Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at the meeting of the Group of Friends of the United Nations/African Union Partnership
Dear colleagues,
We thank the Co-Chairs for convening this meeting of the Group. We appreciate the insights of other panelists and colleagues in the room.
Africa is facing numerous challenges. The number of armed conflicts is growing and the terrorist threat is spreading. The situation is further complicated by the consequences of COVID pandemic, socio-economic grievances and humanitarian problems.
At the same time we see that the profile of African Union and subregional organizations is rising. There is a clearly expressed intention by Africans to take the resolution of their problems in their own hands. In current geopolitical realities it is another clear sign that the emergence of a multipolar world is under way. Obviously, it is the right time to pursue, above all, national interests and the interests of the continent.
It is very important that we see a new impetus from African Union towards forming consensus of African countries on global issues, including on UN affairs. The voice of AU and African countries has strengthened considerably in the UN General Assembly, as it was recently demonstrated on peacekeeping, as well as in the Security Council. This contributes positively to the UN discussions, helping to channel them in a balanced way, favoring a swift and fair resolution of conflicts and resistance to unjustified pressure. A good example is a simultaneous adoption of two resolutions on DRC two days ago. The mandate of MONUSCO was reshaped in accordance with the current situation and Kinshasa priorities, efforts of the regional leaders and organizations got support, notification regime for arms supply to the Government was lifted.
At the same time it is clear that resources remain insufficient and in the current state of world affairs they will become even more scarce. They are needed not only to AU operations, but also to political processes and preventive diplomacy, as well as to further strengthening the institutional capacity of the regional architecture of peace and security. In this regard it is of paramount importance that a broad agreement is reached in the African Union on key modalities of the African Union Peace Fund and other related steps, including in the UN. We are also looking forward to the report of the Secretary General on progress made on UN support to African efforts in the field of peace and security. We hope that the SG will be in a position to provide a balanced and objective assessment of the situation with practical recommendations. On our part, Russia stands ready to take an active part in the consideration of the issue in the UNSC, including in the format of AU Peace and Security Council-UN Security Council.
