Communique of the 948thmeeting of the PSC held on 22 September 2020, on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture, towards an enhanced global peacebuilding system

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PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 948™ MEETING

22 SEPTEMBER 2020

ADDIS ABABA

PSC/PR/COMM.(CMXLVIII)

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 948^thmeeting held on 22 September 2020, on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture, towards an enhanced global peacebuilding system.

The Peace and Security Council,

Taking note of the statement made by H.E. Ambassador Idriss Mohamed Farah of Djibouti in his capacity as the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of September 2020, and the presentation made by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Smail Chergui on the Report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review on the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, Towards an Enhanced Global Peacebuilding System;

Recalling its previous communiques and press statements on peacebuilding in Africa, including Communique [PSC/MIN/COMM.(DCCCXCIX)] adopted at its 899^th meeting held at Ministerial Level, on 5 December 2019, in Luanda, Angola, and press statement [PSC/PR/COMM.l(DCCCLXXXIII)] adopted at its 833^rd meeting held on 27 September 2019 at Ministerial level, in New York on the interdependence between peace, security and development, as well as Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.(DCXXXIII)] adopted at its 633^rd meeting held on 18 October 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia , and [PSC/PR/BR.DCCCXCII] adopted by the 893^th meeting, held on 11 November 2019;

Also recalling the 2016 UN twin resolutions A/RES/70/262 and S/RES/2282 (2016), adopted by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council on the review of the peacebuilding architecture, which called for a "comprehensive review of United Nations peacebuilding architecture" to be conducted during the 74^th session of the UN General Assembly; and further recalling the 2018 UN General Assembly and UN Security Council twin resolutions A/RES/71/276 and S/RES/2413 (2018) which requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its 74^th session, "a detailed report in connection with the next comprehensive review of the peacebuilding architecture, focusing on the continued implementation of resolution A/RES/70/262 (2016), and progress in the implementation of the recommendations and options contained in his report on peacebuilding and sustaining peace";

Recognising Article 52(1), Chapter VIII, of the United Nations (UN) Charter providing for the "existence of regional arrangements or agencies for dealing with such matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security as are appropriate for regional action, provided that such arrangements or agencies and their activities are consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations."

Cognisant of the persistence of violent conflict, crises and other emerging threats to peace and security in Africa, and the imperative to deploy all available preventive diplomacy tools and mechanisms at the national, regional, continental and global levels to enable the Continent to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts effectively;

Inspired by the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, in particular the flagship programme and the Theme of the year 2020 on Silencing the Guns - Creating conducive conditions for Africa's development, and underlining Africa's role as an essential stakeholder in international peacebuilding efforts;

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review on the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, Towards an Enhanced Global Peacebuilding System and emphasizes that the Report provides a broader overview of peacebuilding activities in Africa;

2. Underscores the imperative of the continued cooperation between the AU and UN in the area of peace and security in Africa, particularly in peacebuilding, within the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, signed in 2017 and the AU-UN Framework for the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in 2018;

3. Applauds the UN Peacebuilding Commission (UNPBC) for its efforts in peacebuilding efforts in African countries on its agenda and other countries emerging from conflict and urges it to continue consolidating its work to prevent conflict, through context-specific programmes and assist those countries that have emerged from conflicts, to prevent their relapse;

4. Encourages the AU and UN to continue undertaking regular consultations and exchange visits to strengthen collaboration and synergy of their activities in pursuit of peace and security, as well as silencing the guns on the Continent, and to hold briefing sessions on joint activities regularly, towards promoting and sustaining a robust culture of peace and tolerance aimed at preventing crises and relapses;

5. Commends on the progress recorded on the implementation of the AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) policy since 2006, anchored on inclusive consultations between the AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), and the AU Commission, as well as with partners, and aimed at creating an environment that facilitates coordinated mobilisation of political will and commitment, human and financial resources, as well as technical expertise;

6. Underlines the importance of ensuring coherence in the implementation of PCRD programmes in AU Member States; and in this regard underscores that the Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture consider practical means for enabling the AU to exercise ownership of PCRD efforts and engagements on the Continent; ensuring closer collaboration and information-sharing on operational and programmatic engagements; and enhancing national and continental African capacities for planning and implementation of programmes and projects designed to address context-specific cross border challenges and sub-regional dimensions of peacebuilding;

7. Commends the progress made on the operationalization of the AU-PCRD Centre in Cairo,

Egypt, which under the guidance of the AU Policy Organs, aims to provide technical expertise to improve timeliness, effectiveness, and coordination of activities in post-conflict countries on the Continent and to lay a foundation for social justice;

8. Emphasises the significance of national ownership and leadership of peacebuilding process, effective partnerships in support of peacebuilding, as well as institution-building and financing; and in this regard also strongly emphasises the imperative of peacebuilding impact geared towards enhancing state capacity through building inclusive and responsive state institutions, as well as capacitating local non-governmental peacebuilders including women and youth organisations, who in most instances, are front-line responders in preventing conflict escalation, mitigating the impact of violent conflict, and finding solutions for local grievances;

9. Further emphasises the importance of mainstreaming and enhancing youth participation in all stages of peacebuilding processes nationally, regionally and at continental level, in accordance with the Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) 2020-2029;

10. Stresses the need to launch people-centred development projects to ensure the reintegration of populace of countries emerging from conflicts, particularly those involved in the disarmament and demobilisation operations; and also stresses the importance of the provision of requisite material support to post-conflict countries in Africa in a collaborative manner;

11. Requests the African Union Development Agency (AUDA) to support all efforts aimed at streamlining and identifying strategic engagements and policy development, as well as effective post-conflict reconstruction between the AU and the RECs/RMs, to reduce duplication of efforts and multiple strategies and to ensure smoother transitions from peacekeeping to stabilisation and long-term development;

12. Also requests the Mechanism for Police Cooperation of the AU (AFRIPOL) to contribute to the capacity building of the institutions of countries emerging from conflicts as regards security and justice through the sharing of experience and best practices;

13. Adopts the Report of the AU Commission on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, towards an enhanced global peacebuilding system, and requests the AU Commission to transmit the Report to the African Caucus in New York, to guide and advance the Caucus engagement in the negotiations on the review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture;

14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.