Ninth Annual Consultative Meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission
Statement delivered by H.E. Ms. Beth Delaney, Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
21 October 2026
Co-chairs, members of the AU PSC, colleagues,
Australia welcomes this annual discussion on advancing African-led peacebuilding and nationally owned prevention.
I will make three points.
First, Australia firmly believes conflict prevention must be nationally owned and regionally supported.
Voluntary national prevention strategies can help countries identify emerging risks, address the drivers of conflict and build resilience before violence escalates.
Their success requires political commitment, whole-of-society engagement and alignment with regional prevention frameworks.
Australia was proud to recently launch new policy guidance providing Member States with a practical, voluntary resource to develop effective national prevention strategies.
Africa’s Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms are often well placed to support national prevention strategy development and implementation. And if elected to the UNSC for 2029-2030, preventing conflict, including by better working with regional institutions, will be a priority for Australia’s term.
Second, the AU Peace and Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission should turn shared priorities into practical cooperation. Regular information-sharing, joint analysis and structured follow-up can strengthen early warning and response, support political and security transitions, and help prevent relapse into conflict.
Lessons from AU PSC–PBC engagement should be shared with other regional organisations seeking to work with the PBC.
Third, peacebuilding needs predictable and sustainable financing, underpinned by transparency, accountability and investment that reaches local actors.
Multilateral development banks have an important role in this. That is why Australia announced at High-Level Week a $5 million contribution the UN–IFI Partnership Facility to strengthen partnerships between multilateral development banks and fragile and conflict-affected countries.
Having extended our PBC membership until 2027, Australia stands ready to support practical, nationally owned and African-led cooperation that strengthens prevention, advances sustainable peace and delivers for communities.
Thank you.