UN-AU Cooperation
Expected Council Action
In October, the Council is expected to hold a briefing on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, focusing on the African Union (AU). Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the AU and Head of the UN Office to the AU (UNOAU) Parfait Onanga-Anyanga is the anticipated briefer. Onanga-Anyanga is expected to present the Secretary-General’s annual report on strengthening the partnership between the UN and the AU on issues of peace and security in Africa, including the work of the UNOAU, during the meeting.
Key Recent Developments
The annual report, published on 25 August (S/2025/532), describes the partnership between the UN and the AU in conflict prevention and peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace support operations, peacebuilding and the rule of law, and countering terrorism and violent extremism. It also highlights the state of peace and security in Africa, including, among other things, the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Sudan crisis and its regional spillover effect, the political and security situation in South Sudan, the political impasse in Libya, and the security situation and political transition processes in West Africa and the Sahel.
Additionally, the Secretary-General’s report provides updates on the cooperation between the UN Secretariat and the AU Commission. The eighth UN-AU annual conference, which brought together the senior leadership of both organisations—including the UN Secretary-General and the AU Chairperson—was held in October last year in Addis Ababa. This annual meeting, which alternates between Addis Ababa and New York, serves as a valuable platform for reviewing progress in the implementation of the various cooperation frameworks signed by the two organisations. This year, New York will host the ninth annual conference, although the exact dates are yet to be confirmed. It will also mark the first time the AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and other newly elected members of the Commission will participate in the annual conference, following their election earlier this year.
During the Russian Security Council Presidency in October, the 19th annual joint consultative meeting of the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) will also be held. The annual meeting rotates between New York and Addis Ababa; this year’s meeting will be held in Addis Ababa on 17 October. The annual consultation is expected to be preceded on 16 October by the tenth informal joint seminar of the Security Council and the AUPSC. Usually, members of the two Councils exchange views on thematic issues during the joint informal seminar.
Over the last couple of years, the AU Committee of Experts has visited New York before the annual consultations to meet with Security Council counterparts and negotiate the draft outcome document. Two years ago, for the first time, Security Council experts travelled to Addis Ababa in preparation for the 17th annual consultations and met with their AUPSC counterparts. This year, for the second time, they are expected to arrive in Addis Ababa on 13 October before the 18th annual consultations to meet with their Security Council counterparts and negotiate the joint communiqué to be adopted at the end of the annual consultations. At the time of writing, Council members had not received an initial draft, which the AU Committee of Experts is expected to circulate as the host.
Key Issues and Options
In October, Council members will have an opportunity to focus on UN-AU cooperation, in light of the Secretary-General’s annual report on the topic and their trip to Addis Ababa for the annual consultations with AUPSC counterparts. A key issue for the Council is how to strengthen the partnership with the AUPSC across the peace continuum, ranging from conflict prevention, mediation, and conflict resolution to peacekeeping, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction, to provide a coherent and effective response to wars and other crisis situations in Africa. While the UN is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of UN peace operations, the AU is also undertaking a review to revitalise its peace and security architecture.
A possible option for Council members is to hold an informal discussion on how to ensure the necessary synergy between these processes in advancing the UN-AU partnership in peace and security.
In relation to the annual consultations between the two Councils, another major issue is how to deepen the partnership with the AU and its sub-regional mechanisms to address the most pressing peace and security situations in Africa. The members of the two Councils are expected to focus on several conflict and crisis situations in their annual consultations. These include the ongoing crisis in Sudan, the situation in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes, the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel, the dire security environment in Somalia and the funding challenges facing the AU Support Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the political gridlock in Libya, and the deteriorating political and security situation in South Sudan.
Another issue related to the annual meetings is how to encourage a more interactive exchange during the informal seminar preceding the annual consultations between the Security Council and the AUPSC. Last year, this seminar was held as a retreat outside of New York City, with an agenda aimed at fostering greater interactivity. Some of the same thematic issues may be on the agenda this year, and members may wish to explore ways of following up on some of the recommendations from last year, including on the women, peace and security agenda, which is commemorating 25 years since the adoption of its landmark resolution 1325 this year. Members may also want to explore ways of cooperating on the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism across different regions of Africa, which is an area of common concern.
The financing of AU-led peace support operations (AUPSOs) from UN-assessed contributions has been a recurring issue on the agenda of the two Councils. This year, both Councils might be interested in the implementation of resolution 2719 of 21 December 2023, on the financing of AUPSOs, including potential cases. The Secretary-General is expected to submit his annual report on this issue in December.
Council and Wider Dynamics
Council members are generally supportive of the cooperation and partnership between the UN and the AU on peace and security, and the role of the three African members (A3) has been vital in this regard. In recent years, the A3 (and A3 Plus) has enhanced its position in the Council through joint statements and coordination in negotiations on various Council products with a particular focus on Africa. It has also emerged as a cohesive negotiating bloc, significantly enhancing its influence within the Council.
While other Council members are eager to work with the A3 (and A3 Plus), some permanent members appear reluctant to formally acknowledge the A3 as a formal group. This became evident during recent negotiations on a General Assembly resolution proposed by Egypt on UN-AU cooperation, where a reference to the role of the A3 became a point of contention. These members resisted formally recognising the A3, arguing on procedural grounds that no formal groupings exist within the Security Council.
Although the implementation of resolution 2719 this year faced a setback in the Security Council due to strong opposition from the US to its application in support of the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the AU has not abandoned its efforts. In its meeting on 3 July, the AUPSC emphasised the need to intensify efforts to secure funding for AUSSOM and directed the AU Commission to engage the UN, as well as bilateral and multilateral partners, to organise a resource mobilisation conference. In line with this directive, a high-level meeting on AUSSOM financing was convened in New York on 25 September, on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 21 December 2023S/RES/2719 | This was a resolution on the financing of African Union (AU)-led peace support operations (AUPSOs). |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 2 October 2024S/PV.9739 | This was a meeting on the cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organisations in maintaining international peace and security. |