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Peace and Security Cluster

Peace and Security Cluster. 10 th Regional Coordination Mechanism, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5-6 November 2009 Convener, DPA/United Nations Liaison Office with the AU DPKO/AU Peace Support Team, AU Peace and Security Architecture sub-cluster

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Peace and Security Cluster

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  1. Peace and Security Cluster 10th Regional Coordination Mechanism, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5-6 November 2009 Convener, DPA/United Nations Liaison Office with the AU DPKO/AU Peace Support Team, AU Peace and Security Architecture sub-cluster Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR-ERO), HRJR sub-cluster United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), PCRD sub-cluster

  2. Introduction • The Cluster met at both Cluster and sub-cluster level; • A draft Business Plan was submitted to the AUC for their views and comments, towards the end of 2009; • However, bearing in mind the recommendation stemming from the 9th RCM it was decided to wait for the adoption by the AUC of their Strategic Plan for 2009-2012 in order to finalize the business-plan; • AU’s ownership and leadership: one cluster meeting and one sub-cluster meeting took place the AU HQs at the invitation of the AUC.

  3. Introduction • The AU’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2012 is built on four pillars. Pillar one deals with peace and security, and therefore, we have every reason to believe that issues of peace and security will continue to dominate AU-UN relations for the foreseeable future. • On the occasion of the signing of the Declaration on UN-AU Cooperation Framework for the Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme for the AU, it was agreed to focus attention on peace and security for obvious reasons, at least for the first three years. • This Tenth RCM takes on particular importance because of the Review of the work done within the context of the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme after the first three years. • Importance of the Forthcoming visit to the Commission of the AU to be undertaken by a delegation of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, whose agenda include 4 African Countries (Guinea-Bissau; Sierra Leone; Burundi; and the Central African Republic).

  4. Activities of the Peace and Security Cluster • Desk-to-desk consultative meeting: UN/DPA as coordinator of the Cluster, in close collaboration with the Commission of the AU, had organized two Desk-to-Desk meetings on the Prevention and Management of Conflicts. i) Representatives of RECs participated in both exercises. ii) Thematic issues and country situations were discussed. iii) A set of far-reaching recommendations were made. • Mediation: i) MSU/DPA, the AUC, and other Partners have finalized a Work Programme for 2009-2011 :“Enhancing the AU Mediation Capacity”: ii) Two “Lessons Learned Workshops” in Nairobi, Kenya, in April and August 2009 focused on 4 mediations processes: Kenya , Darfur, Somalia and Guinea-Bissau’. The objective of these exercises was: a) to contribute to making AU-UN mediation partnerships; b) to establish a common set of policy, strategic and operational guidelines on AU-UN cooperation during various stages of mediation processes.

  5. Activities of the Peace and Security Cluster • Mediation: i) These efforts culminated in the Seminar on the theme, “Enhancing the Capacity of the AU in Mediation” that was held in Addis Ababa from the 15th - 17th October 2009, on the occasion of which the seminar participants (which included AU Special Envoys) considered the report Commissioned by UN/DPA on the Plan of Action to build the AU’s Mediation Capacity. • The Panel of the Wise: DPA provided a consultant to help with the setting-up of the Secretariat of the POW. Now it is up and running.

  6. Activities of the Peace and Security Cluster • Electoral Assistance i) EAD/DPA, at the request of the DEAU/DPA/AUC, provided a consultant to work on capacity-building (4Months). A second consultant is currently helping to develop and manage a database/rosters of African Technical Assistance and Election Observers. ii) EAD/DPA is ready whenever the DEAU expresses the need to deploy another expert to help with the management of their Electoral Assistance Fund.

  7. Sub-cluster on the Peace and Security Architecture of the AU • Cooperation focusing on ASF, the CEWS i) Priorities for support remain the development of capacity for planning, deploying and managing peace support missions, including financial and logistics management. ii) At the request of the AUC the AU/PST has been providing support towards the development of the ASF Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC), police capacity, and the logistics support concept. iii) In addition to that, AU/PST has been facilitating training requirements such as senior Mission Leadership Training. A number of specific projects focusing on the three AU’s priority areas were planned (planning, mission management and logistic and resource management).

  8. Sub-cluster on the Peace and Security Architecture of the AU iv) DPKO also facilitated a senior level retreat for AU and its regional capabilities, held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 18-19 May 2009 with a view to developing a cadre of senior leaders for future AU missions, and as part of the ASF training and implementation plan. v) DPKO-AU/PST, on behalf of the sub-cluster, continues to work closely with the AU for ASF development, a main feature of which is a major assessment of progress in 2010 AMANI AFRICA . vi) This is done through active engagement in all ASF activities, especially the implementation of the Amani Africa Cycle Activities. The Amani Africa Cycle is a collaborative efforts between the AU and EU in the context of AU/EU Strategic Partnership. The Amani Cycle is a series of tranining activities that is expected to culminate in the conduct of an AU.

  9. Sub-cluster on the Peace and Security Architecture of the AU vii) DPKO, on behalf of the sub-cluster, and through AU/PST continues to work closely with the AU and the Partners on the operalization of the ASF in Logistics area. PST is providing advice on practical terms referring to studies leading to establishing the AU ASF Continental Logistics Base and regional depots based on RECs/RM requirement. viii) The development of ASF Logistic Manual is one of the most recent area of PST engagement in ASF logistics; ix) The Department of Peacekeeping operation has also contributed to the development of the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) through cooperation between its Situation Centre and the AU’s Situation Room.

  10. Sub-cluster on the Peace and Security Architecture of the AU The SG report on Support to AU Peacekeeping Operation authorized by the UN. It deals with modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations, including the following: i) Concrete steps to be taken by the UN and the AU to strengthen their mutual relationship and develop a more effective partnership when addressing issues on their joint Agenda; ii) The use of UN-assessed funding for African Union-led and UN-authorized peacekeeping operations on a case-by-case basis (for up to six months) to be provided mainly in kind and only when there is an intention to transition the mission to a UN peacekeeping operation; iii) The establishment of a voluntary based multi-donor trust fund to focus on comprehensive capacity-building; iv) The consideration by the African Union to develop its logistics capacity through innovative options;

  11. Sub-cluster on Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development PCRD • The Office of the UNHCR, Chair of the Sub-Cluster on Post-Conflict reconstruction and Development continues to provide the AUC with multi-faceted support through secondment of staff, policy research and development, mobilization of support and information sharing. i) The support extended to the AU in 2009 included the assignment of a full-time consultant and one support staff to assist with the preparations of the Summit, mobilization of support including financial resources for the organization of the first AU Special Summit, and the production of various publications. ii) UNHCR, on behalf of and in collaboration with some members of the sub-cluster supported the AUC in the development of the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of IDPs – the first such legally binding international legal instrument in the world.

  12. Sub-cluster on Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) iii) The sub-cluster published and widely distributed twelve comprehensive assessment reports on countries emerging from conflict. (Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda were identified as conflict-affected area and included in the work of the sub-cluster). iv) UNHCR opened a dedicated office/representation to the AUC and the ECA at the beginning of 2009.

  13. Sub-cluster on Human Rights, Justice and Reconciliation • Pursuant to UNGA Resolution 61/296 of 17th September 2007 calling on the United Nations and the African Union, “To develop a coherent and effective strategy, including through joint programmes and activities for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa,”: i) the OHCHR/EARO on behalf of sub-cluster organized a consultative meeting in the margins of the 43rd session of the ACHPR in May 2008, in Swaziland. Following the consultative meeting, a set of recommendations were made regarding the development of a comprehensive human rights strategy for Africa. ii) It is against this background that an International Consultant was hired for the purpose of mapping existing scattered human rights strategies programmes and plans of action being implemented through the institutional framework of various AU and other regional organs.

  14. Sub-cluster on Human Rights, Justice and Reconciliation iii) Leading subsequently to the drafting of a roadmap for the development and adoption of an Africa-wide human rights strategy. iv) The findings of the Consultant will be presented to an Experts’ Meeting scheduled to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, later this month (Nov. 2009). v) A series of regional conferences on improved interaction between the Universal Periodic Review, the APRM, and the Right to Development are planned. vi) A joint publication on the issue of the death penalty is expected to be finalized in the coming months. Furthermore, a joint AU-UN public lecture series on human rights will also commence before the end of 2009.

  15. Sub-cluster on Human Rights, Justice and Reconciliation vii) A workshop entitled “Enhancing Cooperation between regional and international mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights - a Consultation for Africa” will take place in Addis Ababa from 30 November to December 2009. vii) A second international workshop will be held in 2010 in Geneva. Before the second international workshop, OHCHR hopes to carry out regional consultations in Africa, the Americas and Europe. This initiative is led by the OHCHR in close cooperation with relevant AU organs and has been discussed and developed through the sub-cluster . viii) The workshop is expected to be attended by 120 participants from UN and AU human rights organs, African national human rights institutions, AU member states, independent experts and NGOs.

  16. Challenges • Three years after the signing of the “Declaration on UN-AU Cooperation: Framework for the Ten-year Capacity-Building Programme”: i) Most UN and AU officials area still unfamiliar with the document!!! ii) This could be a possible explanation for the lack of proper ownership and leadership required for the effective implementation of the programme.

  17. The way forward • The Peace and Security Cluster will draw inspiration from the AUC ’s Strategic Plan (2009-2012): the draft Business Plan of the Cluster could be revised in order to reflect the peace and security Pillar of the Plan; • The RECs should be closely associated with the work of the Peace and Security Cluster. • AU Ownership and leadership of the review process of the 10-Year Capacity Building Programme for the AU must be ensured ; • The AU-UN Retreat as proposed by the ES/ECA in an effort to exchange views on how best to proceed with the effective implementation of the Ten-Year Programme should be pursued vigorously.

  18. Conclusion • The 18 September 2009 SG report on Support to AU peacekeeping operations authorized by the UN will introduce a new dynamic in the AU-UN relations, within the context of the 10-Year Capacity Building Programme for the AU • The forthcoming review of the 10-Year Programme would allow the UN-AU partnership: i) to agree on what the priorities should be for the next three years, and ii) to chart a new course to strengthen even further the strategic partnership between our two Organizations.

  19. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!!

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