10 July 2018: The second African Union (AU)-UN Annual Conference agreed on continued promotion of coherent integration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africa’s Agenda 2063. The Conference reviewed implementation of the Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security and endorsed the Action Plan on the AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened the second AU-UN Annual Conference, which took place at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The annual Conference is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the relationship between the AU and the UN. It covered a wide range of topics.
The AUC Chairperson and the UN Secretary-General expressed their commitment to further strengthen the collaboration and partnership between the AU and UN, emphasizing the importance of multilateralism and multi-lateral organizations in addressing global issues and ensuring effective international governance. They underscored the importance of collaboration, cooperation and coordination based on the principles of complementarity, comparative advantage, burden sharing and collective responsibility to respond coherently, early and decisively to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts.
On synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, the Conference agreed on the continued importance of promoting coherent integration of both agendas into national development frameworks and building monitoring and evaluation and analytical capacities at national and regional levels. They recognized the role of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa and the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in implementing both agendas. The Conference urged international partners to support Africa’s efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 as a precondition for achieving peace, security and development in Africa.
The UN Secretary-General stressed the world’s responsibility to ensure “African resources remain in Africa to support African development.”
The UN Secretary-General also urged the international community to take action to tackle illicit financing flows and related challenges of money laundering and tax evasion. He stressed the world’s responsibility to support Africa to ensure “African resources remain in Africa to support African development.”
On institutional reform, the Conference reviewed progress towards enhancing effectiveness and ensuring that the AU and UN are fit for purpose. They agreed to continue to share experiences and best practices in support of the AU and UN reform processes, including through staff exchange.
On peace and security, the AUC Chairperson and the UN Secretary-General called for further strengthening a comprehensive, integrated and coordinated approach to conflict prevention by addressing the root causes of conflicts, strengthening respect for the rule of law and political processes, and promoting inclusive, sustainable development. The Conference also discussed peace, security and development challenges in Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Lake Chad Basin, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Madagascar, Mali and the Sahel, Somalia and South Sudan. In a press encounter following the Conference, the UN Secretary-General observed that dramatic crisis situations remain but stressed “we feel a wind blowing in the direction of peace.”
The AUC Chairperson and the UN Secretary-General agreed to convene the next AU-UN Annual Conference on New York, the US, in 2019 and to meet on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the AU Summit. [AU Press Release] [UNECA Press Release] [UN Press Release] [UN Secretary-General Press Encounter] [Communiqué]