UN, AU and EU leaders pledge joint push for peace in Africa

• The United Nations, African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) have reaffirmed their commitment to peace and sustainable development in Africa, pledging deeper cooperation to end conflicts, support stability and tackle global challenges from debt to climate change.

• Meeting at UN Headquarters in New York on the margins of the General Assembly high-level week, the leaders of the three organisations issued a joint communique after their sixth trilateral meeting.

Key points of the joint communique:

• They reiterated their support for multilateralism as the most effective way to address today’s challenges, stressing adherence to the UN Charter and voiced concern over rising disregard for international humanitarian law and human rights worldwide.

• Much of the communique focused on African crises, notably the devastating war in Sudan, now in its third year. 

• The three organisations called for intensified collective support to secure an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustainable solution through inclusive political dialogue.

• They also pledged stronger coordination in the Sahel, where violence by armed groups continues to destabilise communities and reaffirmed support for reconciliation and development efforts.

• Regarding Libya, they endorsed the UN roadmap to revive the stalled political process, while urging continued efforts to address migration challenges in line with humanitarian standards.

• The communique also expressed support for ongoing peace initiatives in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), backing both the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council’s recent resolution.

• On Somalia, the three organisations reiterated support for the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission, stressing the need for sustainable financing to ensure effective operations.

• Looking ahead, the UN, AU and EU said they would deepen trilateral cooperation to advance African-led solutions to peace and security challenges.

• They highlighted Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as guiding frameworks and noted preparations for the AU-EU Summit in Angola this November.

African Union

• The African Union is a continental body consisting of 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.

• It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

• On May 25, 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the 32 African states that had achieved independence at that time agreed to establish the OAU.

• A further 21 members joined gradually, reaching a total of 53 by the time of the African Union’s launch in 2002. In 2011, South Sudan became the 54th Member State, and in 2017, Morocco became the 55th Member State.

• The OAU was the manifestation of the pan-African vision for an Africa that was united, free and in control of its own destiny and this was solemnised in the OAU Charter.

• Through the 1990s, leaders debated the need to amend the OAU’s structures to reflect the challenges of a changing world. 

• In 1999, the OAU heads of State and government issued the Sirte Declaration calling for the establishment of a new African Union. 

• The vision for the Union was to build on the OAU’s work by establishing a body that could accelerate the process of integration in Africa, support the empowerment of African states in the global economy and address the multifaceted social, economic and political problems facing the continent. In total, four summits were held in the lead up to the official launching of the African Union.

• The African Union was officially launched in July 2002 during Durban Summit.

• A significant number of OAU structures were carried forward into the African Union. Similarly, many of the OAU’s core commitments, decisions and strategy frameworks continue to frame AU policies. 

• The decision to re-launch Africa’s pan-African organisation was the outcome of a consensus by African leaders that in order to realise Africa’s potential, there was a need to refocus attention from the fight for decolonisation and ridding the continent of apartheid, which had been the focus of the OAU, towards increased cooperation and integration of African states to drive Africa’s growth and economic development.

• The African Union’s headquarters is situated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.