From 15 to 16 July, the SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU participated in the 2^nd AU Inter-Regional Knowledge Exchange (I-RECKE) event on cross-regional strategies in countering terrorism and violent extremism. The event was held on the margins of the 5^th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) in Nairobi, Kenya. In the statement delivered at the meeting, the SRSG emphasized the need to strengthen the triangular partnership between the AU, UN, and RECs/RMs for a holistic approach to countering terrorism and violent extremism on the African continent. Various representatives from the RECs/RMs, including the SADC, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Economic Commission for West Africa (ECOWAS), attended the meeting and shared lessons learnt from their respective regions in responding to the threat posed by terrorism. The common lessons shared by all RECs were: the imperative to address socio-economic challenges that create fertile ground for radicalization and violent extremism ideology;  the need for the AU and RECs/RMs to collaborate across regions to produce joint intelligence sharing/analysis and effective early warning actions to prevent the rise of terrorism;  and effective cross-regional cooperation to choke funding sources of terrorist networks, including the accession by Member States to anti-money laundering international instruments.

The SRSG also accompanied the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, to the formal opening of the 5^th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, following an invitation to the Deputy Secretary-General to address the plenary and deliver remarks during the open segment of the meeting. The SRSG further participated in a number of bilateral meetings as part of the Deputy Secretary-General’s delegation, including with the Chairperson of the AUC, Moussa Faki Mahamat; President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Willian Ruto of Kenya; and President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).