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The Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (UN PBC), H.E. Mr. Osama Abdelkhalek [Egypt] and the Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC), H.E. Mr. Mohamed Gad [Egypt], convened a virtual informal consultative meeting on 11 November to identify ways of further enhancing cooperation between the two bodies on the accompaniment of countries affected by conflict and supporting countries in political transitions in the pursuit of peacebuilding and sustaining peace in Africa.
AU PSC and UN PBC recognized the revitalization and operationalization of the African Union Policy on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development and the planned inauguration of the AU PCRD center in Cairo, which will enhance post-conflict reconstruction efforts and drive African-led interventions on the Continent, considering that the AU through the AUPCRD Center will work in collaboration with the countries concerned, and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution to consistently identify, initiate and promote simultaneously long-term, medium-term and short-term integrated post-conflict stabilization, reconstruction, and development initiatives geared towards rebuilding resilience, recovery and consolidation of peace in the Continent.
Member States stressed the importance of comprehensive, coordinated, and phased approaches to peacebuilding activities in Africa, taking into account the countries’ short- and long-term needs in line with the notion of national ownership and leadership of peacebuilding activities.
They reiterated the importance of ensuring inclusivity in peacebuilding processes in Africa, as well as the important role of women peacebuilders and youth in peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery efforts, with the aim of achieving sustainable peace.
They underlined the need for the AU-UN partnership in peacebuilding to strive to be impact-driven, with greater emphasis on coherent planning, operational complementarity, and leveraging on comparative advantages in a specific context, to ensure mutual understanding of the opportunities and challenges and for collaboration in devising remedies.
They underscored the importance of exploring ways to ensure adequate, predictable, and sustained financing for peacebuilding in Africa with a view to preserving peace gains and preventing relapse into conflict.
They noted that the ongoing reform efforts at the AU and the UN reforms offer a unique opportunity for strategic reflection and organizational renewal to advance a stronger partnership between the two organizations in peacebuilding.
The Member States agreed to work more closely to foster regional strategies supporting regional capacities and reiterated their willingness to work together to mobilize peacebuilding tools to sustain peace in Africa.
