PRESS RELEASE : Coordination between the African Union, UN, and sub-regional organisations is critical to ending conflict – UK statement at the UN Security Council [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 October 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the African Union.

Thank you, President, and I join others in thanking the Special Representative, the Permanent Observer and Mr. Dersso for their briefings.

President, UN-AU cooperation is fundamental to achieving our shared goal of a freer, more secure, more prosperous, greener, and healthier continent.

So I am delighted we demonstrated our shared commitment by agreeing a communique at last week’s AUPSC/UNSC meeting in Addis.

President, I want to highlight three points about this partnership:

Firstly, following nine coups on the continent since 2020, efforts to tackle this scourge and its underlying causes are critical. The AU PSC’s decisive action in this regard has been important.

I reiterate UK support for efforts by AU and sub-regional organisations, including ECOWAS, to bring about inclusive political dialogue and peaceful return to the constitutional rule.

We look forward to deepening this dialogue, including exploring the potential of the New Agenda for Peace as Mozambique outlined on behalf of the A3 earlier.

Secondly, coordination between the AU, UN, sub-regional organisations, and international partners is critical to ending conflict and promoting stability.

This is why the UK has long supported permanent African representation on the Security Council.

And it is why we look forward to working with Council colleagues on a framework resolution about UN financing for AU-led missions.

We reiterate our concern about the potential for terrorism in the Sahel to spread to coastal states in West Africa.

And we express our resolute support for efforts to tackle this, particularly regionally-led solutions such as the Accra initiative.

We remain committed to the current sustainable drawdown of ATMIS and thank the AU Commission and TCCs for their tireless work in supporting Somalia’s security.

Since 2022, we have given over $60 million in funding and will contribute again this year.

We also support a coordinated African-led response to the crisis in Sudan that harnesses a supporting role for the UN.

Thirdly, I welcome the continued implementation of the AU-UN framework for the implementation of agenda 2063, and the 2030 agenda, and the Silencing the Guns agenda.

To realise their shared vision of inclusive and sustainable economic development we

must increase international cooperation.

Indeed, collaboration is instrumental in addressing the humanitarian challenges on the continent such as food insecurity, where more than 160 million people in Africa are acutely vulnerable.

Next month, we are partnering with Somalia and UAE to host a Global Food Security Summit, bringing together international expertise to galvanise action to prevent food insecurity, malnutrition and to save lives.

President, we look forward to developing and deepening the cooperation between the AU and the UN in pursuit of our shared goals.

Thank you.