Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1236th meeting held on 22 October 2024 on Joint Meeting Between the PSC and the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) Sub-Committee on General Supervision and Coordination on Budgetary, Financial and Administrative Matters and F-15 Technical Experts, on Financing Peace Support Operations and Activities of the Peace and Security Council.

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling all relevant AU Assembly decisions, particularly Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.868 (XXVII)],  adopted by the 37^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in Addis Ababa from 17 to 18 February 2024, paragraphs 43 in which, after taking note of the utilization of the Crisis Reserve Facility of the AU Peace Fund, the Assembly urged  Member States, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), the private sector and partners for increased support in mobilizing more resources into the Peace Fund; [Assembly/AU/Dec.842 (XXXVI)] adopted at the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held in Addis Ababa, from 18 to 19 February 2023 which adopted the ‘Consensus Paper on Predictable, Adequate and Sustainable Financing for African Union Peace and Security Activities’;

Also recalling its previous decisions and pronouncements on financing of AU PSOs, particularly, Communiqué [PSC/MIN/COMM.1175 (2023)] adopted at its 1175^th meeting held at Ministerial level, on 23 September 2023 in New York, United States of America, and Communiqué [PSC/MIN/COMM.1153 (2023)] adopted at its 1153^rd meeting held on 12 May 2023;

Acknowledging that the primary responsibility for promoting international peace and security rests with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in terms of the UN Charter;

Reaffirming the AU commitment to find lasting solutions to the perennial institutional capacity challenges facing AU Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and the activities of the Peace and Security Council; 

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 presentations by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; and by Ms. Dagmawit Morges, the Director of the AU Peace Fund; and

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

1. Welcomes the Joint Session and commends the PRC Sub-Committee on General Supervision and Coordination on Budgetary, Financial and Administrative Matters and the F-15 Technical Experts for the commitment to work towards finding durable solutions to the perennial challenge of ensuring adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding for AU PSOs and AU peace and security activities in general;

2. Takes note, with concern, of the perennial financing challenges facing AU-led PSOs and AU peace and security efforts in general and reiterates the commitment to continue to deploy efforts aimed at finding lasting solutions;

3. Commends the AU Commission for the relentless efforts in the mobilization of financial resources for AU led PSOs, and for the efforts towards the operationalization of the framework of the UN Security Council resolution  2719 (2023);

4. Also commends the outreach activities of the AU Peace Fund Secretariat to the private sector, particularly, the convening of a high-level pledging event during the Mid-Year Coordination Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, in July 2024; and in this connection, commends Member States that have completed their financial obligations to the AU Peace Fund and urges those that are yet to complete such obligation to urgently do so and encourages the Peace Fund Secretariat to continue deploying efforts to effectively mobilize additional resources for the AU Peace Fund, including by exploring modalities for encouraging Member States and the African Private sector to make additional voluntary contributions to the Fund;

5. Stresses the importance of developing innovative financial mechanisms that can enhance the AU’s capacity to respond swiftly to emerging security threats, particularly the need for ensuring that all AU-led PSOs are fully funded through UN-assessed contributions, including through framework UNSC resolution 2719 (2023) and other international funding frameworks.

6. Mindful of the primary responsibility of the UNSC for the maintenance of international peace and security, as enshrined in the UN Charter, strongly recommends that the UNSC should positively consider the application of UNSC Resolution 2719 to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM);

7. Welcomes the endorsement by the AU Commission Chairperson, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat and the UN Secretary-General H.E Antonio Guterres, of the AU-UN Implementation Roadmap for the operationalization of UN Security Council resolution 2719 during the just concluded 8^th AU-UN Annual Conference held in Addis Ababa on 21 October 2024; and looks forward to receiving an update on the status of implementation of the Roadmap;

8. Commends all Member States that have continued to contribute personnel (troop/police), financial, material as well as technical resources to AU-led PSOs and strongly encourages other Member States to emulate such contributions;

9. Pays tribute to the personnel of all AU-mandated, led, and authorized PSOs in Africa, particularly those who have paid the supreme sacrifice and wishes speedy recovery to all those who have sustained injuries.

10. Requests the AU and UN to put in place all necessary mechanisms to facilitate expeditious implementation of resolution 2719 and other relevant funding mechanisms to support AU PSOs, in order to ensure sustainable and predictable funding of AU-led PSOs;

11. Recommends the use of part of the interest accrued from the AU Peace Fund investment, including the Crisis Reserve Facility (CRF),[1]^,[2] to substantially contribute to the financing of the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in line with the AU Consensus Paper on Predictable, Adequate and Sustainable Financing of Peace and Security Activities in Africa;

12. Underscores the importance of leveraging on the lessons learnt from AMISOM and ATMIS to ensure that AUSSOM is guaranteed adequate, sustainable and predictable funding. In this regard predictability, adequacy and sustainability of funds are essential for the AUSSOM to efficiently fulfil its mandate in a timely manner;

13. Stresses the important role of the Post-Conflict, Reconstruction, and Development (PCRD) Programs in supporting Member States emerging from conflict and political transitions by building strong and resilient state institutions, and encouraged partners and stakeholders to invest and provide necessary support for implementing such programs, in complementarity with the PSOs, and its support through Window Two of the Peace Fund, and also notes the importance of the Development, Peace and Security Nexus in addressing root causes of conflicts on the Continent;

14. Emphasizes the need for the AU Commission to continue to strengthen its partnerships with external donors and potential new funders, particularly the private sector, to ensure long-term sustainability for PSOs, especially by advocating for more flexible funding conditions to meet the immediate and long-term requirements of  AU-led missions  including AUSSOM;

15. Reiterates the call for the AU Commission to ensure that the PSC has its own dedicated pool of interpreters and translators, in order to facilitate the activities of the PSC, including in addressing urgent and emergency situations and, in this regard, agrees that the PSC budget should always include the budget for interpreters and translators dedicated to the PSC activities; and in the same vein, calls for the review of the annual budget ceiling for PSC activities.

16. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS