Eighth High Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa: Assisting African Members of the UN Security Council (A3) in preparing to address peace and security issues on the Continent
Oran, 04 December 2021: The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council and the African Members of the UN Security Council (A3) concluded the Eighth High Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa held at Ministerial Level, in Oran, Algeria. The High Level Seminar, inaugurated in 2013, is aimed at strengthening coherence, cooperation and coordination between the AU PSC and the A3 in discharging their respective mandates. More specifically, the Seminar aims at ensuring that the A3 are effectively promoting, articulating and defending African common positions, interests and concerns, within the UN Security Council, on peace and security issues relating to Africa and its people.
Chaired by H.E. Demeke Mekonen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for the month of December 2021, the Seminar brought together all the AU PSC Members, namely: Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria and Senegal. AU partners, namely, the UN, Switzerland, Norway, and the League of Arab States (LAS) were also in attendance.
In his welcoming remarks, H.E Demeke Mekonen commended the efforts of the outgoing A3 Members, “who have been defending African common positions within the UNSC,” and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to the values of the AU and multilateralism.
H.E Ramtane Lamamra, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad of Algeria, the host of the Seminar, presided over the opening ceremony of the High-Level Seminar. Minister Lamamra emphasized the need to redouble efforts to make Africa’s voice stronger at the international level. "We need to renew our commitment to the values and ideals of panafricanism and act collectively to avoid any factor that may jeopardize the unity of our Continental organization, the African Union,” the Minister stated.
The AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, thanked the Republics of Tunisia and Niger, the outgoing members of the A3, and congratulated the Republics of Gabon and Ghana on their election into the UNSC, as the new A3 Members with effect from January 2022. He called on the new elected members to continue the effective articulation, promotion and defence of Continental interests and positions within the Security Council. “The Oran process has given us the opportunity to check the tools and the efficacy of our mechanisms and the effectiveness of our polices. Therefore, we hope that our members of the Security Council will continue to speak with one voice and act in unison in the international system,” he stated.
This year’s Seminar focused on the African Governance Architecture and the threat of terrorism in Africa. Deliberations focused on how to enhance coordination and cooperation among AGA Platform Members as well as, coordinated responses to the scourge of terrorism.
The High Level Seminar concluded with a renewed commitment to multilateralism; reaffirmation of AU’s call for the reform of the UN Security Council; the need for improved cooperation and coordination between PSC and A3; the need for enhanced synergy between APSA and AGA; and the imperative to adopt comprehensive multidimensional responses to the challenges posed by the scourge of terrorism.
For more information please contact:
Lulit Kebede, Communications Officer,
Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department
African Union Commission
Email: lulitk@africa-union.org