Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1234^th meeting held on 2 October 2024 on Peace, Security and Development Nexus in Africa: Bridging the Gaps Between Policy and Practice. 

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.425 (XIX)] on the African Solidarity Initiative, requesting the Commission, in close collaboration with the countries concerned and all other Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and other relevant African institutions, to roll-out a full implementation plan, and to mobilize in-kind, capacity building, as well as financial contributions, to support post-conflict reconstruction activities and efforts in the African countries concerned.

Also, recalling its previous decisions and pronouncements on the nexus between peace, security, and development, particularly Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1 (DCCCLXXXIII)] adopted by the PSC at its 883^rd meeting held at the Ministerial level under the chairship of the Kingdom of Morocco on 27 September 2019, in New York, on the margins of the 74^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, on “The Interdependence between peace, security and development: towards a collective engagement for action” and the Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.842 (XXXVI)] adopted by the 36^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held on 18 and 19 February 2023, through which the AU Assembly endorsed the Declaration of the AU Policy Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security and Development nexus in Africa, that was held from 25 to 27 October 2022, in Tangier, Kingdom of Morocco;

Also, recalling previous pronouncement on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), particularly Communiqués [PSC/PR/COMM.1122 (2022)] adopted at its 1122^nd meeting held on 28 November 2022, [PSC/PR/COMM.1188 (2023)] adopted at its 1188^th meeting held on 29 November 2023, and [PSC/PR/COMM.1198 (2024)] adopted at its 1198^th meeting held on 31 January 2024; 

Reaffirm the PSC commitments made during the commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of the AU Peace and Security Council through the Dar es Salaam Declaration on the 20^th Anniversary of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, adopted on 25 May 2024 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

Reaffirming its commitment to effectively implement the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps for Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2030, thus creating the conducive conditions for the realization of the aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also known as Agenda 2030; also reaffirming its commitment to effectively promote the effective implementation of Revised AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy Framework, as well as peacebuilding activities to consolidate peace and prevent the resurgence of conflict, in line with Article 3 (c) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union; 

Commending H.E. Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and AU Champion for PCRD, for his leadership of AU PCRD efforts in the Continent;

Noting the opening statement by H.E. Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Gad, Permanent Representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the African Union and Chairperson of the PSC for the month of October 2024 and the statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; also noting the presentations by H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Director General of the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) and Executive Director of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development; as well as the recorded statement by H.E. Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, the Chief Executive Officer of the AU Development Agency (AUDA/NEPAD);  and

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

1. Notes with serious concern the persistence of violent conflict and complex crisis situations threatening peace, security and stability in Africa, and the need to redouble PCRD, stabilization, transition and peacebuilding efforts, to prevent relapses and adopt renewed and integrated approaches to effectively address emerging threats, in pursuit of the AU flagship project ‘Silencing the Gun’ and the Agenda 2063;

2. Acknowledges the nexus between peace, security and development as mutually reinforcing; underscores the importance of practical steps for bridging the gaps between policy and practice in the application of the Nexus Approach, to facilitate the realization of all of the aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063 and, in this context, directs the AU Commission to develop a matrix on the status of implementation of all AU decisions and declarations on peace, security and development nexus since 1991, including those that specifically address PCRD;

3. Urges the Commission to implement the conclusions of the inaugural African Union (AU) Policy Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security and Development Nexus in Africa – The Promise of Regional Integration, adopted in Tangier (Kingdom of Morocco) in October 2022; and, in this regard, calls upon the partners of the Tangier process to enhance their support for the implementation of the projects relating to the peace, security and development nexus;

4. Notes the progress made by the AU Commission in the implementation of the post-conflict reconstruction and development activities across the continent and encourages the AU Commission to continue the implementation of the Revised AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy Framework to provide the necessary support to all Member States, in particular those in political transition and emerging from conflict;

5. Congratulates the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the CCCPA as the Executive Secretariat of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development for the successful organization of the 4^th edition of the Aswan Forum, held in the  Arab Republic of Egypt in July 2024 on Re-envisioning Global Governance for Peace and Development and commends the Conclusions of the Forum, which significantly contribute towards advancing the peace-security-development nexus as well as peacebuilding and sustainable development in Africa, and looks forward to the forthcoming 5^th edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development;

6. Underscores the need for a comprehensive conceptualization of the Nexus Approach, including the importance of developing an AU Policy Framework on the Peace, Security and Development Nexus Approach to effectively provide assistance to Member States therein, towards making the nexus a reality on the ground;

7. Underscores the imperative of accompanying the countries emerging from conflict in addressing the structural root causes and drivers of conflict; promoting and consolidating sustainable peace; and preventing escalation of, and relapse back into conflict; and in this respect, urges the  AU, through the AU PCRD Centre, working in collaboration with the member states concerned, and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution , and AU Centers of Excellence to consistently identify, initiate and promote simultaneously long-term, medium-term and short-term integrated post-conflict stabilization, reconstruction and development initiatives geared towards rebuilding resilience, recovery and consolidation of peace in the Continent;

8. Commends the establishment of the AU Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) triple nexus program on “Socio-Economic Development in Post-Conflict States: the triple nexus on peace, security, and development” with the intent to promote sustainable development and peace through regional integration anchored in peace, security, and development principles and welcomes partnerships with AU Centers of Excellence to implement its activities;

9. Encourages Member States to mainstream the Nexus Approach in addressing the root causes of conflicts, ensure effective national leadership and ownership of the nexus approach, and to this end, highlights the need for further strengthening national institutions to effectively promote the Nexus Approach, in line with the Revised AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy Framework, the Tangier Declaration as well as other relevant AU decisions and declarations;

10. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming the critical role of women and youth in the nexus approach, including through capacity building programmes to further enhance their capacity to more meaningfully participate in building sustainable peace, security, stability and development in Africa;

11. Underlines the critical importance of enhanced cooperation and collaboration in the promotion of the Nexus Approach between and among the AU institutions that include the AUDA/NEPAD; the AU PCRD Centre and other relevant AU and UN institutions;

12. Underscores critical role of the private sector in the promotion of the Nexus Approach and, in this context, expresses appreciation to the African Development Bank and the African Export-Import (Afrexim) Bank for their contribution to the AU Peace Fund, a significant boost to AU peacebuilding efforts in the Continent and highlights the importance of drawing lessons from the successful initiatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the promotion of stabilization, recovery, and conflict prevention;

13. Once again underlines the imperative of mainstreaming the dimension of peace, security and development in the continued implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to silence the guns in Africa, given its positive impact on the stabilization of the Continent;

14. Once again urges the AU Commission and RECs/RMs to scale up the support to Member States, in holistically addressing the underlying structural root causes, drivers and enablers of violent conflicts in Africa; while stressing the importance of state-building and the development of strong, resilient state institutions as critical foundations for sustainable peace and Development in Africa;

15. Reiterates the request for the Chairperson of the Commission to further enhance the collaboration and coordination among the different departments within the AU Commission and AU Specialized Agencies, in order to effectively support the PSC in promoting the Nexus Approach, as well as the request for the Chairperson of the Commission to regularly submit an annual report to the PSC on the measures taken to this end;  

16. Stresses the need for convening a forum to exchange lessons learned from the African Continent on the various mechanisms and institutions designed to advance PCRD efforts, in coordination with the AU Champion on PCRD, notably the African Solidarity Initiative (ASI), launched in July 2012, the Multidisciplinary Assessment Missions (MAMs), the African Solidarity Conferences, and the AU Technical Assistance Missions;

17. Recognizes the imperative of operationalizing the African Union Humanitarian Agency, in Kampala, Uganda, to enhance Africa's capacity to address humanitarian crises, promote resilience, and advance the peace-security-development nexus, by ensuring coordinated and comprehensive responses to humanitarian challenges that support long-term peace, stability, and sustainable development across the continent;

18. Welcomes the establishment of the AU Working Group on PCRD, co-chaired by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security and the Chief Executive Officer of the AUDA-NEPAD; with the mandate of coordinating peacebuilding efforts among the key stakeholders;

19. Calls for robust popularization of the peace, security and development nexus and its PCRD programmes; looks forward to the organization of the 4^th edition of the AU PCRD Awareness Week in November 2024, and strongly encourages the AU Commission, AU Member States, AU Centers of Excellence, the UN and other AU partners to actively participate in the commemoration of the Awareness Week, to further strengthen PCRD efforts throughout the Continent, to effectively build and consolidate peace and prevent relapses in Member States in post-conflict settings;

20. Looks forward to the launching of the maiden AU Journal on Peacebuilding, and PCRD, that is intended to be a platform for African experts and decision makers to regularly share their perspectives on peacebuilding efforts in the Continent; and

21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. 

COMMENTS