Minister Coveney addresses UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and the AU

Press release

 The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D., today spoke at a high level meeting of the UN Security Council chaired by Kenya on regional cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union.

Reflecting on the conflict trends and dynamics in Africa and globally, the meeting looked at ways to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations, the African Union and other regional organisations to support international peace and security.

The Minister emphasised Ireland’s commitment to working with the African Union, and welcomed recent progress in strengthening the partnership between the AU and the UN.  He noted the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had across the continent and the need for ongoing co-operation to address this challenge. 

The Minister underlined the importance of effective collaboration between the UN and AU to address issues such as climate change, to strengthen peacekeeping, and to respond to developments in specific countries, such as Sudan and Ethiopia.

‘The AU and regional organisations in Africa have an instrumental role in responding to crises and building lasting peace, not least through encouraging good governance and democratic transitions. Together, when faced with crises, the UN and the AU can make a concerted push for peace.’

The Minister highlighted the work of women, young people and civil society across the globe in addressing peace and security challenges.

‘Cooperation between the UN and the AU is essential for putting Women, Peace and Security at the heart of peace operations and crisis management. The voices of young people, civil society, political actors, and NGOs are vital. We must ensure the protection of spaces for their voices to be heard.’

The Minister concluded: ‘The challenges we face are more complex and interconnected than ever. Only by working together can we address them.’

ENDS

Note to Editors

•             This is the last signature events of Kenya’s Presidency of the Council in the month of October.

•             The meeting was chaired by the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta.

•             The briefers included the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the African Union High Representative for the Peace Fund, Donald Kaberuka.

•             The meeting is available to view on UN Web TV: http://webtv.un.org/

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