims of civil wars, Kenya’s local peace committee programme, preventing inter-tribal violence and Mozambique’s Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation, promoting reconciliation and reintegration, are just a few good examples in that regard. Empowering women and youth to participate fully, equally, meaningfully and safely in political and other decision-making processes is crucial to unlocking the full potential for sustainable development and peacebuilding at national, regional and global levels, and thus, to building resilient societies. Secondly, on strengthening regional frameworks and building partnerships, the African Union (AU) and regional economic communities play a critical role in conflict prevention, conflict mitigation, political and economic integration and sustainable development in Africa and beyond. Regional integration initiatives, such as Agenda 2063 of the African Union and Silencing the Guns by 2030 initiative, provide a blueprint for strengthening Africa’s role in the global arena. African leadership in addressing the challenges of climate, peace and security through innovative policies, regional cooperation and international partnerships, such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s regional climate security coordination mechanism and the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative, sets a good example for our collective response. Cross- regional and global partnerships, such as the renewed European Union-AU partnership for peace, security and governance and the Joint United Nations-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, provide opportunities to pool resources, expertise and political will for a more effective joint response to the complex and multifaceted challenges that exist both in the regions and globally. We look forward to participating in the annual joint consultative meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council and the members of the United Nations Security Council in October. That brings me to my third and final point — strengthening Africa’s agency in global security and development. The African members of the Security Council (A3) configuration has been an integral voice in the Security Council’s responses to threats to and breaches of global peace and security. Under A3 leadership, the Security Council adopted resolution 2719 (2023), expanding the United Nations peacekeeping toolbox to enable a more effective response to the changing nature of conflicts in Africa. African initiative and leadership in addressing threats to peace and security that require the Security Council’s attention, especially in the African region, strengthens the credibility of our collective response. Stepping up to lead security support efforts in Haiti is another good example of African leadership in global peace and security efforts. Finally, the significant contribution and sacrifices made by peacekeepers from African countries, who have been serving in many United Nations, AU and other regional peacekeeping operations, shall not be forgotten. African States have become indispensable partners in the collective pursuit of global peace, security and sustainable development, and there is so much more that can be achieved. We look forward to concrete ideas and solutions from the region, for the region and beyond it. Only by fully harnessing every region’s unique potential and knowledge will we succeed in shaping a more stable, secure and prosperous future for all.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting on this important topic, and I would like to congratulate you on successfully negotiating the presidential statement on the matter (S/PRST/2024/2). I also thank the Secretary-General for his insightful remarks. My gratitude also goes to the briefers, Ambassador Adeoye and Ambassador França Danese, for their respective statements. Sustainable peace requires a comprehensive, integrated, coherent and cross-pillar approach, as part of which development stands as a key pillar. Peace and development are mutually reinforcing. Conflicts have a dramatic negative effect on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Conflict-prevention in Africa should be prioritized and adequately financed to enable the continent to proactively respond to multifaceted threats, including terrorism. Today Africa stands at a crossroads of many crises, including those arising from dire socioeconomic challenges. In that regard, governance remains a key tool in structural prevention and the remedy to crises where there is an acute need for new approaches in order to turn blueprint into reality. Moreover, development is equally crucial in post-conflict situations, as peacebuilding efforts help to strengthen the resilience and capacities of the affected States in recovering from crises and preventing new ones. Reinforcing cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations on matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security can improve our collective security. Therefore, the implementation of resolution 2719 (2023) provides an opportunity to foster regional ownership by the African Union (AU) of peace initiatives through predictable, sustainable and flexible financing of AU-led peace support operations. To ensure the efficiency of that resolution, the modalities of its implementation should ensure fairness. Grounded in the belief that security and stability in Africa are intrinsically tied to development, my country, Algeria, actively contributes to the progress of the African continent. Our efforts are channelled through a series of strategic initiatives aimed at fostering stronger bonds with neighbouring States and embracing regional integration. Allow me to highlight some key endeavours in line with Algeria’s commitment. First, on financing for development, since 2020, Algeria has earmarked $1 billion for the Algerian Agency of International Cooperation for Solidarity and Development, with the purpose of reinforcing continental integration projects and critical infrastructure. Secondly, when it comes to debt relief, driven by an unwavering conviction that debt hampers the economic progress of African countries, Algeria has cancelled a total $900 million of debt for 14 African countries. Thirdly, every year, Algeria offers more than 2,000 higher education scholarships to African students. It is worth noting that those scholarships are dedicated in particular to sectors related to governance and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Fourthly and lastly, as part of efforts to further reinforce regional cooperation among Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, a consultative mechanism has been put in place this past month to ensure the security of common borders. That initiative seeks to coordinate efforts to combat illegal migration, terrorism and organized crime. That mechanism also seeks to develop border regions, including by enhancing electricity connectivity and facilitating cross-border trade. In conclusion, as we commemorate the sixty-first anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity/African Union and the twentieth anniversary of the AU Peace and Security Council, we would like to express our deep appreciation of our continental organization and the subregional bodies that tirelessly strive to transform Africa into an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force on the global stage. Achieving that vision requires rectifying historical injustices, including the representation of Africa within the Security Council, in order to enable Africans to fully assert their ownership over peace and development, free from any external interference.

I would like to thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission for their statements. I would like to emphasize two points. First, France calls for strengthening the capacities, institutions and participation of African States in the face of multilateral challenges. That is indispensable. Peace operations must include that aim in their mandate and in their exit strategies, particularly in terms of support for security sector reform. The Peacebuilding Commission has a useful support role to play in that respect. France contributes to that strengthening through bilateral cooperation and at the European level, as demonstrated by our partnership with the countries of the Gulf of Guinea against the terrorist threat, and in terms of maritime security. I also have in mind the European Union Military Training Mission in Mozambique. In that regard, the political will of host countries, without which no lasting solution is possible, is a key factor. France encourages the broader application of African solutions to African crises. It welcomes the adoption of resolution 2719 (2023), which calls for offensive, focused African peace operations of a limited duration, which complement peacekeeping operations and have guaranteed sustainable funding. Strengthening the role of African States also requires greater representation in international governance. France is in favour of an enlarged Security Council in both membership categories, up to approximately 25 members and with a stronger African presence, including among the permanent members. That dynamic also extends to economic governance entities. Given that the challenges extend well beyond security threats, we must establish partnerships on equal terms with African countries so that together, we can better respond to long-term issues, in particular environmental and development challenges. It was in that spirit that France organized the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in June 2023. The resulting Paris Pact for People and the Planet is now supported by 54 countries and sets out a number of cardinal principles in order to ensure that no country is forced to choose between fighting poverty and fighting for the planet. That is also the essence of the Great Green Wall project in the Sahel, a flagship programme aimed at combating the effects of climate change, desertification, food insecurity and poverty, from Senegal to Djibouti. France has helped raise $16 billion for that project. We have contributed €140 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development for the 2025–2027 cycle. France is also contributing through its climate financing, a third of which is dedicated to adaptation, and it will contribute up to €100 million to the loss and damage response fund. That is also the aim of the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems initiative, launched by France at the twenty-first Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to improve early warning systems in the most vulnerable countries. The cost of inaction weighs more heavily on our societies every day. That is why the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement is a necessity and a matter of absolute urgency, including for peace and security. Moreover, it is vital to take concrete, operational action on the climate and security issue. I would like to conclude with a message of hope: the Summit for the Future, to be held in September, is an opportunity to equip ourselves with tools and strategies that are better suited to promoting sustainable peace, in particular in Africa.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important open debate. I also thank the Secretary-General; the African Union Commissioner, Mr. Adeoye; and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Ambassador França Danese, for their briefings. Japan believes that strong collaboration and partnerships with Africa are vital for the maintenance of international peace and security, including by strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law. As the concept note (S/2024/327/ Rev.1, annex) reflects, Africa’s diversity, wealth, vibrant young population and abundant natural resources give it vast potential to contribute to international peace and security. However, the continent continues to face multifaceted security and development challenges, and the international community should support African ownership in order to make good use of its potential to overcome those obstacles, contribute to the global good, and build and sustain peace. Today I would like to mention three points in that regard. First, a long-term, tailor-made and comprehensive approach that ensures the humanitarian-development- peace nexus and that protects and empowers all people for human security, especially women and youth, is important for peace and stability in Africa. A one-size-fits-all approach is not effective for more complex root causes and risk multipliers. Such a comprehensive approach will enable African States to build resilient and inclusive societies that are equipped for early warning and to counter internal and external challenges and thereby better prevent conflict. Secondly, Japan supports the aspirations of African States to be rightly represented in multilateralism and global partnerships, which helps Africa to contribute more to international peace and security. Let me take as an example the Security Council, where the majority of discussions are dedicated to Africa. We appreciate the timely agenda setting and insights rooted in direct, on-the-ground knowledge and experience by our colleagues, the three African members of the Security Council, but there is still room to further enhance the representation of the continent. As the Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions, Japan is committed to updating and improving the working methods of the Council, including by promoting the roles of elected members, and to welcoming stronger and clearer African voices and greater regional ownership in that regard. The Council was created almost 80 years ago, and 60 years have passed since its last reform. An expanded Council, in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is absolutely necessary to better reflect contemporary realities. It is a long-standing position of Japan, as a member of the group of four, to fully support the Common African Position. Furthermore, the PBC should be better utilized as an advisory body to the Council to share experiences and good practices from Africa and serve as a hub to convene African and non-African States, civil society, United Nations bodies, regional and subregional organizations, international financial institutions and others. Finally, the African Union and the network of subregional organizations and regional economic communities form a pivotal infrastructure for African peace and security. Strong ownership of African solutions is key to enhancing synergies with United Nations support to address the formidable challenges facing African States. Resolution 2719 (2023) is designed to promote such African ownership in their efforts for sustainable conflict resolution. Japan remains committed to further consultations with all stakeholders to ensure that the new mechanism crafted by the resolution is well placed and functions within the United Nations collective security system. To conclude my statement, I reiterate Japan’s commitment to maintaining and promoting peace and security in and beyond Africa, hand in hand with African States. The ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development will be held next year in Japan. We look forward to deepening our partnerships with the continent.

I am grateful to Mozambique for organizing this debate. I also thank the Secretary-General, Commissioner Bankole Adeoye and the Permanent Representative of Brazil for their briefings. The United Kingdom is proud to be a close partner of African States and their peoples. We are committed to working together through long-term reliable cooperation, based on common objectives. At the regional level, the African Union (AU) is an essential partner in our shared efforts to advance peace and prosperity. We recognize the important role played by African Union-led peace support operations, such as in Somalia, and the importance of predictable and sustainable funding. As many have said today, resolution 2719 (2023) was a significant step forward; it is now important that the United Nations and AU work together to develop and implement the necessary technical mechanisms to make it work in practice. The United Kingdom agrees that we should amplify African voices in international forums. We supported strongly the AU becoming a member of the Group of 20. That was an important step in ensuring that global governance represents the world of today. But we should go further — we should reinforce Africa’s position on the Security Council. The United Kingdom supports permanent African representation. We should reform the international financial system so it is fairer, and we should ensure a greater role for the lowest income and most vulnerable countries in Africa on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund boards. African countries have huge potential. But as the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission said, sustainable development also depends on peace and security. We have a shared interest in working for a more stable and prosperous African continent. That means striving to address the underlying drivers of violence and inequality, including economic stress, climate change and social and political marginalization. Greater collaboration between the United Nations and the AU, and the members of United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, can help to address challenges such as the conflicts in the Sudan and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as unconstitutional changes of Government. Those problems weaken the role of the State and undermine development. Working together, we can overcome them and help to manage common, transnational threats such as climate change and humanitarian crises. Accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals requires sustainable and inclusive growth and ambition to reduce vulnerabilities. It also means working to unlock the full potential of the entire population. That means educating and empowering women and girls, championing their health and rights and ending gender-based violence. The United Kingdom is committed to working consistently with African partners to those ends.

We thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s important meeting. We also thank the African Union Commissioner and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission for their briefings. Given its geopolitical importance and significant socioeconomic and demographic potential, today Africa clearly has an active role to play in global governance, peace and development. Indeed, it is a logical extension of the work of Africans to respond to the complex cross- border challenges that the African continent faces. In recent years, African countries have made serious efforts, with the support of the United Nations and the international community, to optimize crisis management tools, including early warning and response, preventive diplomacy and mediation, good offices and confidence-building measures. We welcome the progressive development of the partnership between the United Nations Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. We share the aspiration of the pan-African organization to make the dialogue between the two Councils more substantive and livelier and to align their agendas with regard to the problems of the continent. For our part, as a permanent member of the Security Council, we will continue to focus the Council’s activities on developing clear and realistic mandates for peacekeeping operations and special political missions and ensuring strict control over their implementation. In adopting the relevant resolutions and other decisions of the Council, we are guided by the common position of the African Union, as conveyed by the three African members of the Security Council. In particular, last December we supported the framework resolution of the Security Council on the financing of African Union-led peacekeeping operations (resolution 2719 (2023), prepared by Ghana, Gabon and Mozambique. It is of fundamental importance that that document will make it possible to increase the predictability, reliability and flexibility of resources for African peacekeeping. We note that many today have also addressed that topic. With regard to the work of the Security Council, I would like to emphasize that we support its reform in order to make the Council more representative and effective. First and foremost, we must redress the historical injustice done to Africa; current African representation on the Council does not reflect either the total number of African States or their role in international affairs. In contrast, Western countries, which strictly adhere to bloc-based approaches, are already significantly overrepresented on the Council. The demands of African countries to build a fair and non-discriminatory global financial architecture are well justified, including through the reform of the Bretton Woods institutions, because when they were established, most of Africa was still under colonization. Some steps in the right direction have included the extension of membership of the Group of 20 to the African Union and the strengthening of the positions of African States on the Executive Boards of the International Monetary Fund and the Board of Directors of the World Bank. We also attach importance to the expansion of Africa’s representation in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) group. Since the beginning of the year, Egypt and Ethiopia have joined the BRICS group, which will create opportunities for greater consideration of the continent’s priorities in discussions on key global issues on the BRICS platform. Of course, just getting a seat at the negotiating table alone is not enough to effectively increase Africa’s role in solving global problems. African States face the challenge of strengthening their economic sustainability and self-sufficiency. We share the idea that, once that is done, threats to peace and security will diminish. I would like to address the peace-development nexus in more detail. Everyone is well aware of our cautious approach when it comes to linking the goals of sustaining peace, peacebuilding and peacekeeping to sustainable development. There is a link, but it is not always a direct one. Peace alone does not guarantee development, and vice versa. The very fact that peace and development issues are regularly raised in the Security Council allows us to say with certainty that the international financial institutions and the United Nations development system are failing to fulfil their objectives. Unfortunately, the main responsibility for that lies with the major donors of the United Nations development system, who are not interested in the recipients of that assistance attaining genuine independence, but rather in line with their usual colonial approaches, they are interested only in enriching themselves and pursuing a self-serving agenda at the expense of poor countries. The impacts of that are felt most keenly in Africa. The existing financial system creates a situation in which money is leaving the countries that need it most. For example, African countries’ debt servicing costs are now 30 per cent higher than their investments in education and health care. At the same time, the weighted average of loan interest rates for those countries are three to four times higher than they are for developed States. The African Union estimates that the countries on the continent are losing $150 billion annually owing to illicit financial flows. The amount of official development assistance received by African countries simply pales in comparison to that amount. In 2023, it was merely $42 billion. Meanwhile, most traditional donors are still not fulfilling their obligations to increase their official development assistance to 0.7 per cent of the gross national product. However, as we have repeatedly noted, assistance to Ukraine, including its militarization, is growing exponentially, including to the detriment of assistance to developing countries. The Economic and Social Council Financing for Development Forum, which took place in April, proved that with concrete figures. One of the important milestones towards addressing the problem of draining funds was the adoption of General Assembly resolution 78/230, at the initiative of a group of African States, which launched the process of developing a United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation. Its goal is to reform the existing unjust international tax system, the rules of which are determined by a small group of developed States, often to the detriment of development interests and, ultimately, the security of the global South. Russia has wholeheartedly supported that process and will continue to do so. In sum, we note with regret that African Governments are expected to ensure peace, security and stability in a context of economic insecurity. Without African leadership, it will not be possible to find solutions to those problems. It is common knowledge that, in its time, the Soviet Union provided significant support to the peoples of Africa in their struggle against colonialism and helped many African countries to establish their statehood, lay the foundations for their national economies and train their personnel. Russia continues to provide assistance for peace and development in Africa so that the countries of the region can build their own capacities to address crises. An important step in determining priority areas of cooperation with African States was the second Russia-Africa Summit held in July 2023. We intend to systematically work to implement the action plan adopted at the Summit, which includes actions in the area of security, as well as the economic and sociocultural spheres. We attach great attention to the transfer of technology and expertise without preconditions, as well as the development of industry and critical infrastructure on the African continent. We are also developing cooperation on such vital areas as education and health care, including epidemiological security. Russia is providing opportunities for an increasing number of Africans to obtain degrees from Russian universities in sought-after areas of specialization. We are providing development assistance. In order to strengthen food security, Russia supplies tens of thousands of tons of grain and fertilizers free of charge to its African partners who need it most. In the near future, we intend to launch a United Nations programme to support sustainable agriculture in the Sahel region. We believe that those efforts will contribute to increasing the sustainability and self-sufficiency of African countries. Enhancing the role of African States in addressing global security and development challenges is not only possible but also necessary. It is the key to a just, stable and prosperous world. To achieve that goal, it is important to strengthen the political and economic sovereignty of African States. Russia stands ready to provide them with the necessary assistance in that regard.

I wish to thank Secretary-General Guterres and Commissioner Bankole Adeoye for their briefings. And I thank Mozambique for organizing this important debate on Africa’s role in addressing global security and development challenges. African Governments, institutions and people play a crucial role in advancing global priorities. The United States is fully committed to strengthening its partnerships with African States to tackle shared challenges, including peace and security, development, human rights and governance challenges. First, with regard to peace and security, the United States was proud to partner last December with other Security Council members and the African Union to support the adoption of resolution 2719 (2023). That resolution will promote cooperation, collaboration and sustainable burden- and responsibility-sharing between the African Union and the United Nations to address peace and security challenges in Africa. It will also ensure that any operation is compliant with the United Nations human rights due diligence policy and prioritizes the protection of civilians. We are committed to working with the African Union to implement resolution 2719 (2023). We were also proud to support the adoption of General Assembly resolution 78/257 in December through which the Assembly approved $50 million in assessed funding for the Peacebuilding Fund. United Nations Member States have clearly recognized the reality of the importance of conflict prevention and properly addressing it, including throughout Africa. The United States will continue to prioritize United Nations efforts aimed at fully inclusive conflict prevention, mediation and sustaining peace efforts that empower all actors, including women and youth. We cannot discuss peace and security in Africa without mentioning the tragedy unfolding in the Sudan. Members of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces have committed war crimes and have created one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. The United States is committed to providing humanitarian assistance at scale, but the parties must allow the assistance in. We are deeply alarmed by the escalation of violence in El Fasher, which threatens the lives of its 1.8 million residents. We strongly support the efforts of the African Union and of United Nations Envoy Lamamra to urge the parties to reach a political resolution to the conflict before it engulfs the region. Trade and development are important pillars of security. That is why the United States has supported programmes like the African Growth and Opportunity Act and Power Africa, which aim to create economic opportunities and improve infrastructure in countries like Botswana, Ghana and Zambia. Development, respect for human rights and the rule of law are equally interconnected in promoting security. Poor and exclusionary governance, high levels of corruption, the undermining of democratic processes and human rights abuses have enabled terrorists and other malign actors to thrive and weaken the trust of citizens in their leaders and institutions. Democratic governance based on respect for human rights and human dignity is essential to creating opportunity for all. Too often, we have seen — in some countries — abuse of power and weak institutions give way to unconstitutional changes of Government, leading to greater insecurity and destabilization. Through our Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, we are working to promote stability through a focus on good governance, such as by ensuring that diverse perspectives, including those of women, youth and other often-overlooked groups, are meaningfully included in decision-making around peace and security in Libya, Mozambique and coastal West Africa. The United States has been proud to deepen and expand our partnerships between the United States and African countries, like Kenya, whose president we are proud to host in Washington today. I would also like to recognize Kenya’s valuable contributions to regional peace and security in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and now, Haiti. We will continue to stand with populations, civil society and the private sector in order to urge Governments to be more responsive and accountable to the people they serve. Strong, accountable and democratic institutions generate greater prosperity, deliver tangible benefits and meet with greater success in ensuring peace. Before I end, I would just like to make a couple of comments based on what was said by the representative of the Russian Federation. The assistance that a number of countries are providing to Ukraine, in particular for its defence, would not have been necessary had Russia not invaded Ukraine. In my last point, the United States has been one of the major providers of assistance to Africa over the past 60 years. I do not think Russia falls into that category at all.

I begin by thanking Mozambique for convening this debate that recognizes the strengthening of multilateralism as the main way to consolidate peace and development. I also thank Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as Mr. Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, for their briefings. Cooperation between the United Nations and African regional and subregional organizations, in line with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations — is essential to help prevent the outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of conflicts. We are witnesses to the enormous challenges facing African countries in conflict situations, the challenges to democratic processes and the grave socioeconomic situation that does not allow the people of the African continent to move away from violence. Peacebuilding is a long-term process that is built with visible results that gradually restore people’s confidence. In that sense, prevention is the best way to maintain peace, taking into account the needs of the population in an inclusive, integrated and sustainable manner through the promotion of dialogue, human rights, economic and social development and the rule of law. The aspirations for peace, security and stability in Africa are intrinsically linked to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflected in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, where the human being is at the centre of the strategies, and encounters the same problems of implementation, with unsustainable debt and limited access to financing for development. We urge developed countries to reach the target of allocating 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product to official development assistance, and 0.15 per cent to 0.20 per cent to the least developed countries, a commitment that should complement access to concessional financing on affordable terms. Africa is a central player in strengthening dialogue and strategic partnerships in international forums. The African Union, as Sherpa at the Group of 20, exemplifies that by opening up substantial possibilities for cooperation. As we commemorate 20 years of the establishment of the African Union Peace and Security Council as the centre of the African Union’s security architecture, it is timely now to support the axiom African solutions to African problems and to end conflicts on the continent by silencing the guns by 2030, in accordance with resolution 2457 (2019). Finally, I note that, as representative of Ecuador, I had the privilege of presiding over the Security Council meeting during which resolution 2719 (2023) was adopted (see S/PV.9518). The resolution marked a milestone in the collaboration between the United Nations and the African Union. The importance of the voice of a united Africa is magnified in the Council through the role of the three African members of the Security Council. Their role will be strengthened through the implementation of resolution 2719 (2023) and the establishment of African Union-led peace operations with a predictable, adequate and sustainable funding framework.

I thank Secretary-General Guterres, Commissioner Adeoye and Chair Danese for their briefings. In two days, we will celebrate the sixty-first Africa Day, an important day commemorating the struggles of the African people for independence and unity. I would like to extend my holiday greetings to our African brothers and sisters. Africa is currently making strides on the path of development and revitalization, with its international status on the rise. It has become an important force with global influence. Against that background, the discussion on strengthening the role of African States in addressing global security and development challenges is timely and of great practical significance. China commends Mozambique for its work in that regard and expects all parties to build on previous discussions and to continue to think deeply about how we can support the African continent in accelerating its development and revitalization, consolidating peace and security in Africa and generating more positive energy for world peace and development. I would like to make four points in that regard. First, we support Africa in leading its own peace and security affairs and making new contributions to world peace. Africa belongs to Africans. No one knows Africa better than African States. The international community must respect the leadership of African States and their peoples and insist on addressing African problems in African ways. Adhering to the old mentality from the colonial era, wantonly interfering in the internal affairs of African States, always resorting to putting pressure and sanctions on them and even introducing great-Powers competition into Africa with a cold war mentality will only trigger new confrontations and turmoil in Africa. Africa should be a big stage for international cooperation, not the arena for great-Powers competition. For a long time, the African Union (AU) and subregional organizations in Africa have been actively engaged in their own peacekeeping operations and have made tremendous contributions to maintaining stability and silencing the guns in Africa. China supports the full implementation of resolution 2719 (2023) as soon as possible in providing adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for AU-led peace operations. The international community, in particular the traditional developed-country donors, should continue to support African security capacity-building and do more to bridge the funding gap. Secondly, we support Africa’s development and revitalization in creating new sources of global growth. Africa is rich in human and natural resources. The accelerated development of the African continent and the unleashing of its market potential will benefit greatly the people of Africa, bring new opportunities to all countries of the world and give new impetus to global economic recovery. The international community should focus its cooperation with Africa on supporting the continent’s development, helping African States to fully display their own strengths, turning their human and resource potential into real productivity and helping Africa to achieve independent and sustainable development. Insufficient funding is one of the major bottlenecks constraining Africa’s prosperity and revitalization. Helping African countries to balance development financing and debt growth is an important issue. The debt problems of some African countries have become prominent in recent years. As major creditors, the multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors should take more action. China calls on all the parties concerned to help to alleviate the debt pressure on Africa, in accordance with the principle of collective action and fair burden-sharing. At the same time, international financial institutions should respond positively to Africa’s demands and provide more financing support for Africa’s development. Thirdly, we support Africa in benefiting from the current wave of technological revolution, so that economic globalization can be universal, inclusive and beneficial for all. For a long time, a large number of developing countries, including those in Africa, have faced many unreasonable constraints on capacity- building, including on acquiring technology. Coupled with the impact of their colonial history and other factors, those countries have been at the lower end of the global industrial, supply and value chains. Such a situation is neither fair nor reasonable and must be changed. The international community, and developed countries in particular, have a responsibility to increase technology transfer to and knowledge-sharing with Africa, so as to bridge the technological divide between the North and the South and enable Africa to better integrate itself into the international division of labour and share the fruits of economic globalization. At present, artificial intelligence is developing rapidly. It is necessary to effectively help African countries to improve their artificial intelligence capacity-building, and no one should fall behind in this new wave of technological revolution. Africa is the continent most affected by global climate change. It actively promotes a clean energy transition. However, it faces a huge gap in green technologies and products. Globally, that gap may be even bigger. Electric vehicles, solar products and new energy batteries are rare. Some countries’ hyped-up claims about others’ excess green capacity are contrary to the facts and totally untenable. China is willing to share green technologies, products and experience with Africa, make green products more accessible and help Africa to better respond to climate change and accelerate its green transformation. Developed countries should also take concrete action to realize their commitments to climate financing and green technology transfer. Fourthly, we support Africa in correcting the historical injustice done to it and promoting a better global governance system. Secretary-General Guterres once pointed out that the international system given shape after the Second World War no longer reflects today’s international reality. The global governance system must be reformed and improved to overcome the inequality of rights, opportunities and rules. In a multipolar world, Africa is one pole, and it is an equal one. The spirit of ubuntu is uniquely African. Its profound wisdom provides important inspiration for solving world problems today and offers new ideas for addressing common challenges for humankind. China welcomes the AU and African States joining the Group of 20 and the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) cooperation mechanism and supports enhanced cooperation with African States through such mechanisms as BRICS+ with a view to building a new platform for Africa’s participation in global governance. China supports Africa’s enhanced representation and stronger voice in the international financial architecture. On Security Council reform, China advocates for a special arrangement to be made to prioritize Africa’s aspirations and correct the historical injustice that Africa has long suffered. Strengthening solidarity and enhancing cooperation with African States has always been a priority for Chinese diplomacy. This fall, China will host another summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Through that summit, China would like to push China- Africa friendship and cooperation to a new level and contribute further to the realization of lasting peace and development in Africa.

My gratitude goes to Mozambique for convening this important and timely discussion. I thank Secretary- General Guterres for his insightful briefing. I also thank Commissioner Adeoye of the African Union (AU) and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Ambassador França Danese, for their briefings today. We also welcome the adoption of the presidential statement (S/PRST/2024/2). Global challenges are disproportionately affecting Africa. Terrorism, extremism, humanitarian crises, food insecurity, energy shocks, health crises and climate change, to name but a few, exacerbate existing conflicts in Africa. Yet, those challenges also put Africa in the unique position to devise its own solutions to address global security and development issues. Africa’s vision and resolve point towards consolidating peace, transforming its socioeconomics and fulfilling the aspirations of its young population. Africa’s great growth potential, its abundant resources, its emergence as one of the largest markets and its diplomatic leverage exemplify the continent’s growing role as a major player in the international arena. The AU’s accession to the Group of 20 last year is a notable example of such global recognition. In two weeks, the Republic of Korea will host the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit. Our relations, which began in the 1950s, when several African nations supported Korea with troops and supplies during the Korean War, are highly valued. Rooted in mutual respect and shared values of solidarity, peace and a vision for prosperity, our relations have grown much deeper. The upcoming summit will forge a new strategic cooperation between Korea and Africa, based on the unique aspects of our partnership and our similar historical experiences. Against that backdrop, I would like to highlight three points. First, African ownership must be central to solving African problems. Global support is vital for an effective African peace and security architecture, including early warning mechanisms, conflict prevention, mediation, peace support operations and post-conflict reconstruction. Enhanced partnership between the Security Council and the AU’s Peace and Security Council will be crucial. Resolution 2719 (2023) on the financing of AU peace support operations calls for an enhanced African role and ownership in peace operations. We hope that the United Nations and the AU will be able to expedite work on the details of its implementation in order to fully leverage that opportunity. Korea remains dedicated to supporting AU peace and security initiatives, such as the Silencing the Guns initiative, with a contribution of $5 million this year. We also supported the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia with financial contributions and armoured personnel carriers. Secondly, improved coordination and complementarity between the PBC and the Security Council is crucial in fostering national ownership, inclusivity and institution-building in African countries, especially during peacekeeping and special political missions transitions. The PBC is uniquely positioned to guide a comprehensive response across all three United Nations pillars. Korea is committed to playing a constructive role in that process as a member of both entities. As a major contributor to the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), we believe that the PBF can be an effective instrument to that end. Thirdly, addressing the root causes and drivers of conflict is essential for a resilient Africa. Taking stock of our own development trajectory, Korea believes that development is closely interlinked with peace and security and with democracy. That is one of the reasons why my Government prioritizes official development assistance, a priority that is well demonstrated by the increase of more than 40 per cent in our official development assistance this year. In particular, investment in education, especially for women and girls, will be the impetus for empowering Africa and its dynamic younger generation, similarly to how education was foundational for Korea’s development. Korea welcomes that this year’s AU theme is education, and we will continue to help expand Africa’s educational infrastructure. Mitigating climate change, improving food systems and promoting democracy and good governance are also important. Korea has provided support and will continue to support those objectives through various Korea International Cooperation Agency programmes. In conclusion, the theme of the Korea-Africa Summit in June is “The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity”. Korea is strongly committed to reaching a new milestone in Korea-Africa relations, as equal partners in the future we are going to make together.

I would like to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than three minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Flashing lights on the collars of the microphones will prompt speakers to bring their remarks to a close after three minutes. I now give the floor to the representative of Thailand.

At the outset, I wish to commend Mozambique for organizing this very important open debate. It is indeed a timely debate, as we need to enhance the ever-more critical role of Africa and regionalism as a whole. Africa embodies regional approaches to regional issues. The African Union has proven to be a leading example of a regionalism we need — a regionalism that strengthens multilateralism, taking a stand with international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. Thailand welcomes the presidential statement adopted this morning (S/PRST/2024/2), which recognizes the contributions of Africa to the maintenance of international peace and security. We also appreciate the visions and insights of the Secretary-General, Commissioner Adeoye and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission. It is crucial that we advance the success of Africa even more. In that regard, I wish to share the following points. First, Africa’s greater roles deserve greater voices. As we proceed to reinforce multilateralism, global governance needs to embrace the greater representation of Africa and that of developing countries in other regions. The majority of the Security Council’s agenda involves situations in developing countries, including African countries. The pursuit of African solutions to African problems must be accompanied by greater representation in this important organ, in support of African-led and African-owned processes. The governance of international financial institutions should also integrate the voices of Africa and developing countries in other regions in order to remain relevant to the current global economic realities. Thailand supports a greater representation of Africa in all those international entities. Any expansion of the Security Council should generate broader geographical representation and cross-regional balance and greater representation of small- and medium-sized developing countries. Secondly, the nexus of peace, sustainable development and human security is instrumental to overcoming security and development challenges in all regions, including in Africa. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Silencing the Guns in Africa initiative are good examples of how peace, security, stability and the Sustainable Development Goals are mutually reinforcing. A key to sustainable peace and development solutions is to respond to the people’s needs through, among others, empowerment, education, skill development, the provision of health care, better access to financing and inclusive participation in decision-making at all levels. For that reason, a people-centred approach has been at the heart of Thailand’s technical cooperation and capacity-building programmes for African countries, including through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency, which has undertaken quite a number of development projects in Africa. Thailand’s peacekeepers are deployed in United Nations missions, such as in South Sudan. That brings me to the last and most important point: we are of the view that a stronger global-regional interface involving closer coordination between the United Nations and regional organizations will lead to a more effective multilateralism in addressing global security and development challenges. Therefore, Thailand supports the United Nations continued enhancement of its partnership with the African Union. We also support international cooperation with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and international partnerships in support of subregional organizations in Africa. Such partnerships and cooperation are essential in addressing security and development challenges in Africa. As 25 May marks Africa Day, to commemorate the foundation of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the African Union, Thailand congratulates the African Union for its contributions to peace, security and development on the continent and the world at large. I was instructed to come to New York for this important meeting to demonstrate our commitment to Africa. Our African friends can count on Thailand’s support for their common endeavours for peace, security and sustainable development. Thailand is proud to be Africa’s friend and partner in the global South.

I now give the floor to the representative of Egypt.

Allow me at the outset to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this very important open debate to discuss a subject of immense importance on the global agenda. We thank all the briefers, including the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission. Today I want to focus on a few issues that I believe are of importance in the context of this discussion, as we approach the Summit of the Future, to be held in September, and as we explore the ways the Secretary- General’s New Agenda for Peace can contribute to an enhanced response to the security and development challenges in Africa and beyond. First, Egypt has always held a firm belief in the importance of the United Nations and the role it plays in the African continent. Through its contribution to various United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa, Egypt has maintained a steadfast commitment to that effort, out of a firm belief that a global collective response, based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, is the most conducive to upholding peace and security in the Continent. Nevertheless, we are somewhat concerned about recent negative trends in relations between some host countries and United Nations missions. We reiterate the importance of an open, transparent and comprehensive dialogue between the United Nations and host countries, taking into consideration the priorities of host countries as well as regional, subregional and national circumstances. We also emphasize the importance of providing adequate financial resources and policy guidance to peacekeeping missions and updating their mandates in line with developments on the ground, in consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries, to ensure the safety and security of our peacekeepers. Secondly, Egypt believes that the adoption of resolution 2719 (2023) last December opens a very important avenue for further collaboration in maintaining peace and security, between the United Nations and regional organizations, such as the African Union (AU) or the League of Arab States. Egypt played a constructive role in the lead-up to the resolution’s adoption, and we believe it is crucial that we continue the conversation on its implementation with a view to finding the most effective way to deploy AU-led peace support operations financed by United Nations assessed contributions. We take note of the various ideas and proposals on the table to enact the resolution, and we believe that the upcoming joint meeting between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council in October will be an opportunity to take that dialogue further between partners, on an equal footing. Africa is ready to deploy troops and hardware and to use its expertise. We call on all parties to draw lessons from past experiences in the continent and to work towards an effective partnership model that would cater to the needs of Africa and contribute to sustaining peace. Thirdly, peacebuilding in Africa is another crucially important pillar that is quite often overlooked. Peacebuilding in countries and communities in transition and those coming out of conflict is an effective tool to ensure that countries do not plunge back into conflict. It is an investment in the future of Africa, one that yields high returns and that should be enhanced and strengthened at all levels. Egypt considers that that is an issue of the utmost importance and contributes to that end through the role that His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi plays as the AU leader on post-conflict reconstruction and development. Cairo also hosts the African Union Centre for Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development. Moreover, I am also proud to have presided over the Fifth Committee’s historic agreement last December on financing the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund from assessed contributions, based on the hard work of my predecessors, including Ambassador Sérgio França Danese — Brazil has played a pivotal role — and all the African members. Last, but not least, it is important that we continue to enhance and strengthen Africa’s participation in international decision-making, whether on peace and security, development or otherwise. Africa’s voice should be enhanced on the global level on issues of reform of the United Nations system and of the global financial architecture. The AU’s recent inclusion in the membership of the Group of 20, as well as the recent expansion of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) group to include African countries, are welcome steps in that direction.

I now give the floor to the representative of Austria.

Let me express our gratitude to Mozambique for convening this open debate on strengthening the role of African States in addressing global security and development challenges. Africa is the second-largest continent. Africa is the world’s second most populous continent. With a median age of 18.8 years, Africa is the youngest continent and of the top 20 fastest-growing economies in the world, 9 are African States. There are enormous opportunities for Africa and for Africans, yet significant challenges persist in giving African States their rightful role in assuming responsibility for global peace and security. I have three short points in that regard. First, it is essential to address the historical injustice suffered by the African continent when it comes to representation at the global level. That requires fostering inclusion and engagement on equal terms. We commend the fact that the African Union was included in the Group of 20. More work is needed to strengthen Africa’s role institutionally at the United Nations. As a co-Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, I am personally committed to moving the process of Security Council reform forward in that regard. The Summit of the Future is an important step in that regard, and we hope that all delegations will support an ambitious outcome at the Summit, including on the question of Security Council reform and an African presence there. Secondly, we need a more networked system of global governance. The work of the United Nations and the activity of the regional organizations in the field of peace and security must be more integrated in the future. Here also, the Summit of the Future presents an opportunity to promote an action-oriented approach to networked multilateralism. With partners, we presented some proposals in that regard to the co-facilitators for the Pact for the Future originating from a workshop that the Department of Peace Operations and Austria organized on the future of United Nations peacekeeping, in which, we are also happy to say, AU Commissioner Bankole Adeoye also participated. In that context, as was said by colleagues, sustaining the financing of AU-led peace operations is very important. We welcome resolution 2719 (2023) and congratulate the three African members of the Security Council on that milestone, but we now have to ensure that the resolution is fully operational. Thirdly and finally, when it comes to adopting a holistic approach to peace and security, we have to acknowledge that there is no peace without development. Austria advocates a comprehensive approach to both peacebuilding and sustainable development. We also need to strengthen partnerships in that area with those international and regional institutions that are best suited to help States achieve sustainable peace, rule of law and stability. We are committed to implementing the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, while supporting inclusive and democratic governance. For example, Austria has worked closely with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to enhance its Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism System in the Horn of Africa, which now benefits over 10,000 people. Climate change poses an existential threat to our planet; addressing it requires the active participation of everyone. Austria is lucky to now be powered by 80 per cent renewable energy, and we stand ready to share our expertise with African friends to help unleash their potential in solar, hydro, wind and geothermal energy. Financially, during the sixteenth replenishment of the African Development Fund, in December 2022, Austria contributed €123 million, an increase of 12.6 per cent over the previous replenishment. In conclusion, let me stress that, in all those efforts, the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains the goal and purpose. We look forward to the Summit of the Future, to be held in September, and call for an ambitious and action-oriented outcome, reflecting our resolve to create the foundations for sustainable peace and development in Africa and beyond.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.

Ukraine welcomes today’s debate on the role of African States in global security and development challenges. We are grateful to Mozambique’s presidency for convening it. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General and other briefers for their meaningful remarks. Today African countries continue to face challenges towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU). As a result of coronavirus disease pandemic and the subsequent global food, energy and financial crises and the ongoing climate change, the socioeconomic situation on the African continent has been dramatically worsening. Ukraine is particularly concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation across the Sahel region and about persistent insecurity, including terrorism and violent extremism, as well as unconstitutional changes of Government in the region. We are also gravely alarmed by the developments in the Great Lakes region, where armed groups continue to commit grave human rights violations. Regrettably, certain States are contributing to instability on the African continent. In that regard, the Russian private-military formations operating in some regions have been engaged in flagrant human rights violations and various illicit activities. We strongly believe that the best way to address the root causes and drivers of insecurity on the African continent, and accordingly of strengthening regional and international peace and security, would be through the promotion of good governance, human rights and adherence to the rule of law, as well as by ensuring the meaningful and equal participation of women in political processes. Ukraine fully supports the African Union’s noble goal of ensuring sustainable peace and development on the whole African continent. Against that backdrop, Ukraine welcomed the adoption of resolution 2719 (2023), which is undoubtedly a landmark achievement that will provide sustainable and predictable financing of AU-led peace operations. We also welcome the African Union’s designation of education as the theme for 2024, with the aim of ensuring access to quality education while taking into account relevant needs of the continent. Ukraine has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability in Africa and has significantly contributed to that end. As of today, despite Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, its massive attacks against our infrastructure facilities and its use of food as a weapon, Ukraine remains a top exporter of agricultural products and a guarantor of world food security. For the past nine months, since the launch of Ukrainian humanitarian corridor, Ukraine has been able to provide for the export 45 million tons of cargo, mainly agricultural products. Within the framework of the Grain from Ukraine programme, our country has provided grain to Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and the Sudan, among other countries. We are committed to strengthening our relations with Africa. Throughout the past few months, we significantly expanded our diplomatic presence in African countries. Dialogue with all States of the continent is being intensified at all levels. In conclusion, Ukraine stands ready to join our African partners to work for peace, security and sustainable development and make peace and stability a reality in Africa and worldwide.

I now give the floor to the representative of Portugal.

Let me commend Mozambique for convening this debate. I also want to thank the briefers for their valuable insights, including our colleague from Brazil as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission. We align ourselves with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union. My main message is very simple: Africa can count on Portugal as a firm ally and advocate for the continent. I do not bring here recommendations on how we should strengthen the role of the African State in addressing global security and development challenges, as we believe that is for African States to define. I bring the expression of our continued support to that end and a few brief considerations on how we can further mobilize support at the multilateral level. In a world marked by “maximum danger and minimum agreement”, in the words of the Secretary- General, it is crucial to reform the international governance system. The recent decision by the Group of 20 to grant permanent membership to the African Union and to establish a twenty-fifth chair for sub-Saharan Africa on the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are positive steps in that direction. Many African States struggle with high debt burdens and limited access to financial resources. Countries with significant IMF loans face a double financial strain due to high borrowing costs and surcharges, exacerbating financial distress. Therefore, reassessing the impact of IMF charges and surcharges is crucial. In addition, increasing African representation on the boards of such organizations ensures that their voices are better heard. The African vision for the development of the continent is founded in solid pillars, such as reducing dependence on raw materials through industrial development, value-added processing and regional integration. It should be duly supported, namely, through the African Continental Free Trade Area, regional economic organizations and the development of local and regional value chains. As co-Chair of the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held next year, we hope that important steps will be taken on all those matters. On the security front, we believe that the call of the New Agenda for Peace to renew national prevention strategies must be embraced and vigorously backed by all States as one of the most significant actions we can undertake to truly advance a prevention-oriented culture. And Africa is already showing good examples of leadership in that regard. In line with call of resolution 2719 (2023) for strengthening the African Union’s role in regional security, the Security Council and all of Africa’s partners should continue to engage with the African Union to develop its peacekeeping capabilities through joint training exercises, logistical support and knowledge-sharing  — but also through direct financial assistance. The international community should also stand ready to support African partners in combating disinformation and hate speech, particularly in a year when nearly two dozen African democracies go to the polls. Joint capacity-building programmes on education, health care and social welfare nets can help build resilience and combat disinformation, thereby fostering greater inclusivity and opening up space for Africa to reap the many benefits of the full economic, social and political participation of its remarkable women and of its dynamic youth. In conclusion, allow me to commend the work carried out here by the African elected members of the Council over the years. Presidential statement S/PRST/2024/2, adopted today under your initiative, Mr. President, is another commendable example. Your continued work further evidences the value of establishing greater representation for African States at this table, one that Portugal has always advocated in favour of.

I now give the floor to the representative of Italy.

Building upon the fruitful results of the open debate organized by Mozambique in March 2023 (see S/PV.9299) and other important meetings devoted to peace and development on the African continent, I once again thank Mozambique for convening us today to continue deepening our collective reflections on how to strengthen the role of our African partners in tackling global security and development challenges. While fully aligning myself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union, I also thank the Secretary-General and the briefers for their substantial insights and considerations. Over the years, the Security Council has identified the root causes of conflict that are prolonging violence on the African continent. It was therefore only natural for the Council to welcome the Silencing the Guns initiative, which focuses on the drivers of conflict in Africa and acknowledges the urgent need to address them. Such initiatives remain extremely relevant, as they recognize that there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. At the same time, Italy deems it important to pursue a comprehensive approach that encompasses development cooperation, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. International support should not be limited to addressing ongoing emergencies but should also tackle structural challenges and root causes of conflict, such as poverty, food insecurity, social exclusion, the absence of the rule of law, and violent extremism. On achieving peace through justice and strong institutions, it is paramount to promote participatory decision-making, to increase transparency and accountability and to restore trust in public institutions. As recently underlined by Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella during the opening session of the annual High-level Conference on Sustainable Development Goal 16, organized by Italy with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the International Development Law Organization, accelerating the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 also means engaging civil society, women and the youth to promote a culture of peace. The active participation of youth in decision-making processes enhances the legitimacy of peace and security initiatives. That is why the New Agenda for Peace calls for the youth, peace and security agenda to be institutionalized and properly funded. In that context, Italy commends the consistent and extensive efforts of the African Union and encourages the exchange of best practices among regions to better collaborate to boost youth and women’s participation in decision making processes. Combating violent extremism, strengthening regional cooperation and institution-building are also key to counter evolving terrorist threats, which constitute a major obstacle to the building of a peaceful and prosperous Africa. Italy supports civilian-focused counter-terrorism efforts, both bilaterally, on the basis of an equal partnership with many African countries, and by contributing to the activities of the regional offices in Africa of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. Italy is fully aware of the significance of resolution 2719 (2023), and in that regard I thank Mozambique for the invitation to participate in the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. Italy strongly supported the adoption of the resolution, which was indeed a milestone for United Nations- African Union cooperation in responding to the evolving nature of conflicts in Africa. The focus now is on the implementation phase. While some open questions remain on how to effectively implement the resolution, particularly on the joint African Union-United Nations decision-making process and the 25 per cent financing gap, we believe that solutions are within our reach. Italy will continue to advocate for continued support to African Union- led peace support operations, in compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, while also encouraging other Member States and regional organizations to contribute to peace operations in Africa authorized by the Security Council. Italy has been a constant supporter of more structured African participation in multilateral forums and is proud to have strongly endorsed the permanent observer status of the African Union at the Peacebuilding Commission. With a view to the Summit of the Future, we should not forget the importance of sustaining peace and building resilient societies. That is why we strongly support the Secretary-General’s call to develop national prevention strategies on a voluntary basis and with United Nations support.

I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa.

At the outset, allow me to convey our gratitude to Mozambique, as President of the Security Council, for convening this open debate. This debate is taking place at a time when many countries in the global South, including on the African continent, face myriad challenges, not only with regard to global peace and security but also to socioeconomic development. This debate is also taking place just two days before Africa Day, on 25 May, making it a useful platform for the exchange of views on the nexus between peace and security and sustainable development in Africa. Many African States continue to make significant progress in maintaining peace and security as well as in preventing violent conflicts. The African Union (AU) and African subregional organizations are also making meaningful contributions to promote peace, stability and socioeconomic development on the continent. In recent years, despite some incidents of unconstitutional changes of Government and protracted armed conflicts in some States, the holding of regular peaceful elections has become a norm rather than an exception; the participation of women and youth in peace processes, including peacebuilding, has gained traction; inclusive and consultative approaches are increasingly embraced in political processes; the fundamental role of civil society is recognized; and, most important, there is sharper focus on addressing socioeconomic development issues on the continent; hence Africa is more peaceful than it was two decades ago. Notwithstanding those positive developments, the continent is grappling with the effects of overlapping global crises that include geopolitical tensions, which at times plays itself out on the continent, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, high food and energy prices and rising public debt  — resulting in some situations of unrest and, in other cases, prolonging conflicts. Those global crises are exacerbated by the widening annual direct foreign investment deficit that developing countries are experiencing, decreasing official development assistance due to the diversion of resources to military expenditure to support wars, and rising levels of public debt. Invariably, countries in conflict, transition and post-conflict situations are the most affected by those crises, which exacerbates existing conflicts and poses a threat of regression back to conflict. More needs to be done, not only by African States and regional and subregional organizations but by the international community to address some of those global challenges and their direct impact on the security and socioeconomic trajectory of affected African States. Agenda 2063 is a policy framework that guides the work of the African Union and subregional organizations on the African Continent. Key to the Agenda is achieving sustainable peace, development and prosperity. Sustainable peace and development can be realized, but only when existing conflicts, including terrorism, and emerging threats to the security of African States can be effectively dealt with. We believe that the African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Governance Architecture provide a solid basis for countries to achieve their development goals while ensuring the peaceful resolution and prevention of conflicts. Embedded in some of instruments of the African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Governance Architecture are guides for national conflict prevention and management, post- conflict recovery, reconstruction and development and institution- and capacity-building. Undertaking those peacebuilding activities is a costly exercise for affected countries, and it must therefore be complemented by the requisite support from the international financial institutions, based on their national priorities. With regard to the partnership between the United Nations and the AU, we are pleased that both organizations continue to implement the Joint United Nations–African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security and the AU- United Nations Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Many African countries are benefiting from the assistance provided by the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund. The adoption of General Assembly resolution 78/257, in December 2023, which approved $50 million in assessed contributions per annum to fund the peacebuilding account starting in January 2025, will further inject the much-needed financial support for conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts for affected countries. Similarly, the recent adoption of resolution 2719 (2023) is a positive step in the right direction to support AU-led peace support operations from United Nations assessed contributions. Both organizations must accelerate the implementation of the resolution to effectively restore peace and stability whenever the need arises. It is for that reason that we recommend that the capacities of both the United Nations Office to the African Union and the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations be reinforced accordingly to fulfil their respective mandates in the light of those latest developments. As I conclude, South Africa would like to underline that, in order for African States to effectively deal with global security and development challenges, both external and internal root causes and drivers of instability should be addressed. The New Agenda for Peace will not make any difference if the underlying factors fuelling conflicts are not comprehensively addressed. Hence we believe that our ongoing negotiations on the Pact for the Future present an opportunity for Member States to recommit to effective actions that will lay a foundation for responding to current and future global security challenges, including the urgently required reform of the Security Council, which includes the absent voice of Africa. Let me take this opportunity to wish all African States a joyous Africa Day this coming Saturday.

I now give the floor to the representative of Türkiye.

We also thank the Secretary- General, the African Union Commissioner and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission for their insightful remarks. A large share of the Security Council’s agenda focuses on peace and security challenges in Africa, including the devastating situation in the Sudan and the rising terrorist threat in the Sahel. The security, stability and prosperity of Africa have become even more fragile with the overarching effects of current global crises. Those challenges serve to underscore the imperative for sustainable development as a key driver for lasting peace on the continent. Finding long-lasting solutions will be possible only if the internal and external root causes are properly addressed. Experience has proven that only development can mitigate the root causes of those challenges, which are beyond the capacity of individual countries to tackle. We are pleased to observe that the partnership between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations has been strengthened, enhanced and deepened significantly. We firmly support greater representation of African countries in the international governance system. We also welcome Africa’s permanent membership in the Group of 20. Those developments will further consolidate Africa’s leadership and ownership in overcoming its challenges. On our part, as a strategic partner of the African Union, we are doing the best within our capacity to support the continent towards lasting peace, genuine democracy, sustainable development and welfare for all. Türkiye’s engagement with Africa fully aligns with the founding principles of the African Union and is built on a holistic, inclusive and equal partnership based on mutual respect. Our public institutions, non-governmental organizations and private sector in Africa are all operating in a wide range of areas  — from humanitarian assistance to health, agriculture, infrastructure, energy and capacity- building projects, as well as education and job creation. We host and support the United Nations Technology Bank, which aims at bridging the digital divide for the least developed countries, most of which are located in Africa. As part of our holistic approach regarding security and peacebuilding, we combine humanitarian and development aid with security assistance to African countries and international organizations. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has been instrumental in contributing to food security in Africa, and our peacebuilding and state-building efforts in Somalia are the most tangible examples of our comprehensive approach to the continent. Terrorism and violent extremism continue to be a threat in Africa, as in many other parts of the world. I take this opportunity we commend the Government of Mozambique for its successful fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado province. Given that the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique will be terminated in July, there is now a crucial need for an extensive assessment of the security situation to eradicate terrorism in the region. We also reiterate our support for the Agenda 2063 of the African Union. Türkiye will continue to stand in unity and solidarity with African countries and contribute to lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Africa. We will continue to participate constructively in international and regional initiatives to that end.

I now give the floor to the representative of Rwanda.

I would like to begin by thanking the presidency of Mozambique for convening today’s debate, as well as the Secretary-General and the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security for their insightful briefings. Today’s appeals for strengthening the role of the African State in global security is more crucial than ever. As we gather here today under the banner of strengthening the role of the African State in addressing global security and development challenges, I am reminded that oftentimes our commitment to preventing conflict elsewhere comes from the memory of our own histories. Following our resolve to prevent the atrocities that happened in Rwanda from ever occurring again — not only within our borders but across the globe — Rwanda was the first country to accede to the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, committing to strengthening peacekeeping partnerships with the Africa Union and supporting the AU in capacity-building. What we have learned prompts me to make three recommendations to further our agenda. First, as the saying goes, African problems require African solutions. It is important that we leverage our regional networks first and work bilaterally to resolve our own security issues. Our commitments to peacekeeping efforts show that we all agree on one thing, namely, that the region’s peace is one that is equally shared. As we consistently and continuously demonstrate, only through regional ownership and cooperation in addressing complex security challenges can we serve as a model for other regions seeking to establish an effective security architecture. Secondly, on supporting Member States’ electoral processes in support of the new age of democratization, in 2024 alone over 37 per cent of African countries will be engaging in the democratic process of electing leaders to govern for the next electoral terms. That highlights the willingness of African people, especially youth, to advocate for the aspirations of their countries through leaders. The foundational truth is that security issues primarily affect fragile countries, and we urge Member States to support each other’s democratization, as it is important in the strengthening of our democracy and institutions. Thirdly and lastly, global security is closely related to development efforts and opens a discussion on the way in which working towards the AU’s Agenda 2063 can promote community-building projects, inclusive governance structures and strong institutions, all laying the foundation for sustainable peace. I would like to conclude by highlighting Africa’s leverage in understanding the intricacies of successful global security and development efforts. Known as the post-Cold War consensus, the peacekeeping mandate was born at a time that required the resolution of inter-State conflicts, as opposed to intra-State conflicts, civil wars and genocides. As the world has evolved, so have our security challenges, placing Africa at an advantage in being greatly equipped to use the historical lessons and the collective wisdom of our vastly diverse nations in order to build peace for all.

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