Pakistan urges stronger African Union-United Nations partnership for regional peace

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has stressed the importance of building a stronger partnership between the African Union and the United Nations in conflict prevention and resolution, rapid response to emerging crises, and peace-building.

"We are deeply committed to collective efforts to strengthen peacekeeping through regional partnerships," Ambassador Masood Khan, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, told the Security Council on Tuesday.

Speaking in a high-level debate on the 'UN-AU Partnership and its Evolution', he reiterated Pakistan's commitment to peace and security in Africa, saying the bulk of Pakistani troops serving UN peacekeeping missions are deployed in Africa. "We will remain a steadfast partner of the African Union," the Pakistani envoy added.

The day-long session highlighted the need for closer coordination between the two organizations on policing issues, civilian protection, security-sector reform and post-conflict reconstruction. It was presided over by Moussa Faki Mahamat, Minister for Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Chad, which holds the 15-member Council's December presidency.

Ambassador Masood Khan said that financial support to the African Union should be predictable and sustainable, with a fresh drive to examine all possible sources. Joint initiatives had built upon complementarities and, in that light, African Union involvement at an earlier stage of crises was needed.

Rapid response capacity was particularly important, he stressed, noting that Pakistan had decided to deploy a specialized unit for that purpose in MONUSCO, the peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Pakistani envoy stressed the mutual responsibility for funding, as well as the need for utilizing lessons learned, maintaining professionalism and impartiality and heavier investment in peace-building. He pledged his country's steadfast support for partnership between the Union and the United Nations.