Addis Ababa: Ambassador Hilale Calls for Reinvigorated Approach to UN-AU Partnership

14 November 2023 Printable Version

Addis Ababa - Morocco's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, underlined on Monday in Addis Ababa, at the 6th Annual Consultative Meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), the imperative of a reinvigorated approach based on an agenda of concrete actions built around the priorities set by Africa in the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU).

In his address to the joint meeting, Ambassador Hilale stressed the need to strengthen and renew the strategic partnership between the UN and the AU, calling for closer cooperation between the two organizations through concrete and concerted action, as well as the pooling of peace funds between the UN PBC and the AU PSC.

"Without this renewal in joint action, we run the risk of repeating the same meeting every year without providing appropriate responses to African expectations", noted the Moroccan diplomat.

Beyond rhetoric, the emphasis must be on synergy and complementarity in action, while strengthening national ownership of the objectives and efforts of peacebuilding on the continent, Hilale underlined.

He also deplored the deterioration of the security situation on the African continent, instability and armed crises in several countries, in addition to the rampant expansion of the terrorist nebula and the spread of violent extremism in several regions of the continent, adding that all these factors have seriously affected the development efforts of countries in crisis, already exhausted by the adverse effects of climate change.

Ambassador Hilale attributed this situation to the inability of both organizations to provide appropriate responses to Africa's problems, not only in terms of conflict prevention, but also in support of national development strategies and sub-regional integration.

In this regard, he called for an assessment of the strategic partnership between the two organizations, as well as the consultation framework between the UN PBC and the AU PSC. To this end, it is imperative to undertake the necessary initiatives to strengthen it and guarantee real progress in the implementation of Africa's priorities based on national ownership of peacebuilding, the strengthening of national institutions, transitional justice and both national and community reconciliation, affirmed Hilale.

This 6th Annual Consultative Meeting was held as part of the working visit to Addis Ababa being undertaken by a delegation from the UN Peacebuilding Commission till November 14.