At an informal joint meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Organizational Committee (OC) and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on 8 July, Ambassador Peter Wittig, Chairman of the Committee, briefed Member States on the importance of a strong partnership between the PBC and the African Union (AU).
Dr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, outlined the parallel missions of the AU and the PBC, and explained the joint principles upon which their relationship should be based.Each Chair of the PBC’s country-specific configurations briefed the MemberStates and the AU representatives on the situation in each Agenda country, including Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra-Leone. Ms. Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary-General for the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) also updated the membership on the activities of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and the five-year review of the PBC.Finally, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, highlighted areas in which the AU could potentially work together with the PBC, and outlined the challenges faced by both institutions. Mr. Lamamra also evaluated the status of the peacebuilding process within each of the four PBC Agenda countries, from the AU’s perspective.
Participants’ statements at the meeting exemplified the membership’s support for the PBC and its work in the field, as well as for future PBC engagement in Africa. Both the AU and the PBC expressed interest in continuing communication between the two bodies, and coordinating their actions on the ground.
A PBC-AU Partnership
Shared Vision Recognizing the AU and PBC’s shared mission for sustainable peace and security in Africa, many speakers underscored their desire to see more coordinated, joint efforts on the ground from the two bodies. The Chair of the Organizational Committee added his voice to the call for a strengthened partnership between the AU and the PBC, and assured Member States of the UN’s unwavering dedication to peacebuilding in Africa, as evidenced by the PBC’s current engagement in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone.
In his statement, the Chair of the OC lauded the PBC’s existing commitment to building a relationship with the AU, as evidenced by the PBC’s ongoing efforts to encourage national ownership of peacebuilding processes in its Agenda countries, with the support of regional stakeholders.He hoped that this meeting would accomplish three goals:
to lay the foundation for communication between the PBC and the AUSPC (and separately, between the PBSO and the AU Commission);
to exchange perspectives on the mechanisms needed at headquarters and on the ground to optimize the AU’s and the PBC’s comparative advantages; and
to celebrate the symbolic importance of a meeting between the PBC and the AUPSC, and to focus on the practical elements needed to reinforce the relationship between the two important bodies.
Collective Action The Russian Federation and other MemberStates agreed that to overcome the threats that African states continue to face, collective action between international and national partners is needed. Mali added that a rapid and effective communication system is important in ensuring collaboration and avoiding overlap of efforts among the various organizations on the ground.
Recalling past collaborative meetings and actions in which both the PBC and the AU participated, the AU Chairman underscored the need for enhanced joint efforts between the two institutions in the future. Further, the Chairman highlighted the comparative advantages of each institution and outlined the importance of partnerships at the regional, national, and international levels to address underlying causes of conflict and to establish long-term peace. Finally, he enumerated the AU’s fundamental principles in post-conflict peacebuilding including:
African leadership,
local ownership,
inclusiveness, non-discrimination and equality,
cooperation and cohesion, and
building capacity.
Financing the Partnership Rwanda suggested that the AU and the PBC should both concentrate on finding sources for financing to aid the partnership’s collaborative peacebuilding initiatives.Similarly, South Africa underlined the difficulty and great expense of mobilizing resources on the African continent, but recognized that the resources available can and need to be optimized through collaborative efforts.
National Ownership and Prevention The Commissioner for the AUPSC, emphasized the need for integrated peacebuilding efforts by reconciling existing approaches to the full spectrum of peace and security, from prevention to development. The AU focuses on ensuring that when national institutions are built within a country, the process is done through an inclusive national approach based on loyalty to the state, as well as the subordination of the national military to responsible elected authorities.The Commissioner focused on prevention as a necessary investment to tackle the underlying causes of conflict. Finally, he described the potential relationship between the AU and the PBC as a unique opportunity to broadly enhance the reputation of the UN, especially its peacekeeping missions, as well as to convey a sense of international solidarity and encouragement to the governments of relevant African nations.
Several Member States voiced their agreement that national ownership should become a central pillar of future peacebuilding missions.Switzerland, Burundi and the Russian Federation emphasized the importance of encouraging “African solutions to African problems” – underscoring the importance of involving and empowering national and regional stakeholders in relevant peace processes.
Central African Republic (CAR) Ambassador Jan Grauls (Belgium), Chair of the Central African Republic (CAR) configuration, said that CAR has made great progress since it was added to the PBC’s agenda two years ago. Inclusive political dialogue in the country has provided a forum for the government and Civil Society to work together to create a Strategic Framework for peacebuilding for CAR. This Framework has prioritized disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) for former combatants, as well as supported presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.
The configuration is preparing a list of former combatants in anticipation of the beginning (13 July) of the DDR process in one part of the country. The elections have been delayed twice, but are scheduled for the last three months of 2010. So far, the focus of the elections has been on ensuring a fair, transparent, and open process. The Chair has worked hard to mobilize resources and funds so that the elections can be carried out despite its current 7.5 million US dollar budget gap.He stressed the significance of maintaining the separation and equal prioritization of both the elections and the DDR process.
The AUPSC ascribes recent troubles within CAR to lack of funding.The Peace and Security Council’s main priorities for CAR include positive progress in the DDR process, and avoiding a security vacuum during the withdrawal of MINURCAT.AUPSC suggested working closely with regional organizations to avoid such a vacuum.
Guinea-Bissau Ambassador Maria Luiza-Ribeiro Viotti (Brazil), the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau configuration, briefed Member States on the Framework for peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau, approved in 2008. The Chair of the configuration described Guinea-Bissau’s Framework as a compact ensuring mutual accountability between the national government and the PBC to address the country’s most pressing issues including Security Sector Reform (SSR), drug trafficking, revitalization of the economy, and social dimensions of peacebuilding, notably youth employment.
In reference to the 1 April appointment of General Antonio Indjai as the new Chief of the Armed Forces, which has upset several members of the international community, the Chair of the configuration has exchanged letters with the Guinea-Bissau government and plans on monitoring the situation closely.
The Commissioner of the AUSPC underlined the importance of fighting against drug trafficking in Guinea-Bissau, as this criminal activity effectively threatens the stability of institutions and the democratic process within the country. The AUSPC also regrets the appointment of the new Chief of the Armed Forces, as this action will likely establish a culture of impunity and hinder chances for SSR in the country. The Commissioner concluded that in the case of Guinea-Bissau, the international community should remain involved to avoid spreading this insecurity throughout the region.
Sierra Leone Ambassador John McNee (Canada), Chair of the Sierra Leone configuration, labeled the Agenda country as an exemplary case of a post-conflict nation making a positive transition into a developing country. The PBC has aligned itself with Sierra Leone’s own Agenda for Change since the country became part of the its agenda in 2007.The Agenda for Change concentrates on issues such as good governance and rule of law, youth employment, human rights and gender equality, as well as the ongoing challenge of drug trafficking. The PBC’s priorities have been focused on promoting greater sub-regional cooperation and finding funding for Sierra Leone’s Agenda for Change. A conference in March, as well as an annual report presented in September this year, will be useful for tracking progress, establishing mutual accountability, and mobilizing resources for further peacebuilding efforts.
The AUPSC agreed that the case of Sierra Leone is a success story in progress and expressed a hope that the country’s exemplary democratic elections will be a positive contagion throughout the region.
Burundi On behalf of the Chair of the Burundi configuration, a representative from Switzerland characterized the current situation in Burundi as a crucial stage in its ongoing peace process.Ambassador Paul Seger (Chair of the Burundi configuration) recently traveled to Burundi to take stock of the country’s political situation. To date, two important elections have been held in Burundi; and the next two are scheduled for 23 and 28 July (legislative and senatorial elections respectively). The PBC is working closely with other actors, including the AU, to ensure that these elections are held in a peaceful, open and equitable manner.Switzerland emphasized that with the election of a legitimate Parliament to represent all of Burundi’s citizens, the country may well serve as a model for peace in the region.
The AUPSC also emphasized the significance of these upcoming elections. A lack of electoral competition in the June presidential elections was regrettable, but the AU believes that Burundi still has the potential to become a success in this regard. The international community should remain sensitive to and involved in the situation in Burundi.
Peacebuilding Fund Ms. Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), made it clear in her statement that the priorities of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) lay in supporting African programs. The PBSO is in the process of creating a reputation for the Fund as a strategic gap-filler. Despite tension between the security aspects of the PBF’s work and the development side, the funding is not wedded to particular sectors. Moreover, national ownership of peace processes must be ensured so that funds are delivered correctly and efficiently in those areas where they are most needed.
The Civilian Capacity Review (CCR) focuses on capacity development (greater reliance on civilians, rather than the military during peacebuilding times) and has found that the global South’s wealth of expertise in this area remains underutilized.Mali echoed the call for capacity building, specifically given the fact that many essential national institutions have been demolished within post-conflict countries.
NEXT STEPS
The Chair of the Organizational Committee will consult with the chair of the AUSPC to create a joint summary report including new working suggestions and the practical terms of this meeting.
Both the AUPSC and the UN PBC hope to utilize what was discussed during this meeting to continue conversation and collaborative efforts to achieve peace in Africa by optimizing each other’s comparative advantages.
