Security Council hears UN–AU prevention calls; no new decision reported

At a Security Council debate on 6 October, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to the African Union (AU), urged greater investment in conflict prevention, mediation and nationally led political solutions. He also called for predictable support for African-led peace operations and closer UN–AU coordination. Colombia’s representative backed a more proactive approach to prevention. [1]

Other speakers addressed how such operations should work. Liberia’s representative called for clear mandates, oversight, accountability and respect for humanitarian and human rights law. The US representative said AU-led operations under Security Council resolution 2719 should be small, time-limited and have clear objectives. These were national positions, not conditions agreed at the meeting. [1]

The financing appeal builds on an existing framework. Resolution 2719 provides for the Council to consider AU requests for access to UN assessed contributions case by case, according to the UN meeting account. AU, EU and UN leaders called for further use of the framework in September. In February, the UN Secretary-General said the Council had failed to agree on such funding for the AU mission in Somalia. The October account reports no mission-specific funding approval. [1] [3] [4]

France’s representative supported two permanent African seats on the Security Council with the same rights as current permanent members, including the veto. The UK’s representative expressed support for permanent African representation, without specifying seats or veto rights in the UN account. French support for two permanent seats had already been recorded in a June UN transcript, which also recorded Italy, speaking for the Uniting for Consensus group, opposing new permanent seats. [1] [5]