Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC debate "Peace and Security in Africa: The impact of development policies in the implementation of the Silencing the Guns Initiative"
Mme.President,
We welcome personal participation of President Nyusi in this meeting of the Security Council. We thank the invited briefers for sharing their insights.
Russia supports the Mozambican Presidency in choosing the topic for this meeting. We repeatedly stressed the importance of considering the impact of the entire range of socio-economic issues on peace and security.
We agree with the assessments provided in the Concept Note for this meeting that the causes of many today’s conflicts in Africa stem from the continent’s past which was marred by colonialism, slavery and pillaging of natural resources. Unfortunately, decolonization processes of 1960s did not always lead to the new independent states obtaining full-fledged economic and political sovereignty. Direct oppression was replaced with sophisticated forms of neo-colonialism, which even today contributes to the rooting of economic underdevelopment, poverty and political instability in African countries. Many African states have been suffering from unilateral restrictions and sanctions for decades. These problems can cause new and exacerbate the existing conflicts.
In order to establish a lasting peace, it is essential to understand the underlying causes of conflicts, where each one has its own genesis and specifics. To resolve those conflicts, a comprehensive approach is required that apart from a political process should also include measures in the area of development. The ultimate goal of such efforts is to give states the opportunity to ensure well-being, safety and security of their citizens by their own efforts.
At the same time, we are being very cautious about this linkage between sustaining peace, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping on the one side and sustainable development and Agenda-2030 on the other. Of course, there is a connection, but not always a direct one. It is essential to underscore that peace as such is not a guarantee for development and vice versa. Besides, we have concerns regarding the proliferating trend to link some elements of sustainable development to security, for example climate, water resources, etc. This diverts attention from assistance to development per se and undermines this agenda in the UN system.
Many countries in Africa, whether they have lived through a conflict or not, need support through transfer of technology and expertise, development of industries and agriculture, reconstruction of infrastructure, and social protection. Efforts in the area of development should encourage social unity and ensure just distribution of economic profits.
We proceed from the understanding that provision of material and technical assistance to African states is a moral obligation of developed countries, many of which owe their well-being to the resources that had been pumped out of the African continent. This being said, developed countries still fail to implement the obligations that they assumed half a century ago, according to which the official assistance for development should be upped to 0.7% of the GDP. In 2021, it stood only at 0.33%, meaning that developing nations may fall short on gratuitous assistance by at least $200 billion yearly.
At the same time, we must note that international support must be provided only with consent of the host government, in accordance with its priorities and with respect to national sovereignty. It is unacceptable for the donors to condition assistance on political demands and link it to the situation of human rights or other random factors. We believe that it is the political settlement of the conflict and the stabilization of the security situation, as well as transition to sustainable development, that lay the foundation for improving the situation with human rights and establishing democratic institutions in a particular country, and not vice versa.
By all means, main responsibility for prevention of conflicts and overcoming their consequences rests with African states. In recent decades, Africa has come a long way in terms of forming a regional peace and security architecture. In today's difficult conditions, given turbulence in global politics and economy, African countries are taking more robust action to find regional solutions to emerging problems and strive to pursue an independent and sovereign foreign and domestic policy.
We welcome the increasing role of the African Union and sub-regional organizations in prevention and mediation in disputes and conflicts. Adoption of a roadmap to follow up on the flagship AU initiative on silencing the guns in Africa (which was extended until 2030) was a crucial development.
Against this backdrop, we believe it is reasonable that African states raise the issue of providing material and financial assistance by the UN to support their efforts in the area of peace and security.
Mr.President,
It is common knowledge that back in the day, the Soviet Union rendered immense assistance to African nations in their fight against colonialism, racism, and apartheid; helped African states attain and protect sovereignty; consistently supported evolving statehoods; assisted in building defense capacity, creating the basis for national economies, personnel training. With Soviet assistance, Africa constructed many industrial enterprises, started whole new branches, built critical infrastructure and social facilities that formed a solid prerequisite for stability and peaceful development for many countries.
Russia engages continuously to help with ensuring peace and security in Africa, whereby we help African states to develop anti-crisis potentials of their own. One of our tracks of cooperation is formation of efficient armed forces and law enforcement, i.a. with a view to countering the terrorist threat. Military officers from dozens of African states are currently taking courses in higher education facilities of the Russian Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Priority attention is paid to the transfer of technology and expertise free of preconditions, as well as development of industry and critical infrastructure on the continent. Russia takes part in implementing projects in the area of industrialization, digitalization, and agriculture in Africa. We continue to help with generation of electric energy, which now covers only 25% of the continent’s needs. We offer new ecofriendly technologies, first of all in the area of atomic energy.
Russia steps up the practice of providing state-sponsored grants for free training of Africans in such areas as medicine, education, high tech, transportation, and other civilian occupations. We also develop cooperation at such tracks as healthcare, ensuring biological and epidemic safety, which are crucial for the African region.
Russia provides assistance to African states through the mechanisms of the UN Development System, including WFP, WHO, UNIDO, UNDP, FAO.
We help alleviate Africa’s debt burden. By this moment, more than $20 billion of African debt has been written off as part of the initiative on Debt Relief Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries.
Our subsequent cooperation with Africa will be discussed at the second Russia-Africa summit to take place on 26-29 July in St.Petersburg. Its slogan is going to be consonant with the topic of this meeting – “For peace, security, and development”. Joint work on the flagship initiative of the African Union on silencing the guns in Africa by 2030 is included in the draft Action Plan for cooperation between the Russian Federation and the African Union for the period 2023-2025 that we anticipate will be adopted at the summit. We hope that its results will contribute to the overall normalization of the state of affairs on the African continent.
Thank you.
