UNITED NATIONS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior UN official said Wednesday that a stronger partnership between the UN and the African Union is "not a choice but a necessity" in tackling current complex peace and security challenges in Africa.
Sahle-Work Zewde, the UN Special Representative to the AU and Head of the UN Office there (UNOAU) said while briefing the security council that "the complex peace and security challenges we face in Africa are such that neither the United Nations nor the African Union can address the challenges on their own," according to UN News.
"As the Secretary-General noted during his briefing to the AU Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa last week, the African Union is the most important strategic partner between the United Nations and a regional organization in peace and security, development and human rights," she added.
The two organizations have prioritized the development of a systematic, predictable and strategic partnership, based on mutual respect, shared values and comparative advantage, Zewde noted.
Zewde was briefing the council on the UN Secretary-General' report on strengthening the partnership between the two organizations on issues of peace and security in Africa, including the work of her office.
A key point of the report is that the UN and the AU recognize their inter-dependence. They also need to recognize the critical role of sub-regional organizations, which are often the first to detect early warning signs of impending conflict, and are important partners in promoting dialogue and reconciliation.
Zewde stressed however, that even though the UN-AU relationship is stronger than ever, they need to work even more closely.
She also underscored the importance of conflict resolution by reacting quickly and decisively to head off conflict before it escalates, while ensuring African ownership of this process.
The UN and AU signed the Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security in April 2017, and the Joint Framework for Implementation of Africa's Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in January 2018.
