Africa (Commonwealth) _ The Security Council unanimously decided today to examine requests from the African Union Peace and Security Council for authority to access United Nations assessed contributions for African-led peace assistance operations on a case-by-case basis.
By unanimously adopting resolution 2719 (2023) (to be issued as document S/2023/999), the Council acknowledged that such operations, including peace enforcement, can be deployed quickly with a mandate limited in time and an exit strategy defined from the start.
According to the wording of the resolution, support for African Union-led peacekeeping operations would include expenses and reimbursement for all kinds of assistance negotiated between the troop-police contributing country, the African Union, and the United Nations.
The text also stated that support for African Union-led peacekeeping operations will be provided in line with the UN’s Human Rights Due Diligence Policy for non-UN security forces, as well as within the regulatory and administrative framework set up by the General Assembly.
At the start of the meeting, the Council adopted — by a recorded vote of 9 in favor to none opposed, with 6 absentees (Gabon, Ghana, China, France, Mozambique, Russian Federation) — an amendment proposed by the US, under which African-led peace operations will be able to utilize funding from UN assessed contributions not greater than 75% of their each annual budgets, with the remainder to be collectively mobilized as extra-budgetary tools.
Harold Adlai Agyeman (Ghana), addressing on behalf of Gabon and Mozambique, stated the idea of the UN helping to fund African-led peacekeeping operations dates back to 1981, when then-Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, as the head of the Organization of African Unity, wrote to the Council requesting resources for deploying a pan-African peacekeeping force in Chad.
The draft resolution — put forward by the Council’s three African members — is an opportunity to tackle the issue of adequate, predictable, and viable financing, which has been the bane of African Union peace support operations, he said, moving away from the ad hoc arrangements that have previously existed.
It lays forth in clear and straightforward terms the African Union’s obligations to meeting expected criteria, the decision-making process, financing arrangements, and supervision and reporting responsibilities, he added. We think that UN assistance for enforcement actions conducted by the African Union helps all of us and serves the interests of world peace and security, he stated prior to ratification.
Before voting on the amendment, Robert A. Wood (United States) stated that the draft resolution in its initial state lacked a precise demarcation of financial burden-sharing. He stated that the modification will guarantee that all parties are on the same page regarding what the resolution entails.
Nathalie Broadhurst Estival (France) stressed the necessity of securing a consensus agreement on cost-sharing conditions in order to prevent future uncomfortable conversations and focus on effective multilateral solutions to restore peace. She also stated that France would be unable to endorse the amendment since it was unclear how the 25% not covered by assessed contributions would be met.
Vanessa Frazier (Malta) described the modified resolution as a workable compromise. She said that responsibility for sponsoring missions should not be assigned to a single country or regional group.
Dai Bing (China) stated that future Council discussions on supporting African Union support activities should not be tied to human rights concerns. Traditional contributors should also not lower their contributions. . He also advocated for the simplification and optimization of various peacekeeping missions to minimize duplication and waste of resources.
Anna M. Evstigneeva (Russian Federation) backed the expansion of collaboration among the African Union, the United Nations, and sub regional organizations based on the premise of “African solutions for African problems.” She stated that today’s resolution will strengthen the sustainability of resources for the preservation of peace and security in Africa, with the African Union taking the lead.
Representatives from Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Gabon, Japan, Mozambique, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates also spoke today.
