Statement by the Spokesperson on African peace support operations

African peace support operations are a vital instrument for the promotion of international peace and security on the African continent. New threats to international and regional peace and security have an impact on the stability of our two continents, particularly the growing terrorism threats and transboundary criminal activities. The European Union is fully committed to support the implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture and the establishment of the African Union Peace Fund.
 
As a long-standing partner of the continent in providing predictable funding for peace action, we reaffirm the importance of support to AU-mandated peace operations authorised by the UN Security Council, including the possibility of using UN assessed contributions. We also underline the importance of the establishment of a compliance framework for the African Union and to ensure that currently deployed and future peace support operations are in compliance with international legal obligations, notably international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law. This should be an indispensable prerequisite for the support of the international community, including the European Union.
 
The Joint Declaration of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of 6 December represents an significant progress on both issues. The recognition of Africans’ responsibility for managing the continent’s security challenges is particularly important, and we are ready, together with the United Nations, to continue to support AU initiatives in these fields.