In his opening remarks, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security,
Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, recalled that, in January 2008, the Assembly of the
African Union adopted decision Assembly/AU/Dec.177(X), which “encourages the
Commission to develop a comprehensive AU Policy Framework on Security Sector
Reform, within the context of the Policy Framework on Post-conflict Reconstruction
and Development adopted by the Executive Council in Banjul in June 2006.”
The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions
in the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Mr. Dmitry Titov, noted
that the January 2008 Report of the United Nations Secretary-General on SSR entitled
‘Securing Peace and Development: The Role of the United Nations in Supporting
Security Sector Reform’ (A/62/659, S/2008/39) highlights a number of strategic steps
for developing a coherent UN approach to security sector reform and identifies – as a
priority – the establishment of a special partnership with the AU in this important
area.
Having recalled the importance of the relationship between the UN and the
regional organizations, including the AU, as articulated in Chapter VIII of the UN
Charter, the AU Commission and the United Nations Secretariat agreed to embark on
a mutually beneficial partnership in the area of SSR. In this partnership, the UN will
work with the AU toward the development and implementation of a comprehensive
policy framework on SSR, including through a five-year plan jointly designed by the
AU and the UN. This plan will be developed within the broader context of the AU’s
Framework for the Ten Year Capacity Building Programme, as well as other relevant
AU instruments on peace and security, including the Protocol Relating to the
Establishment of the Peace and Security Council and the AU Policy on Post-conflict
Reconstruction and Development.
The workshop served as the launching pad for this important partnership, with
the two Organizations expressing their strong commitment to this long-term initiative.