Part I
The AU and the UN held a meeting in Cairo, Egypt on 16 October, 2023 under the theme of “Enhanced Cooperation and Collaboration in Peace and Security. The meeting focused on the AU and UN perspectives on the prevailing and emerging peace, security and governance as well as on challenges on the continent of Africa. The meeting also stressed the concrete strengthening, collaboration and cooperation across all peace and security measures including conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction and development.
Both the AU and UN stressed on improving collaboration and modalities of operation among various institutions. Participants at the meeting recalled the joint AU-UN framework for enhanced partnership in peace and security singed on April 19, 2017. This framework underscored the determination of both organizations to promote critical partnership in areas of common interest including the prevention, mediation and resolution of conflict along with giving due emphasis for sustaining peace. They also focused on addressing the root causes of conflict for devising realistic and relevant solutions. These include “partnership review” and enhancement of peace.
During the meeting, the AU and UN further recalled the importance of the framework for the implementation of AU Agenda 2063. They also underlined the importance of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development signed on January 2018. The agenda also focused on the peace, security and development links that provided the momentum for structured, systematic, results-oriented collaboration between the two. It also provided for an institutionalized cooperation between the AU and the UN, transforming these commitments into practical engagement.
Other issues considered were climate change impacts, terrorism and violent extremism. They emphasized the need for sustained interaction and engagement between the two organizations towards addressing the structural causes and forces of violent conflicts on the African continent. They also emphasized the importance of African ownership and leadership in addressing issues and threats to peace and security. They also focused on the need to confront the challenges in Africa, learning lessons and best practices from successes in peace and nation building initiatives in Africa.
The AU and UN were committed to take initiatives aimed at building effective institutions and promoting inclusive governance in member states. They were committed to the engagement and empowerment of women and youth in decision-making processes on matters that affect them, including peace, security and sustainable development in Africa. They agreed to engage in the alignment of actions on complex political measures that contribute to the implementation of decisions taken by both organizations. They also promised to explore ways and means to fully support the enhancement of democratic governance in Africa.
The AU and UN reaffirmed their commitment for enhancing joint conflict prevention and mediation initiatives. These measures included joint field visits, thereby realizing the value of streamlining responses and acts to conflicts. They also reaffirmed the major contributions of AU operations in maintaining regional and African peace and security. They also underlined the need for predictable, sustainable and flexible financing. This is based on UN assessment of contributions related to each and every aspect of maintaining peace and security.
Emphasis was given to the need to ensure effective and transparent governance of the natural resources of the continent. This is to be based on equitable and fair distribution as resources, including natural wealth and production that contributes to the sustainable development of Africa.
They also underlined the need to reform the international financial institutions based on equity, solidarity and universality. This is to be anchored in the principles of the AU Constitutive Act and the UN Charter, to address global inequalities and unequal progress and development. They also expressed their concern about the problems of multilateralism, at the same time recognizing the value of the AU-UN partnership. This is considered to be a model of international cooperation in other parts of the world. In the meantime, the two organizations renewed their commitment to strengthening collaboration among the African states and other concerned institutions and relevant stakeholders. All these are important for the implementation of the AU master plan of practical measures “silence the guns” among African countries by 2030.
Both the AU and UN wanted to institutionalize and regularize the holding of joint meetings as platform for strengthening the sharing of information. It is strongly believed that this would enhance a common understanding the challenges of peace and security in the continent. Examining and arriving at the true sources of information is critical in addressing challenges faced by the African countries. Both organizations expressed their appreciation to the various institutions addressing various issues in the continent.
AU and UN expressed their satisfaction in the convening of the meeting that paved the way toward convening the next retreat in 2024 on a mutually agreed date. The theme for the African Summit in 2024 is “Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century,” and it will be held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The city has rich experience in welcoming the honorable African Heads of States and Governments who will attend the Summit.
Key transformational outcomes of Agenda 2063 will be assessed by the relevant African policy makers before the Summit. Agenda 2063 identifies several key benefits to Africans if the programs identified in the strategic development framework are initiated and implemented.
African countries are expected to show improved standards of living with transformed, inclusive and sustained economic growth and development. They are also expected to increase the levels of regional economic integration with the empowerment of women and youth. African societies are expected to be caring for with favorable protection for children.
Generally, African societies should be peaceful, with democratic values and good governance principles. These would contribute to the preservation and enhancement of African cultural identity anywhere. Economically speaking, improvement in living standards should be reflected in increased real per capita income. Simultaneously, the incidence of hunger, unemployment and diseases should be curtailed.
Job opportunities should be created to enhance the income of African youth. Also, children should be having access to kindergarten education and children of secondary school age who are without access to tertiary education should be enrolled in Technical and Vocational Training programs. Students should be free from malnutrition, hunger and diseases.
As much as possible, all people should have access to safe drinking water and sanitation. They should be provided with electricity supply and internet connectivity and cities will be modernized. To generate employment, African countries will focus on labor intensive manufacturing, with high value added to products and increasing the total industrial, agricultural and service sector productivity. In these sectors, businesses will be creative contributing in real terms the gross domestic product. These sectors will be assisted by the expansion of information technologies to raise gross domestic product.
In Africa, regional industrialization centers will be linked to the global value chains and commodity exchanges. In the integration process in Africa, there will be free movement of goods, services and capital between and among countries. People will be travelling to any member state and they would get the visa at the point of entry. This facilitates the increase in the volume of intra-African trade especially in agriculture, industry and services sectors. This process will be supported by the African Customs Union, an African Common Market and an African Monetary Union which will be operational in the near future.
The African Speed Train Network will be beyond the inception stage and it will be taking its first passengers between two connected cities. Regional electric power generation will increase and dams will be operational and will contribute to the powering of the industrial transformation of Africa.
To provide the required technical labor force, African Education Accreditation Agency and a common educational system will be in place. The African Youth will have the choice to study at any university and work anywhere on the African continent. All “obstacles” related to Women owing and inheriting property or business, signing a contract, owning or managing a bank account would be removed. They will have access to and control of productive assets.
Gender equality in control, representation, advancement will be the rule in all AU institutions. All forms of violence against women would be reduced or removed. Also, all harmful social practices and customs would be ended. Also, the African Youth will be mobile and some of the new business firms will be created by their ingenuity and talent thereby reducing youth unemployment. In the same fashion, child labor exploitation, marriages, trafficking and military recruitment are to be ended.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY GETACHEW MINAS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 26 DECEMBER 2024
