UN SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF THE AFRICAN STATE IN ADDRESSING GLOBAL SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
23 May 2024
As delivered by H.E. Mr James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Thank you, Mr President
Australia thanks Mozambique for convening today’s Open Debate, and our briefers for their valuable contribution.
At a time when global conflict is on the rise, addressing security and development challenges has never been more critical.
Strengthening the role of the African State is a key component to addressing these challenges, and underscores the importance of regionally led approaches.
Regional approaches bring a comparative advantage – regional actors and organisations have a better understanding of, and can best respond to, the root causes of conflict.
Australia’s support for regional-led responses, is grounded in our own experience in the Pacific.
As a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, we are guided by regional priorities outlined in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
We recognise regional responses are best placed to advance this collective vision of peace and prosperity.
Similarly, the African Union’s ‘Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want’ is the blueprint driving the collective vision and priorities of the African State.
It is vital that regional organisations like the African Union are included in matters pertaining to peace operations, peacebuilding, and conflict prevention within the multilateral system.
To this end, we welcome UN Security Council Resolution 2719 which approved the framework for financing African Union-led peace support operations.
We also support the focus in the Pact for the Future on enhancing collaboration between the United Nations and African Union on peace operations.
Stronger engagement by the African State is critical in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and to effectively address the multidimensional security challenges both the region and the international community at large face today.
In this regard, Australia and Africa share a commitment to addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on peace and security – including advancing durable solutions to climate induced displacement.
To continue to strengthen the role of the African State, Australia supports closer collaboration between the African Union’s Peace and Security Council with the UN Peacebuilding Commission, and the UN Security Council.
We seek to support enhanced collaboration between these bodies through our anticipated term on the Peacebuilding Commission in 2025 and 2026.
We need to listen to, and learn from, experiences of African States.
They are best placed to address development and security challenges in their region and beyond.
Today, we can work to strengthen regional and multilateral approaches for development, peace and security.
Thank you.