Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1299th meeting held on 29 August 2025 on Briefing by the African Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Plus (A3+).

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling Articles 3 (a and d) of the Constitutive Act of the AU, which respectively stipulate that the objectives of the Union shall be to: (a) Achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa; and (d) Promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the Continent and its peoples; also recalling Article 7 (3) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the AU, which emphasizes that the Member States agree to accept and implement the decisions of the Peace and Security Council, in accordance with the Constitutive Act; and further recalling its pervious decisions on the role and importance of cooperation and cohesion among the A3 within the UN Security Council;

Recalling paragraph 24 of Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.598 (XXVI), adopted by the 26^th ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union, held on 30 and 31 January 2016 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), which, among others, reiterated that the A3 have special responsibility to ensure that the decisions of the PSC are well reflected in the decision making process of the UNSC on peace and security issues of concern to Africa; and requested the A3, to work with the AU Commission, including the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the UN, to present reports through the PSC, to the Assembly, on their efforts within the UNSC and the extent to which they promote African common positions as articulated by the PSC;

Also recalling the Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.815 (XXXV), adopted by the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held on 5 and 6 February 2022 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), that underlined the importance of Africa to speak with one voice on all matters relating to peace, security and stability in the Continent, full respect of all AU Assembly and PSC decisions, including through enhanced cooperation and collaboration with the A3 and the international community; and the Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.916 (XXXVIII), adopted by the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held on 15 and 16 February 2025 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) that commended the efforts being exerted by the A3+ in effectively articulating, promoting, and defending African common positions and interests within the UNSC;

Further recalling the previous decisions and pronouncements on Enhancing Cooperation between the AU PSC and the A3+, particularly, Communiqué [PSC/AHG/COMM/1(CCCXCVII)] adopted on 23 September 2013, requesting to enhance consultations between the PSC and the A3, in order to ensure that the decisions adopted by the Council are effectively promoted and defended within the UN body; the Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1259 (2025)] adopted at its 1259^th  meeting held on 5 February 2025 on the Conclusions of the 11^th High-Level Seminar; and the Communiqué  [PSC/PR/COMM.1289 (2025)] which adopted the Manual on the Modalities for Enhancing Coordination Between the PSC and the A3+;

Taking note of the opening remarks by H.E. Dr. Ambassador Mohamed KHALED, Permanent Representative of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the AU and Chairperson of the PSC of the AU for August 2025; and the introductory remarks by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security;

Also taking note of the Briefing by H.E. Ambassador Abukar Osman, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the United Nations and Coordinator of the African Members of the United Nations Security Council (A3);

 Further, taking note of the statements by A3+ and by H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Edrees, Permanent Observer of the AU to the UN; and

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

1. Expresses deep appreciation of the efforts of the A3+ in championing, promoting and defending the common African positions and interests in the UN Security Council; and stresses the need for the PSC to continue, as appropriate, to provide timely guidance and support to the A3+;

2. Welcomes the significantly enhanced cohesion, cooperation and coordination among the A3+ over the years, including through issuing joint statements to the UNSC and joint media statements and encourages them to continue to further strengthen their unity and coordination with a view to more effectively amplifying the African voice and common positions on African peace and security issues in the UNSC agenda;

3. Commends the efforts made by the A3+ towards leading, both, as pen holders or co-pen holders, in some of the UN Security Council files on peace and security relating to Africa; and in mobilizing support from other members of the UNSC, particularly P5 and E10, with the facilitation of the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the UN in New York; in this regard, expresses special appreciation to the initiative of Guyana and CARICOM to align their positions with the A3;

4. Also commends the tireless efforts of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2022–2023) and Guyana (2024–2025) as “Plus” members of the mechanism, and expresses the aspiration to institutionalize the “Plus” framework as an automatic modality whenever a CARICOM Member State joins the UN Security Council;

5. Underscores the need to further strengthen the link between the A3+ and AU PSC, including through the PSC providing clear guidance and support to the A3+ on African files before, and, or during, their deliberation by the UNSC; engage in joint missions, and information exchange, and establishing an informal information-sharing platform between PSC and A3+ experts;

6. Strongly emphasizes the need for the A3+, in accordance with previous Assembly and PSC decisions, to preserve, respect, protect, and promote in entirety, the decisions of AUPSC on matters concerning peace and security on the African Continent under consideration by the United Nations Security Council; and decides that all Communiqués of the Council on African issues on the UNSC agenda shall include a provision requesting their transmission to the UN Secretary General for onward transmission to the UNSC as a working document; in this respect, urges the AU Commission to ensure that the outcomes of PSC meetings shall be timeously transmitted to the A3+ to inform their engagement in the UN Security Council;

7. Emphasizes the role of the A3+ as spokespersons for African interests within the UNSC, in accordance with the conclusions of the High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa “Oran Process”, as well as the strengthening of coordination between the PSC and the A3 including through the effective and full implementation of the Manual on the Modalities for Enhancing Coordination Between the PSC and the A3+;

8. Underscores the importance of implementing the relevant conclusions of previous sessions of the Oran Process, particularly regarding the conformity of the positions of the A3+ with the decisions of the PSC on the issues on the UNSC agenda;

9. Requests the A3+ to brief and consult with the PSC on a quarterly basis and at any other time necessary, on African issues on the UNSC agenda, to facilitate information sharing and necessary guidance;

10. Reiterates, its decision to ensure the monthly consultations between the A3+ and the PSC Troika, as well as to synchronize to the furthest extent possible the monthly programmes of work of both, the PSC and the UNSC;

11. Underlines the need to invite, whenever necessary, the A3+ representatives to PSC meetings on crisis and conflict situations, as well as pertinent thematic issues relating to peace and security in Africa on the agenda of the UNSC;

12. Reiterates the request for the AU Commission to ensure enhanced cooperation between the PSC Committee of Experts and the Experts of the A3+, with a view to more effectively supporting the PSC and the A3+;

13. Highly encourages AU Member States to explicitly reference the A3+ in UN resolutions to strengthen its visibility and legitimacy;

14. Requests the AU Commission to develop regular reports on its activities in connection with the meetings of the UNSC on African issues, including its interaction with the A3+ and their contributions to the success of efforts to defend the decisions of the Council and the AU, particularly in terms of the implementation of AU decisions, as well as, strengthening the role of the PSC in its engagement with the A3+;

15. Decides to institutionalize and to include the consultative meeting between PSC and A3+, at ambassadorial level, in the PSC’s annual indicative program as a statutory activity; and further directs this consultative meeting to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa – Oran Process;

16. Underlines the importance of the role of the AU Observer Mission to the UN towards strengthening ties between the A3+ and the PSC; in this regard, stresses the need for the AU mission to synchronize the monthly work programs of the UNSC and the AU PSC, with the view to discussing issues on the agenda of the UNSC in order to provide the necessary guidance to the A3+;

17. Highlight the need for greater coherence between the decisions of the AU-PSC and those of the UNSC in terms of African issues; and underlines the need to advocate for African concerns to be taken into account fairly and systematically in the deliberations of the UNSC;

18. Requests that monthly meetings between the Chair of the PSC and the UNSC Presidency be held in the month preceding their respective mandates, to enhance sequencing and coordination of Programs of Work;

19. Underlines the need to include, the report of the work of A3+ in the report of the AU PSC Annual Report on the State of the Peace and Security in Africa, including a dedicated chapter to the A3+; in this respect, requests the AU Commission to coordinate the inclusion of the A3+ report in the AU PSC annual report, in accordance with the due process;

20. Welcomes the regularity and frequency of the  High Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa “Oran Process “, which is an important forum for reflecting on, and reviewing, the cooperation and collaboration between the Council and the A3+, as well as sharing of experiences and lessons in the context of ensuring the effectiveness of the A3+ in discharging its mandate within the UNSC; and looks forward to the organization of the 12th High-Level Seminar of the Oran Process, scheduled to be held in Algiers, Algeria, in December 2025; and

21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. 

COMMENTS