From 13 to 14 November 2023, the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) facilitated the United Nations (UN) Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a series of high-level engagements, including the 6^th Annual Consultative Meeting with the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), and bilateral engagements and consultative meetings with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, representatives from Addis Ababa-based Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and representatives from the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). On November 13, 2023, the SRSG UNOAU welcomed and briefed members of the UN Peacebuilding Commission in Addis Ababa.

During the PBC’s visit, UNOAU was pleased to facilitate several engagements, including bilateral meetings with senior AUC leadership, and consultations with Addis Ababa-based diplomatic partners, CSOs, and RECs. On 13 November 2023, the PBC chair, vice chairs, and chairs of PBC country configurations met with H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AUC and Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security. During this meeting, the PBC members and AUC chairperson exchanged views on the considerable peace and security challenges facing Africa. They noted with concern the lack of adequate financing for conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction and expressed grave concern with the deteriorating security situation across the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and West Africa. Both PBC members and the AUC leadership underscored the need to enhance the UN-AU partnership for peace and security and further underscored that addressing the root causes of conflict must be a core priority area of cooperation between the PBC and the AUC.

The PBC delegation also paid a courtesy visit H.E. Sahle-Worke Zewde, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. During the meeting, the PBC members and President Zewde exchanged views on several substantive manners, including the relationship between the UN and AU, the role of the Peacebuilding Commission, and various country, regional, and thematic contexts. It was noted that enhancing the UN-AU partnership and strengthen collaborative efforts is a key path forward in addressing the innumerable peace and security challenges facing the continent. Furthermore, with regards to effective conflict prevention, building and sustaining peace, both PBC members and President Zewde recognized the need to meaningfully engage women. President Zewde reiterated that Ethiopia remains committed to supporting the work of the PBC and emphasized the need secure predictable, adequate, and sustainable financing for peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts in Africa. View photos here.