General Issues relating to Africa
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The three African members of the UN Security Council, known as the A3, have come of age as a cohesive and influential group, shaping both country-specific and thematic discussions within the UN Security Council. Over the years, they have steadily enhanced their coordination in pursuit of a common African position on the various items on the Council’s agenda. This growing unity is most visibly reflected in their increasingly consistent practice of speaking with one voice—delivering joint statements and presenting unified positions during Council meetings. In addition, the A3 have in recent years organised themselves as a cohesive negotiating bloc with the ability to significantly shape Council outcomes. Both individually and collectively, the A3 have also played an increasingly active role in spearheading Council products on key African priorities, thus enhancing their influence in the Council. This In Hindsight provides a preview of our upcoming research report on the burgeoning role of the A3 in the Security Council.
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Tomorrow afternoon (9 July), Sierra Leone will convene an Arria-formula meeting titled “The Global Race for Critical Minerals: Addressing Resource-Driven Insecurity in Africa”. Guyana and incoming Council members the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia are co-sponsoring the...
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Tomorrow (23 May), Mozambique will convene an open debate on strengthening the role of African states in addressing global security and development challenges as a signature event of its May Council presidency. Briefings are expected from UN Secretary-General António Guterres,...
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Expected Council Action Mozambique will convene a debate on strengthening the role of African states in addressing global security and development challenges as a signature event of its May Council presidency. Background and Key Recent Developments For many years, African...
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This afternoon (21 December), the Security Council is scheduled to vote on a draft resolution on the financing of African Union (AU)-led peace support operations (AUPSOs), which was authored by the Council’s three African members (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique, also...
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Tomorrow morning (25 May), the Security Council will hold a briefing on peace and security in Africa. Switzerland, May’s Council President, is convening the meeting at the request of the A3 members (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique) to discuss the Secretary-General’s...
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On Thursday (30 March), the Security Council will hold an open debate on “Peace and security in Africa: The impact of development policies in the implementation of the Silencing the Guns initiative”. The anticipated briefers are: Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser...
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Tomorrow morning (31 August), the Security Council is expected to adopt a presidential statement which was proposed by China in connection with the open debate on “Peace and security in Africa: Capacity-building for sustaining peace” held on 8 August. This...
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There has been a string of military takeovers in Africa in the last two years. Since August 2020, power has changed hands unconstitutionally six times in five countries: Burkina Faso (January 2022), Sudan (October 2021), Guinea (September 2021), Chad (April 2021), and Mali (August 2020 and May 2021). Two other African countries saw thwarted coup attempts in this period, Niger in March 2021 and Guinea-Bissau in January 2022, the latter of which led to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deploying a force to the country.
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This afternoon (15 September), the Security Council is expected to adopt a presidential statement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The draft presidential statement calls for a resumption of the negotiations led by the African Union (AU) to reach...
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Tomorrow (8 July) afternoon, the Security Council will convene for an in-person briefing on an ongoing disagreement involving Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), under the agenda item “Peace and security in Africa”. The expected...
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In May, the Security Council will hold a high-level open debate on “Addressing the root causes of conflict while promoting post-pandemic recovery in Africa”. State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi will chair the open debate, which is one of China’s signature events during its May presidency of the Security Council. Secretary-General António Guterres, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner and a representative of the AU are the expected briefers. A presidential statement may be adopted in connection with the meeting.
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Tomorrow (6 January), Tunisia is holding a high-level open videoconference (VTC) debate on the challenges faced by countries in fragile contexts, in particular on the African continent. Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed will chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chair...
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As president of the Security Council in January, Tunisia is organising an open debate on the challenges of maintaining international peace and security in fragile contexts.
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Today (29 June) Security Council members will hold an open videoconference (VTC) under the agenda item “Peace and security in Africa” to discuss an ongoing disagreement involving Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The meeting...
