Mr President, Excellencies, 

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

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

I would like to thank you Mr President, for organizing this debate on a topic that is a high priority for the European Union. In the current geopolitical environment, the EU remains committed to a sustained political engagement and adequate financing of peace operations. 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. Over half of the beneficiaries of the European Peace Facility are African partners.

Last month, at the EU-AU Ministerial Meeting of 21 May, African and European Ministers welcomed cooperation in peacebuilding efforts as well as in peace operations at the level of the United Nations, the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities as well as other regional and bilateral initiatives. They agreed to strengthen African security, defence capabilities and stabilization, including the supply of military equipment through the European Peace Facility and the African Peace and Security Architecture.

The EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Peace and Security demonstrates our shared commitment to global stability. The EU and the UN have agreed to renew the partnership and broaden it to go beyond peace operations and crisis management, to encompass further core peace and security issues. Our cooperation will expand into a fully-fledged partnership on Peace and Security, establishing a structured platform for regular dialogue on key global security issues.

Support to UN peacekeeping will remain a central pillar of EU-UN cooperation.

Concretely, the EU contributes to UN-led efforts through coordinated action, by providing funds, by concentrating on prevention as well as through our Common Security and Defence Policy. The EU provides predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding. 

EU Member States currently contribute over 4,000 personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, and contribute over a fifth (23.5%) of the UN peacekeeping budget (2024). Through our Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military and civilian missions, the EU has long supported the capacity-building of armed forces in partner countries across the world. This in turn reinforces UN peacekeeping efforts. 

13 African countries currently benefit from the European Peace Facility, alongside support provided to four African-led peace support operations. Several EPF beneficiaries are also troop-contributing countries to UN Peacekeeping Operations, for example Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana (among others). Our capacity-building efforts therefore indirectly contribute to UN peacekeeping.

It is worth mentioning that the EU (through the African Peace Facility) has financially and technically supported setting up the AU Compliance and Accountability Framework (AUCF). The EU has also supported the implementation and operationalisation of such human rights frameworks in the context of specific African-led PSOs such as the G5 Sahel Joint Task Force, the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram and the successive AU-led missions in Somalia. Since the deployment of AMISOM in 2007, the EU has invested over EUR 2.6 billion in supporting the AU-led peace support operations in Somalia. In parallel, as of 2019, the EU started to invest in capacity-building of the Somali National Army, with EUR 110M so far. Empowering the SNA and ensuring it has the capabilities to gradually take over security responsibilities in line with UNSC Resolutions is the only viable exit strategy for the AU mission. The EU therefore pursues these two complementary strands of work under the EPF.

We have firmly supported the adoption of UNSC resolution 2719 on financing of AU-led peace support operations, which was a major step towards ensuring predictable and sustainable funding for UN-mandated and AU-led Peace Support Operations (PSOs). We  regret that, despite overwhelming support - including from the EU members in the Council - consensus could not be reached in May to activate 2719 for the African Union peace support operation AUSSOM. The EU will seek to continuously play a proactive role in providing predictable, adequate and sustainable support to AU-led PSOs and to explore ways of supporting AU-led PSOs authorised by the UNSC to use UN assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis and through all the tools at its disposal. EU support can include funding, equipment, supplies, infrastructure, services, training and advice, be it at national, sub-regional and/or continental level. The EU calls for other international partners to contribute to this overall effort. Sharing of burden and responsibilities is key, as is ensuring  ownership of the African Union.

But beyond all that, the EU is a security provider in its own right.

Since 2003, the EU has launched more than 40 civilian and military missions and operations globally.

21 of them are ongoing, and 12 of these are in Africa and we are often working hand-in-hand with the United Nations on the ground.

To name just a few, there is:

Operation Atalanta to counter piracy in the Horn of Africa,

EUMAM Mozambique which provides training and support to the Mozambican armed forces in the Cabo Delgado province.

EUTM Somalia which focuses on training, mentoring and strategic advice to the Somali National Armed Forces.    

In closing, let assure you of the EU’s sustained and unwavering committed to peace and security in Africa through UN peace operations and beyond.

Thank you. 

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