PRESS STATEMENT
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 208th meeting, held on 9 November 2009, had an exchange of views with a Delegation of the United Nations Peace Building Commission (UNPBC) led by Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz, Permanent Representative of Chile, on ways to enhance peace building efforts
in Africa and to strengthen the relationship between the PSC and the UN Peace- Building Commission.
Council recalled its 114th meeting, held on 10 March 2008, during which it was briefed by Mrs. Carolyn McAskie, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-building Support, on the UN peace-building architecture.
Council further recalled its 98th meeting held on 8 November 2007, on the cooperation between the AU and the UN in peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction and development, and in this regard, reiterated its encouragement to the Peace-building Commission to pursue and intensify its efforts in order to effectively contribute to the consolidation of peace in Africa and the recovery of countries emerging from conflict.
Council also stressed the importance of the AU Policy Framework on Postconflict Reconstruction and Development, adopted by the Executive Council in Banjul, in June 2006, and in this respect, underlined the need for closer cooperation between the AU and the UN and appealed to the United Nations and its relevant organs to extend the necessary support to this end.
Council expressed appreciation for the efforts deployed by the UN Peace-Building Commission, in particular the focus that it has provided on African countries emerging from conflicts, namely Burundi, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, and encouraged the PBC to consider expanding its activities to other African countries in post-conflict situations so as to enhance its contribution in furthering the AU-UN partnership in promoting peace, security and development.
Council looked forward to the holding of regular consultations aimed at building synergy and enhancing collaboration in the domain of post-conflict reconstruction with a view to, inter alia, contributing to an in-depth review, in 2010, of the Peace Building Commission’s achievements and methodology and to developing a more actionoriented cooperation and coordination between the AU and the UN in post-conflict reconstruction and peace building.