The United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security held its 18th consultative meeting at the African Union Headquarters in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia on 11 February 2020.

During the meeting the Joint Task Force (JTF) reviewed the status of the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) with an update on the implementation of the Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. The JTF also exchanged views on the situations in Central African Republic (CAR), Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali and the Sahel region and further discussed cooperation in support to elections in Africa.

The JTF welcomed the ongoing and considerable progress achieved in the UN-AU partnership, noting that engagements at all levels in the implementation of the Joint Framework in Peace and Security have become more frequent, focused, constructive and systematic. They particularly welcomed continued cooperation in conflict prevention and mediation, and support to peace operations. They emphasized the imperative to enhance such cooperation further in order to effectively address emerging and ongoing peace and security issues across the continent as well as the need to work together to find practical solutions for the provision of support required to sustain AU peace support operations.

The AU Commission and the UN Secretariat were represented respectively by Commissioners Minata Samaté-Cessouma (Political Affairs) and Smaïl Chergui (Peace and Security); and the Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo (Political and Peacebuilding Affairs), Jean-Pierre Lacroix (Peace Operations) and Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of UNOAU. Under-Secretary General Atul Khare (Operational Support) attended the meeting via VTC from New York. The meeting was also attended by other senior officials from the two organizations. Download PDF for Joint Communiqué