Statement by H.E. Mr. Yoshifumi Okamura

Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

At the Open Debate of the United Nations Security Council

On “UN-AU peace and security cooperation:

Chapter VIII application and the future of APSA”

24 May 2016

 

Mr. President,

 

          I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation for Egypt’s initiative in holding an Open Debate on this important topic. I also thank the Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, the Permanent Observer of the African Union, the Special Representative to the African Union and the Permanent Representative of Kenya as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for their comprehensive briefings.

 

Mr. President,

 

          Today, I would like to talk about ownership and partnership. I would like to highlight the importance of African ownership supported by effective partnership through UN-AU peace and security cooperation. The African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) is the central framework for the consolidation of peace in Africa. APSA embodies the vision of “African Solutions for African Problems”.

 

          Since its creation, APSA has had to adapt and adjust to complex developments in the field of peace and security in Africa. Accordingly, the areas of cooperation and coordination between the AU and UN have both grown and diversified. In order to make APSA more effective under today’s challenging circumstances, it is important to fully utilize the comparative strengths, expertise and knowledge of the UN to promote these African solutions.

 

          In this regard, the UN Office to the AU (UNOAU) plays a critical role in the UN-AU partnership by providing crucial technical advice to the African Union Commission (AUC) on matters of capacity-building and operational support. UN-AU joint planning and management, supported by UNOAU’s capacity building efforts, have brought positive impacts to the transitions from AU-led peace operations to UN peacekeeping missions, such as from AFISMA to MINUSMA in Mali and from MISCA to MINUSCA in the Central African Republic. Japan believes that further efforts by UNOAU to build institutional capacity in APSA are crucial to bringing coherence to the consolidation of peace in Africa.

 

          That said, partnership with UNOAU cannot substitute for ownership on the part of the AU. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) authorized by a Chapter VII Security Council Resolution is one good example of such ownership.

 

The leading instruments of APSA are the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RMs). These “building blocks” of APSA are in a position to best understand the particular context behind any conflict within its scope. This is why, for example, the role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB) has been pivotal in maintaining security in that country.

 

          These examples show the unique strengths and proficiencies that regional or sub-regional organizations can bring to conflict resolution in Africa, which neither individual countries nor the UN can provide.

 

Mr. President,

 

          UN-AU partnership has the potential to provide even greater impacts on the ground in the areas of conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Japan believes that the impact of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Framework (PCRD) and the African Solidarity Initiative can be enhanced by coordinating the work of the Peacebuilding Commission with the African Union as elaborated in the Security Council resolution 2282 (2016) on the Review of United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture. The UNOAU can also help enhance coordination between the AUC and the Peacebuilding Support Office.

 

Mr. President,

 

          When we celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the OAU/AU in 2013, Japan reaffirmed that African ownership is the unshakable foundation of development in Africa. 2013 was also the 20th Anniversary of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) process. Ownership, as I have highlighted today, is among the underlying principles of TICAD. It is Africa which knows Africa’s problem best and Africans who are the keenest for a solution, and Africa which will ultimately find the way forward. Japan is fully confident of Africa’s capacities.

 

          Africa is high on Japan’s diplomatic agenda this year. In July, during our Council Presidency, Japan will hold an Open Debate on “Peacebuilding in Africa”. In August of this year, Japan will co-organize the TICAD VI Summit together with the United Nations, the UNDP, the World Bank and the AUC, and it will be hosted in Kenya, marking the first time that a TICAD Summit is held on the African continent in its 23 year history. We will fully utilize today’s discussion as we prepare for these events.

 

          Let me conclude by reaffirming Japan’s strong commitment to ensuring peace and security in Africa.

 

Thank you, Mr. President.

 

END