Update Report No. 3: Support for AU Peacekeeping

Update Report in Word • PDF

Expected Council Action
On 26 October the Council is expected to hold a public debate on the report of the Secretary-General on support to AU peacekeeping operations authorised by the UN. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy is expected to present the Secretary-General’s report. A number of African countries, the AU and the EU have expressed interest in participating.

At press time Council members were discussing a draft presidential statement circulated by the African members of the Council. The statement is expected to welcome a more effective partnership between the UN and AU and a strengthening of the AU peace and security architecture. Other areas that are being discussed include modalities for the financing for AU-led and UN-authorised peacekeeping operations and the suggestion of a multi-donor trust fund.

Key Recent Developments
The report of the joint AU-UN panel set up by the Secretary-General to review modalities for supporting AU peacekeeping was submitted to the Council and General Assembly on 24 December 2008. The panel was chaired by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The report explored how the UN and AU could enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for UN mandated peace operations undertaken by the AU. The key recommendations of the AU-UN Panel’s report were:

• UN and AU to take concrete steps to strengthen their mutual relationship and develop a more effective partnership when addressing issues on the joint agenda.
• Use UN-assessed funding for AU-led and UN-authorised peacekeeping operations on a case-by-case basis, for no longer than six months, to be provided mainly in kind and only when there is an intention to transition to a UN peacekeeping operation within six months.
• Establish a voluntary-based multi-donor trust fund to focus on comprehensive capacity-building for conflict prevention and resolution and institution building.
• AU to consider developing its logistics capacity through innovative options.
• Establish an AU-UN team to examine the detailed modalities to implement the report’s recommendations.

On 18 March 2009, under Libya’s presidency, the Council held a high-level public meeting on the Panel’s report (S/PV.6092 and resumption 1). It adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2009/3) which noted with interest the AU-UN Panel’s report. The Council requested that the Secretary-General submit a report no later than 18 September 2009 on practical ways to provide effective support to the AU, including “a detailed assessment of the recommendations contained in the Report of the African Union-United Nations Panel”. He was asked to pay particular attention to the recommendations on financing and establishing a joint AU-UN team. (For more details please see SCR March 2009 Forecast Report.)

On 16 May during the Council’s visit to Africa it met with the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). Although the AU-UN Panel’s report was not discussed a joint communiqué was issued following the meeting where both Councils agreed to “pursue their consultations on ways and means to strengthen their cooperation and partnership, as well as on the modalities for the organization of their partnership”. The communiqué also said that both bodies “look forward to the report to be submitted by the UN Secretary-General.”

The Secretary-General’s report published on 18 September 2009 assessed the recommendations of the AU-UN panel and proposed ways in which the UN can assist the AU in improving its effectiveness in the deployment and management of peacekeeping operations. In the section on strengthening the strategic partnership between the UN and AU the report suggested that the UN Security Council and AU Peace and Security Council should:

• fully implement provisions of the joint communiqué of 16 June 2007 (contained in the Council’s report from its 2007 trip to Africa, S/2007/421) adopted following the Council’s meetings with the AU PSC in Addis Adaba ;
• formalise holding annual joint meetings; and
• share experiences on the working methods of the two bodies.

Suggestions for improving the partnership between the UN Secretariat and AU Commission included:

• setting up a joint task force on peace and security which will meet twice a year at the level of UN Under Secretaries-General and AU Commissioners to review immediate and long-term strategic and operational issues;
• including the views of the AU PSC in Secretariat reports to the Security Council;
• broadening annual consultative meetings on conflict prevention, management and resolution led by the Department of Political Affairs to include the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department of Field Support and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs;
• restructuring support provided by the UN to the AU including integrating existing Secretariat presence in Addis Ababa; and
• recommending the AU enhance the capacity of the Office of the AU Observer to the UN.

In the section on financing for peacekeeping operations the report provides an analysis of the AU-UN Panel’s recommendation that UN-assessed funding be used to support UN-authorised AU peacekeeping operations under certain conditions (for a period not longer than six months and on a case-by-case basis on the understanding that the mission would transition to a UN operation within six months). It reviews the five different types of financing mechanisms that have been used to fund AU peacekeeping operations (i.e. AU assessed contributions, contributions through individual AU troop-contributing countries; voluntary contributions; UN support packages financed through UN-assessed contributions; and a combination of the above). The report does not make a recommendation for any particular type of funding.

The report also outlines current initiatives to build the necessary capacity in the AU particularly activities carried out under the 2006 UN-AU ten-year capacity building programme. It suggests a joint UN-AU study of lessons learnt from the Light and Heavy Support packages for the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), the logistics package for the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as well as collaboration under AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UN Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA) to help develop future initiatives. The report provides some concrete short, medium and long-term suggestions for initiatives to help build AU capacity. Short-term initiatives include embedding AU human resources personnel in the UN headquarters, information exchange on vendors and contracts, embedding a team of AMISOM representatives within UNSOA and sharing peacekeeping budgetary preparation packages and templates. It also discusses the AU-UN Panel’s recommendation for the creation of a multi-donor trust fund, the need for a strengthened coordination mechanism for donor programmes in the AU and the challenges in operationalising the African Standby Force.

On 15 October the AU PSC discussed the Secretary-General’s report on support for AU peacekeeping. In a press release following the meeting the AU PSC took note of the Secretary-General’s report and expressed its readiness to continue working with the UN “towards ensuring predictable, sustainable and flexible funding for AU-led peace support operations, through assessed contributions.”

Key Issues
The key issue for the Council is deciding on next steps now that the Secretary-General has provided an assessment of the various modalities for cooperation and possible financing models.

An issue for some members is whether the UN should have greater oversight over AU peacekeeping missions if it provides the financing and how to ensure that the AU missions meet UN standards for peacekeeping.

Another issue for some members is balancing the Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security with improving collective security through cooperation with the AU in a way that in consistent with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.

Also an issue is whether there is a need for greater coordination between the General Assembly and the Council on this issue given that responsibility for financial issues rests with the General Assembly and not the Council.

A related issue is that current financial practices do not easily allow for assessed UN funding for other groups, even when authorised by the Security Council. However there have been two exceptions when UN support packages were approved by the General Assembly—for the AU mission in Sudan and AMISOM.

Also an issue is whether lessons learnt from missions like UNAMID and AMISOM can be used in setting up future UN-authorised AU missions given the unique features of each situation. A related issue is whether it is too early to assess the AMISOM experience.

Also an issue is how support to the AU fits in with the ongoing discussions on peacekeeping. In its 5 August presidential statement on peacekeeping (S/PRST/2009/24) the Council recognised the priority of strengthening the capacity of the AU, and the role of regional and subregional organisations, in maintaining regional peace and security in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. The Secretariat’s July 2009 New Horizon non-paper which reviewed UN peacekeeping also proposed intensifying dialogue with relevant regional organisations and putting in place “arrangements for reimbursement and logistics support” and examining the feasibility of pooling strategic capabilities.

Options
The most likely option for the Council is a presidential statement. Among the possible elements are:

• stressing the importance of a more effective partnership between the AU and UN;
• requesting, within a specified time frame, a joint UN-AU study of lessons learnt from AMIS, UNAMID and AMISOM;
• requesting a report on progress made in strengthening the strategic partnership between the UN and AU and building AU capacity;
• requesting the Secretary-General to provide the Council with information on the conclusions of the review and evaluation of the UN-AU ten-year capacity building programme which will be completed by the end of the year;
• highlighting the ongoing efforts to strengthen the AU peace and security architecture;
• recognising the need for predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing regional organisations when they undertake peacekeeping under a regional mandate;
• encouraging the use of funds and emphasising the importance of consistent donor support within existing donor programmes;
• providing feedback on possible funding options;
• welcoming the Secretary-General’s intention to form a joint UN-AU task force to take forward his recommendations;
• expressing an intent to keep discussing this issue and working on the modalities.

If there is no agreement on funding, a possible option is to agree to have further consultations on this issue.

Council Dynamics
Most Council members are supportive of strengthening the strategic partnership between the AU and UN and helping the AU with capacity-building initiatives. There is also general agreement about the importance of African ownership of this issue.

However, there are some significant differences among members over the issue of financing UN-authorised AU operations. Some members, among them Japan and the UK, feel that in the present economic climate any decision involving a financial commitment would be difficult. They prefer not to make a final decision at this point but are open to keeping the discussion ongoing. But the African members and some others like Turkey are hoping for agreement on at least considering the use of assessed contributions for peacekeeping missions using the conditions suggested by the AU-UN Panel.

Some members are also concerned about the absence of accountability mechanisms in AU missions, and the lack of UN involvement in managing the missions.

Others want to be sure that overall, when using assessed contributions for other organisations there is respect for existing financial regulations.

The multi-donor trust fund appears to have support from a number of members but some are skeptical of creating a new funding mechanism given the difficulties in harmonising existing funding structures. They suggest that the focus should be on improving the existing structures.

France made some of its concerns clear in the March debate. It spoke out against regionalisation in maintaining international peace and security and against using mandatory contributions to the UN as a solution for achieving permanent financing for the AU.

China has consistently said that there should be support for the role of the AU in conflict settlement and that attention should be paid to the AU voices on African issues.

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