On Nov 14th 2023, UNOAU facilitated key engagements between the UN Peacebuilding Commission and various stakeholders in Addis Ababa. 

A consultative meeting between the PBC and members of the diplomatic community was convened by the Permanent Representatives of Germany and Norway to the AU. This meeting provide an opportunity for informal interaction between AU partners and the PBC delegation in support of prevention and peacebuilding in Africa. In his remarks, SRSG Parfait Onanga-Anyanga provided a brief overview of the UN and AU partnership in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and ASG for Peacebuilding Support underscored the need to secure more predictable financing and support for conflict prevention. During the discussion, members of the PBC and many partners concurred with the need for targeted investments in sustaining peace, including structural prevention and underscored the primacy of national ownership of peacebuilding efforts.

Representatives from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) participated in a separate consultative meeting that provided an important opportunity for the PBC to hear the perspectives of African regional actors. Discussions during this meeting demonstrated the strong appetite to enhance engagement between the PBC and the RECs, with several representatives underscoring the need to address the root causes of conflict by strengthening state capacity in governance and development. Finally, in collaboration with our colleagues at UNDP, UNOAU was pleased to host a consultative meeting with Addis Ababa-based CSOs. This meeting provided fruitful discussions on how to strengthen cooperation with local actors in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. 

View photos from these engagements below:

• CSOs Meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission | Photo credit: UNOAU/Sandra Barrows | https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3mFr
• Partners meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission | Photo credit: UNOAU/Sandra Barrows | https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3tEG
• RECs meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission | Photo credit: UNOAU/Sandra Barrows | https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3kNq