Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, at the UNSC Open Debate on the Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations: African Union - October 11th, 2022

Thank you, Mr. President.

Let me begin by thanking the Gabonese Republic and Your Excellency, Minister Moussa-Adamo, for organizing this open debate and for the commitment to keep the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union as a central topic of this Council’s agenda.

I also thank Secretary-General Guterres and Commissioner Faki-Mahamat for their invaluable reflections.

Mr. President,

Our statement focuses on two major aspects.

The first one is the link between security and development, especially in Africa.

A helpful point of departure is the Agenda 2063, that pioneering report published by the African Union Commission, the subtitle of which is “The Africa We Want.”

The study reiterates how the people of Africa and its diaspora have committed to act together toward achieving two main aspirations:

On the one hand, “a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development” and, on the other, “a peaceful and secure Africa”.

The people of Africa and its diaspora also “recognize that a prosperous, integrated and united Africa, based on good governance, democracy, social inclusion and respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law are necessary pre-conditions for a peaceful and conflict-free continent”.

And therein lies the very core of the link between security and development, which are not only closely interlinked but also mutually reinforcing.

We deem it vital that the United Nations and the African Union always strive to adopt comprehensive and integrated approaches to address the economic, political, and social dimensions of conflict-affected African countries.

The second aspect we will focus on, Mr. President, is the coordination between the United Nations and the African Union to address peace and security challenges, not only in terms of peacekeeping operations but also in conflict prevention.

In their efforts to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development, conflict-affected African countries have long faced complex and multifaceted challenges beyond the military and traditional security realms.

This intricacy is a major reason why we should analyze each conflict's political, economic, and social dimensions while looking for adequate responses.

In that regard, a reform of the Security Council is long overdue and the representation of Africa is a central point to tackle African and global challenges.

We commend the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security for its continued significance amid evolving challenges across Africa.

The joint framework constitutes a structured dialogue.

We recognize how it provides a predictable platform for increased coordination between the two organizations.

We also commend how the joint framework strengthens multilateralism and the core values the United Nations and the African Union jointly share.

Mr. President,

Let me conclude with a quick comment on the African Union Theme of the Year for 2022, which is “strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent.”

It is crucial to underline, once again, that security and development are not only closely interlinked but also mutually reinforcing.

Local, resilient food production with sustainable practices, for instance, is key to nutrition and food security.

We commend the efforts to enhance the United Nations-African Union partnership, which is vital to strengthen food security resilience in Africa.

Aside from that, we call upon the international community to scale up its support for, on the one hand, nationally defined development and peacebuilding priorities and, on the other, comprehensive and integrated approaches to conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding in Africa.

And I thank you.