In this regard, the growing capabilities of African countries to respond to regional security challenges are an asset to the United States. Rwandas delegate cited that countrys anguished violent past when, after the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, there were no adequately functioning systems and people had low to no trust in Government institutions. We promote Africas achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris climate change agreement and Africas Agenda 2063. The peace and security of the African continent is increasingly important to the United States for several reasons. Expressing support for the close cooperation between the Council and Africa, he said particular attention must be paid to the views of its African members in relevant deliberations. Helping create secure investment environments benefit its economy. Owing to the lack of access to vaccines, conflict-affected countries in Africa have become the weak link in global post-pandemic recovery. Also briefing the Council was Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, who said that todays debate comes at a moment when Africa is faced with multiple challenges, due to the continents vulnerability to global economic shocks, among other factors, all of which were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed an estimated 55 million Africans into poverty in 2020 and reversed more than two decades of progress in poverty reduction on the continent. Under the frame of the project, work undertaken will contribute towards women' political participation, governance and movement building to realize an environment for women's full, equal and meaningful leadership where women can lead . These positive developments aside, U.S. efforts to advance peace and security in Africa face several challenges. From the external perspective, internal factors are compounded by an unfair international financial architecture that keeps African countries in a marginal position, making them more vulnerable to debt distress, she added. The inadequate response to security crises continues. A new destabilizing factor is the surge in attempts to turn the Sahel into an arena for geopolitical standoffs, she said, adding that international assistance should be based on the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs and the principle of African challenges, African solutions. Piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea and off the coast of Somalia affect local livelihoods and are detrimental to global maritime commerce. Africa Renewal is a United Nations digital magazine that covers Africas economic, social and political developments. Peace and security in Africa: how China can help address weaknesses Violent extremist organizations (VEOs)such as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar Dine, and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (all in northern Mali), al-Shabaab in Somalia, and Boko Haram in Nigeriajeopardize human security and threaten to ignite communal violence. Last year a summit of the African Union (AU) designated 2010 the "Year of Peace and Security." As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, energy is an essential component for achieving resilience. Greater political support from Member States is needed, as is predictable, sustainable and flexible funding. Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website. The central message of the 1998 report remains true today, Mr. Ban finds: "Only Africa can provide solutions to Africa's problems.". We promote Africas achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris climate change agreement and Africas Agenda 2063. New York 19 May 2021 Secretary-General's remarks to UN Security Council Open Debate on Peace and Security in Africa: "Addressing root causes of conflict while promoting post-pandemic recovery in . Also speaking today were representatives of Ireland, Mexico, United Kingdom, China, Brazil, Albania, United Arab Emirates and India. How close are we to AI that surpasses human intelligence? The state of peace and security in East Africa - ISS Africa What is NATO andwhat just happened at the Vilnius summit? Pointing out that Member States always have to turn to their technical and financial partners to ask for support, as the Joint Force suffers from permanent budgetary insecurity, he added that the support of financial and technical partners remains uncertain due to donor fatigue, while Member States in the region, most of which are poor, are unable to guarantee their contributions. This results in an ineffective response to security crises. By the text, it emphasized the importance of respecting the ownership and leadership of African countries in that regard, and supporting their capacity to improve the rule of law, strengthen national institutions, build governance, and promote and protect human rights, among other objectives. To avoid a resurgence of war, the Secretary-General argues in a new report,* African countries and their outside partners need to "provide the minimum conditions for human sustenance" and forge a security policy "that has people, development and social issues at its core. The state of peace and security in East Africa - ISS Africa About us Impact Media resources Connect Franais ISS Today Research Events Topics & regions Our work ISS Today Research Events Training Find out more Contact us Careers and opportunities Media resources Connect Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Youtube Subscribe to our newsletter Subscribe Highlighting the links between effective governance, peace, security and development in Africa, speakers urged greater international investment and support for nationally led efforts, stressing "Africa knows best" how to resolve its own problems, as . The plan includes assistance for military, police and counter terrorism activities. In their Security Council speeches and on other occasions, the world's wealthy donor countries repeatedly emphasize the importance of achieving security in Africa. Meanwhile, Norways delegate highlighted the need to protect civilians in accordance with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)-supported compliance framework. Peace and security in Africa During the period under review, the Council held nine meetings and issued two presidential statements under the item entitled "Peace and security in Africa". Although China emphasises a multilateral approach to African peace and stability, it continues to collaborate with individual African states. Promoting Women's Participation and Leadership in Governance, Peace and The 10-month civil war in Ethiopia has displaced 2 million people, has contributed to massive human rights violations, and risks the onset of famine in the northern Tigray region. Chinese military assistance to Africa is shaped by the China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2019-2021). Peacekeeping and intervention Terrorism Economics and trade Backto Topics menu Economics and trade BRICS economies China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Circular economy Drugs and organized crime G7 and G20 International finance system International Monetary Fund (IMF) International trade Thailands representative affirmed that with regard to Africa, Africa knows best calling for stronger attention to their priorities and African-driven processes culminating in domestic solutions. Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses. But What Is NATO and Why Is It Expanding? It annually brings together many African Heads of State and Government, international partners, as well as multiple actors of Peace and Security. In the ensuing debate, Council Member States and other States representatives stressed that Africa must generate its own institutions, strategies and remedies to fight terrorism, emerge from and prevent conflict while calling on the international community to honour its financing responsibilities and commitments for both peace and security, and development. Whilst progress has been made over the past 2 decades, more needs to be done to optimize the partnership between the two decision-making organs as well as joint work and collaboration . Several speakers also expressed alarm at the slew of coups dtat in the region, and urged Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali to return to civilian Governments through inclusive political processes. There is also a lack of political will to implement its peace and security programmes. Launched during the 2013 lyse . The report reveals that almost 600 million people on the continent still do not have access to sustainable energy due to two main challenges: insufficient energy infrastructure on the one hand, and poor regulatory frameworks coupled with limited planning processes on the other. Unable to monitor, interdict and prosecute predatory actors in their sovereign territories, many African countries face localized security challenges that hold the potential for global reach. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. Therefore, it is regrettable that, in addition to financial difficulties, the Force has been weakened by the withdrawal in May of Mali, as well as been impacted in terms of its operational capacity by the second coup dtat in Burkina Faso in September, she said. The findings and recommendations are based on extensive consultations with African and other UN member states, as well as with the AU, other African regional institutions, civil society and academic groups, and various UN departments and agencies. Several participants in the Security Council debate cited one possible solution: that AU peacekeeping operations authorized by the UN receive funding out of the UN's assessed dues, a proposal originally raised two years ago by an AU-UN panel. Also briefing the Council was Eric Tiar, Executive Secretary of the G5 Sahel, who said that Malis withdrawal in May from all G5 Sahel bodies, including its Joint Force, has plunged the subregional organization into an institutional crisis, and led to the relocation of the headquarters from Bamako to NDjamna, the suspension of MINUSMAs support to the Joint Force operations, and the impossibility of carrying out joint operations in the three zones. Meanwhile, technological transfers and technical cooperation must be increased, together with Official Development Assistance (ODA) from governments for institution-building. Peace and Security | Africa Renewal - Bloody conflicts continue to rage in many parts of Africa. The long-term solution is increased investment in food production and resilience in Africa alongside humanitarian efforts. The UN Peacebuilding Commission was set up in 2005, and has subsequently helped mobilize international support for recovery efforts in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. First, the security of Africans and of the countries in which they reside can . Today's leaders, Mr. Ping adds, "simply cannot bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next generation of Africans. Curbing illicit financial flows would generate the same amount of revenue as official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment (FDI) together, while also addressing a main source of financing for transnational crime and terrorism. The debate is aimed at enhancing the Security Council's understanding of the difficulties and challenges of post-pandemic recovery and the impact of the pandemic on conflict situations in Africa and to explore ways to better help African countries to advance post-pandemic recovery, promote sustainable development and address the root causes of . For instance, most of its East African projects are bilateral intergovernmental or private sector projects. However, in almost all African regions, militant and terrorist groups are challenging States and destroying many innocent lives. The failures extend to the bodys eight regional economic communities. To be successful and lasting, such efforts cannot be imposed from outside. Moreover, the United Nations and the international community must continue to provide support from peacekeeping operations to peacebuilding missions. African Youth Engaging in Peace and Security By Peter Biar Ajak April 29, 2021 Despite challenges of unemployment, corruption, entrenched political leadership, and political violence, many African youth have found constructive avenues to promote peace, effective governance, and reform. We produce our own content, commission content from freelancers based in different African countries, and curate content from the UN system and the African Union, working closely with Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). Sadly, though, the leaders 2013 pledge to silence the guns by 2020 has failed. Research Fellow, Center for Complex Operations, National Defense University. Specific military aid includes support to countries in the Sahel region, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea and the Horn of Africa. By the texts terms, the Council reiterated its support to the African Unions Silencing the Guns in Africa initiative and encouraged support of capacity building and training in that regard.