2021

United Nations

• Significant progress has been recorded in the implementation of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security of April 2017 despite increasing threats to peace, security and good governance on the Continent amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes sustained policy dialogue, horizon scanning and clustered meeting, joint high-level missions, coordinated messaging including during electoral processes, and country-level coordinated action.
• The 18th Joint Task Force in peace and security was held on 5 November 2021. The PAPS Commissioner and the UN Under Secretary Generals for the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; Peace Operations as well as Operational Supports respectively (DPPA, DPO and DOS) discussed peace and security challenges on the Continent. Joint technical-level conflict prevention cluster meetings also held virtually with increased frequency in 2021 on country-specific situations, including in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Sudan, Mozambique, eSwatini as well as on elections.
• The Commissioner for PAPS and the UN USG-DPO undertook a joint mission to CAR in June 2021 , in collaboration with ECCAS and the EU. The AU and UN have also worked closely with regional organizations such as IGAD in Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. They also worked with ECOWAS for unified messaging on the situations in Mali and Guinea and are closely engaging in the Libya peace process. The Commission and the OSE-WPS collaborated with the UN to organize the annual Africa Women's Leadership Network (AWLN) Third Women Leaders Forum.
• Through the joint project between AUC and UNDP on enhancing AU's capacities on Conflict Prevention , several programmes were implemented in line with the Project Initiation Plan (PIP). This include the CSVRA/CSVMS processes in the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, Zambia and Ghana, with ongoing efforts to ensure sustained support for the implementation of the mitigation strategies as well as operationalization of peace architectures in Member States; capacities of CSOs in Eastern and Southern African regions were also enhanced on early warning; as well as the conduct of a training of trainers course by the Youth4Peace programme on "Art, Culture and Heritage" for peace, leveraging the AU theme of the year 2021.
• The Commission also collaborated with the UN to develop its strategic documents such as policy guidelines, monitoring and reporting and accountability mechanisms for the Maputo Five-Year Work plan to operationalize the ASF. In collaboration with the RECs/RMs, as well as the African Peacekeeping Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs), the AU and UN enhance capacities of RECs' planning and management of peace operations as well as supported the operationalisation of the Continental Logistics Concept and Continental Movements Control Centre.
• Collaboration between both institutions also facilitated the development of the training curriculum on gender mainstreaming for PSOs, the revision and harmonisation of the gender training package for AU PSOs; and the production of "She Stands for Peace" Podcast series on different thematic issues of the WPS agenda. In addition, the two organisations have worked together in the implementation of the Gender, WPS agenda, implementation of the AU Compliance Framework on the Conduct and Discipline and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; and the finalization of the AU Board of Inquiry policy for AMISOM.
• Furthermore, the AUC Department of PAPS and the UN developed the AU Safety and Security Policy and Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) for AUC staff and installations in the field missions, as well as the AU policy on the management of recovered weapons in PSOs. Under the DOS Knowledge Experience Exchange Program (KEEP), the AU has been allocated licenses to access the Supply Chain schoolhouse, training facilities and opportunities. Medical support to AMISOM troops, including personal protective equipment and COVID-19 vaccines were enhanced.

2021

The European Union

• The strategic partnership between the AU and EU continued to bolster and benefited from the guidance of the 2018 MoU on Peace, Security and Governance. Within the implementation of this MoU, key notable achievements were recorded. The political dialogue between the two institutions increased in frequency, scope and depth. In 2021, the Ministerial Meeting in Kigali among other things reaffirmed the need to reinforce the cooperation and work towards the effective delivery of the MoU. Furthermore, the Commissioner for PAPS engaged with EU counterparts on the strategic priorities to strengthen key partnership issues in the peace and security arena especially continuous EU support to AMISOM especially in the post-2021 period.
• Despite the decade of flourishing engagement between the EU and the AU, concerns have been raised about the dissolution of the African Peace Facility (APF) and the creation of the European Peace Facility (EPF). The global nature of the EPF funding mechanism implies enhanced competition for resources which could potentially diminish support to the AU. Furthermore, the political role of the AU in disbursing funds from the APF to the RECs/RMs and Member States has been removed in the EPF structure; thereby allowing the EU to fund African Member States and RECs/RMs directly without consulting the AU.
• These concerns were raised in Kigali and during the Commissioner's engagement with EU counterparts. The AU continues to call on the EU to reconsider the political nature of the EPF disbursement and to uphold the principle of responsive partnership. Looking ahead, the AU-EU Summit on 18 to 19 February 2022 is an opportunity to re-engage on these issues while strengthening the partnership.

2022

Partnerships for Peace

• Several activities were implemented to strengthen the AU's partnership with multilateral regional and subregional organisation on peace and security. Through sustained policy dialogue, joint high-level missions, coordinated messaging and country-level coordinated actions, for instance, significant progress was recorded in the implementation of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. Further, in the context of AU-UN Partnership, there were regular engagements between the President of the UNSC and the Chair of the AUPSC between the AUPSC and UNSC on region-specific, as well as thematic issues.
• Recognizing the challenge that political instability poses to sustainable development, the AU Commission was supported and joined by the UN and partners in organizing a Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, in March 2022 in Accra, Ghana. The outcome of the Forum fed into the Malabo Declaration on Terrorism, and Unconstitutional Changes of Government adopted by the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly held on 28 May 2022, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea as well as the adoption of the Accra Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa.

2022

Partnership for Peace

• In partnership with the UNDP, the PAPS department established the African Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT) during the year under review. AFSIT will support countries going through complex political transitions to peacefully navigate their pathway back to more stable democratic development, with a specific focus on ensuring the inclusion of women, young people and other marginalized groups. AUC and UNDP worked to operationalize the AFSIT and, guided by the Accra Declaration and various PSC directives, articulate the specific scope, structure, programmatic interventions, and criteria for supporting transitions.
• The AUC-PAPS and ETIM, in partnership with UNDP, UNECA, African Development Bank and Afrexim Bank, the convened the inaugural AUC Policy Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security and Development Nexus in Africa, from 25 to 27 October 2022 in Tangier, Kingdom of Morocco. The Policy Conference allowed the AUC and its partners to reflect on measures and strategies to promote development, regional integration, and peace and security. The Conference adopted the Tangier Declaration. The joint organization of the Policy Conference demonstrated strong partnership between the AUC and development partners.

2023

Strengthening Partnerships for African Peace and Security

• Milestones
• The PSC and the European Union Political and Security Committee (EUPSC) held their 6th Informal Joint Seminar and the 14th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting (AJCM) and the from 2-3 May 2023, respectively, in Brussels, Belgium, to exchange views on their joint efforts to address the threats to peace and security in Africa. The Informal Joint Seminar discussed peace support operations in Africa and the global consequences of geopolitical development, while the Consultative meeting discussed the situations in the Horn of Africa, The Sahel and Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes Region. However, the PSC with the EUPSC did not reach commonly agreed conclusions for the second time.
• Article 17 of the PSC Protocol provides for the PSC to cooperate and work closely with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and other relevant international organizations on the issues of governance, peace and security in Africa. In this context, the PSC and the UN Security Council convened their 8th Informal Joint Seminar and 17th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting (AJCM) on 5 and 6 October 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and adopted a Joint Communique. The Informal Joint Seminar discussed, among others, the issue of financing AU Peace Support Operations and the Consultative Meeting discussed the situations in Sudan, the Sahel region, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia, as well as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). While underscoring the primary responsibility of the UN Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security, the two Councils reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to working together to address the challenges in these theatres in a coordinated manner.
• Underscoring the importance of post-conflict and reconstruction activities in Member States emerging from conflict, the PSC convened a consultative meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission (UN-PBC) on 13 November 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The session focused on enhancing collaboration between the two bodies and coordinating peacebuilding efforts on the continent.

2023 (continued)

• In December 2023, the PSC and the three elected African Members of the UNSC (A3) participated at the Tenth High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa: Assisting Incoming African Members of the United Nations Security Council (A3) in Preparing to Address Peace and Security Issues on the Continent, in Oran, Algeria, pursuant to communiqué [PSC/AHG/COMM/1.(CCCXCVII)], adopted by the PSC at its 397th meeting held at the level of Heads of State and Government on 23 September 2013. Key outcomes centred on enhancing PSC-A3 cooperation in advancing and promoting Africa's agenda and interests in the UNSC agenda.
• The PSC and A3 commemorated its 10th Anniversary and considered the Manual on Modalities for Enhancing Coordination between the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the African Members of the United Nations Security Council.
• The Manual aims at providing guidance on how the PSC and A3 can promote and defend common African positions within the UNSC in accordance with the UN Charter, AU legal instruments and relevant decisions of the AU Policy Organs. The Conclusions of the 10th High Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa, the Oran Process, have been adopted by the PSC at its 1193rd meeting of 22 January 2024, and attached herewith as Annex III.

Partnerships for Peace, Security and Governance

429. Inclusive, smart, and mutually beneficial partnerships continue to be the topmost priority for the PAPS Department. To this end, the Department pursues enhanced interconnectivity with all stakeholders and partners toward promoting good governance, peace, and security. Furthermore, the department seeks to continue to engage think tanks, do-tanks, the academia, and CSOs within and outside the continent, towards rethinking and proposing the pragmatic role of women and youth in peace and security as well as on other thematic areas, to make peace happen.

United Nations

• 430. Significant progress has been recorded in the implementation of the Joint UN- AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security of April 2017 despite increasing threats to peace, security, and good governance on the continent. AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security and DPAPS senior staff held a strategic dialogue with UNOAU on 20 February 2024 which reflected on the experiences of the AU-UN partnership in peace and security in 2023 and the priorities for 2024.
• 431. The 23rd Joint Task Force of USGs and CPAPS consulted at the UN Headquarters on 16 April 2024, comprising the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security and the UN Under Secretaries General for Political & Peace Building Affairs; Peace Operations and the Special Representative of the Secretary- General to the African Union; along with the Assistant Secretaries-General (Africa) and Operational Support.
• 432. The consultative platform examined the peace and security developments in the CAR, DRC, Ethiopia, Libya, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, as well as West Africa and the Sahel region. It also considered the way forward, following the adoption of UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023). A senior-level Joint Task Force was established to coordinate the efforts of the Secretariat and its engagement with the AU towards the implementation of UNSCR 2719.
• 433. The Joint Working Group on PSOs and Ad-hoc Security Initiatives continued interaction and coordination throughout the year. The AUC and the UN Secretariat maintained technical-level contacts on regional, country-specific, and thematic files. As part of the revitalization of the AU climate security cluster and the UN climate security mechanism , the first interdepartmental retreat on climate, peace, and security convened on 11 May 2024; the Retreat built on the consultative process conducted as part of the African continental climate security risk assessment, as requested by the AU PSC, as well as collaboration towards the development of the common African position on climate, peace and security. This includes sustained policy dialogue, horizon scanning and clustered meetings, joint high-level missions, coordinated messaging including during electoral processes, and country-level coordinated action.
• 434. The Commission also collaborated with the UN to develop strategic documents namely; policy guidelines, monitoring and reporting, and accountability mechanisms for the Maputo Five-Year Work plan to operationalize the ASF. In collaboration with the RECs/RMs, and the African Peacekeeping Training Centers of Excellence (TCEs), the AU and UN contributed to enhancing the capacities of RECs/RMs’ planning and management of peace operations and supported the operationalization of the Continental Logistics Concept and Continental Movements Control Centre.
• 435. AU/UN Partnership also resulted in the development of the training curriculum on gender-mainstreaming for PSOs, the revision and harmonization of the gender training package for AU PSOs; and the production of “She Stands for Peace” Podcast series on different thematic issues of the WPS agenda.
• 436. In addition, the two organizations worked together in the implementation of the Gender, WPS agenda , and implementation of the AU Compliance Framework on the Conduct and Discipline and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ; and the finalization of the AU Board of Inquiry policy for ATMIS .
• 437. The UN and AU continued to hold strategic dialogues , both at Headquarters and in the field, to assess conflict situations, complementarities, and coordination of actions, and explore areas for common messaging. In this regard, the Annual Conference also officially established the High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development, to be chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General and the Deputy Chairperson. The High-level Strategic Dialogue held its 3rd meeting on 29 May 2024, at which they reviewed implementation mechanisms for the operationalization of the five “college-to-college” formations as a new method of working between AU Commissioners and their United Nations counterparts in the context of AU Agenda 2063 and SDGs 2030.
• 438. On 8 July 2024, the Military Staff Committee of the AUPSC and representatives of the Military Staff Committee of the UN engaged in their first informal consultations at the AU headquarters. This enabled the two Committees to better understand their respective mandates, working methods, and challenges while laying the foundation for more effective collaboration to provide timely and informed advice to the two Councils.
• 439. On 15 October 2024, the Peacebuilding Commission and the AUPSC scheduled at the UN Headquarters, their seventh annual consultative meeting, which explored the opportunities for enhancing cooperation with a view to supporting the African Union’s PCRD and peace-building efforts.
• 440. The 18th AUPSC / UNSC Annual Joint Consultation took place on 18 October, in New York, preceded by the 9th Informal Joint Seminar on 17 October 2024. The deliberations considered matters about financing AU-led Peace Support Operations (PSOs), Youth, Peace and Security, and the working methods of the joint meetings and other engagements; as well as the review of the conflict situations in the Sudan, Sahel, Somalia, and eastern DRC.
• 441. The meetings of the two Councils were preceded by two-day consultations of the AUPSC Committee of Experts and the Security Council’s Ad-hoc Working Group on Peace and Security in Africa, which included comprehensive briefings by the AU Commission.
• 442. The eighth Annual Conference between the Secretary-General and the AUC Chairperson took place on 21 October 2024. The Secretary-General and Chairperson reviewed progress in the implementation of the “UN-AU Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security” and the “AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and signed the AU-UN Joint Framework on Human Rights. Then discussions covered Unconstitutional changes of government and political transitions on the continent; the coordination of peace efforts in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan) and the Great Lakes region; the progress on Security Council negotiations on predictable financing of the AU-led peace support operations; Africa’s socio-economic recovery and the reform of the international financial architecture. The annual conference also endorsed the jointly developed roadmap for the implementation of UNSCR 2719 (2023) on the financing of AU-led PSOs.

European Union

• 443. The strategic partnership between the AU and EU continued to bolster and benefit from the guidance of the 2018 MoU on Peace, Security, and Governance . The formulation of the combined EU support programme for the AGA and APSA is nearing completion. Set to begin in January 2026, the programme is designed to capitalize on the synergies between the AGA and APSA, with a planned duration of four years. Key areas of cooperation include early warning, mediation, climate and security, human rights, and the promotion of good governance and democracy. This integrated programme will enhance human rights adherence in AU-led Peace Support Operations and will place a strong emphasis on increasing citizen participation in governance, peace, and security. Additionally, EU support through the Early Response Mechanism will be redirected to support the initiatives under the Crisis Reserve Facility of the AU Peace Fund.
• 444. The Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) has evolved into a non-binding coordination framework, now referred to as the "Joint Framework Arrangement (JFA)." The JFA is designed to strengthen coordination among all stakeholders involved in managing and supporting AU Commission initiatives. This framework encompasses both partners contributing earmarked funding and those providing non-earmarked funding for the Commission 's activities, with the coordination platform now extended to include AUC Member States. The JFA is set to remain in place until December 2028, with Canada, Denmark, the EU, Germany, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, already committed to it.

TICAD Ministerial

• 445. In preparation for the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) scheduled for August 2025, the PAPS Department participated in the TICAD Ministerial session in Tokyo, Japan, from August 24-25, 2024. This strategic engagement aimed to enhance partnerships and advance Africa's peace and security agenda. The session allowed stakeholders to deepen cooperation, sharpening collective approaches toward ensuring human dignity and security in Africa. While underscoring the imperative for robust Global multilateralism to achieve global security and the Peace we want in Africa, the following key reflections were highlighted (i) the free will of African citizens to build innovative capacity in the advanced age of the knowledge economy and new technologies particularly the youth for assured human security; (ii) Political will to boost democratic leadership In Africa evident In constitutionalism, rule of law, and building of resilient Institutions; (iii) Collective will that Is anchored on smart partnerships to achieve global sustainable security for all.
• 446. The ministerial presented a platform to reaffirm the importance of prioritizing prevention while working to ensure lasting solutions to pervasive security threats including lingering conflicts, terrorism, and violent extremism by tackling the root causes. Overall, it highlighted the need to strengthen African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and African Governance Architecture (AGA) including support to AU-led peace support operations through UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023), sustainable and predictable financing, and capacity building for public institutions, as appropriate.

Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

• 447. In September 2024, President Xi Jinping hosted 34 African leaders to the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing. The AUC Chairperson, ably supported by the CPAPS and other Commissioners were also in attendance. Chinese President Xi announced China's readiness to work with Africa to implement China 's 10 partnership actions carefully crafted to jointly advance modernization in the two (2) continents and the overall characterization of China-Africa relations to be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. Within the ten (10) partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation, the PAPS related areas reflecting China's confidence and sincerity in promoting modernization with Africa are mutual learning among civilizations in state governance; development cooperation; people-to-people exchanges; and common security.