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President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

Thank you chair for convening this open debate to discuss African countries’ contribution to global security and development challenges. It is important to discuss how we can create peaceful and harmonious societies that foster economic development and sustain peace over the long run. Today I would like to outline how the EU is working in partnership with Africa to support these endeavours with examples, first, at the national level in Mozambique, second, at the regional level in the Sahel and, third, at the global level in multilateral settings such as the UN and the G20. Finally, I also want to suggest how we can bring these important issues to the Pact for the Future negotiations.

I believe that the close partnership between the EU and Mozambique is a good example of an initiative that contributes to this objective. Over the past years, we have jointly developed an integrated approach encompassing humanitarian, peacebuilding, security and development actions with a view to strengthening the role of the state and consolidating the gains of the 2019 Peace Agreement. The EU’s most recent actions in that regard support (1) the national strategies in the fields of education, digitalization, climate resilience and nutrition; (2) preparations for an EU Electoral Observation Mission to accompany the upcoming elections; and (3) EU support to national and regional efforts to consolidate peace in Cabo Delgado, in the spirit of ‘African solutions to African challenges’.

President,

Africa has a young and vibrant population, and is full of potential for rapid and economic growth. In 2075, one in three working age youth population will be African. These generations need to be fully empowered and included, to be able to realize their best potential. We believe that both governments and the international community should work towards this endeavour. Investments done in the framework of the Global Gateway aim to pay due attention to this, as new areas of work in the digital, climate and energy areas also offer new opportunities. In the Sahel, for instance, the EU supports the Great Green Wall with more than 700 million EUR a year. In close partnership with 18 partner countries, we are strengthening sustainable land management in a region that is disproportionately facing the consequences of climate change. With our support, this African initiative will restore 100 million hectares of degraded land and create 10 million jobs, supporting livelihoods and environmental sustainability across the region.

In parallel to that, ensuring consolidation of the State institutions is key for the stability of a country. But state building is a complex process and involves a careful balancing act of creating institutions that are strong and durable, yet also accountable and trustworthy. The resilience of a state depends on how much people trust their institutions, which in turn depends on whether these institutions are built on the rule of law and the respect for human rights. In this regard, the EU works closely with the AU to promote state building and good governance, including through the implementation of the African Governance Architecture. The EU also provides financial support to the AU’s transitional justice policy and deploys electoral missions. In the Sahel, the EU has supported the UNDP Regional Stabilization Facility for the Lake Chad Basin which helps governments and communities implement long-term peacebuilding, recovery and development programs.

African States’ development and stability is not only beneficial in its own right, but also for the worldwide stability and security. Moreover, we are convinced that African countries can play a crucial role in global peace efforts. African states taking a leading role in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti is welcome example of this. African States’ development and stability is not only beneficial in its own right, but also for worldwide stability and security. Moreover, we are convinced that African countries can play a crucial role in global peace initiatives.  The EU has been a constant supporter of stronger African participation in multilateral fora including a permanent seat of the African Union at the G20 and a more representative UN Security Council. We are also supportive of UN financing for African-led peace support operations and welcome the adoption of Resolution 2719. Now we need to focus on how to move forward with implementation. The EU has been the African Union’s number one partner on peace and security issues in terms of financial and technical support, from the establishment of the Africa Peace Facility in 2003 to the allocation of over 1 billion EUR so far to African partners under the European Peace Facility since 2021.

President,

Finally, a point on the Summit of the Future where we should not forget the importance of sustaining peace and building resilient societies. We are experiencing a sharp increase in conflict, yet funding for peacebuilding has collapsed. As part of the Pact for the Future, we strongly support the SG’s call to develop national prevention strategies on a voluntary basis and with UN support. The Peacebuilding Commission should also play a role in providing a platform for their national prevention efforts and we commend those African countries including Kenya, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Mauritania that have recently presented national peacebuilding and prevention efforts.

We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Africa on these issues.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.