New York, USA 19 April 2017: The United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission held their annual conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York. “Strengthening UN-AU Partnership” was at the centre of the discussions this year. At the occasion, the UN Secretary General H.E. Antonio Guterres and the AUC Chairperson H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat signed a Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhancing Partnership in Peace and Security.

The UN Secretary General and the Chairperson of the AU Commission thoroughly discussed priority areas of the two organisations, including the need to harmonise the complementarity between UN’s Agenda 2030 and the AU’s Agenda 2063, the UN-AU cooperation in the field of peace and security, as well as enhancing financial cooperation. The UN Deputy Secretary General, Under Secretaries General as well as the AU Commissioners for Peace and Security and for Political Affairs respectively, also participated in the discussions.

Both personalities made introductory remarks before considering the different items ranging from peace and security to development through migration, famine and climate change issues. They stressed the vital importance of the partnership and the need to further strengthen it through joint and harmonised actions and mutual respect.

Secretary General Guterres reiterated that the African Union and African issues were among his priorities and that he would support the AU as much as possible, not only in peace and security matters but also in the development of the continent.

The AU Commission Chairperson, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed his appreciation for the partnership with the UN, and thanked the Secretary General for the support and assistance given by the UN to the AU and its Member States in the implementation of Agenda 2063, and also in facilitating investment in African youths.

Both leaders underscored the need to work together through regular consultations, frank dialogue, and principled positions, as well as recognising the importance of African leadership and ownership as far as African issues are concerned. They both expressed satisfaction that there was convergence of views between Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063, and looked forward to producing more concrete results through the harmonised approaches and actions of the two organisations.

For further information, please contact:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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