Following the successful launch of Africa Week 2015, Member States gathered in the afternoon to hear from African Regional Economic Communities about their efforts to silence the guns in Africa by 2020.

The annual briefing was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Mahamat Zene Cherif, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Chad to the United Nations, and Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, Mr. Maged Abdelaziz. H.E. Mrs. Fatoumata Sidibe Kaba, Permanent Representative of Guinea to the African Union and Representative of the Chair of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the Month of October delivered the opening remarks. High-level officials representing seven African regional and sub-regional organizations, as well as representatives of a number of key partners of the continent were also present.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Abdelaziz commended the continued efforts and contributions of the RECs towards Silencing the Guns by 2020, noting that it was a momentous task needing action at all levels, across the nexus of peace, security, governance, human rights and development. He underscored the need for a more holistic and integrated approach in addressing the nexus, with greater policy coherence and a more sustainable and reliable financing architecture.

H.E. Mr. Mahamat Zene Cherif decried the continued use of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) by rebels, gangs, criminal organizations, pirates, terrorist groups and insurgents to fuel conflict in Africa. He called on all African States to accede to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) which lays the foundations for a global framework of arms transfer controls, including for small arms, light weapons and ammunition.

H.E. Mrs. Fatoumata Sidibe Kaba reiterated the need to address the unemployment schism affecting the bulging youth population in Africa. She called for greater efforts to enhance socio-economic development in the continent, including through improvements in healthcare, education, job creation, efficient use of natural resources, to name a few, noting that a prosperous Africa help silence the guns in the continent, and deter conflicts and

Various salient points emerged from the statements made by the representatives of the RECs and various speakers and the interactive discussions during the briefing. These included the call for greater support and resources for regional and subregional efforts and instruments to prevent and respond to conflicts as a whole. 

The RECs also underscored the need to build stronger partnerships between the UN-AU and its RECs, including through the UN/AU Partnership on Africa’s Integration and Development Agenda (PAIDA), in support of the comprehensive continental architecture developed by the AU.

The meeting also stressed the need to address the causes of conflict on the continent, recalling some of the factors driving persisting cases, despite the multiple commitments and efforts deployed to end them.

Several speakers called for increased action to combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons, identifying it as a major challenge to silencing the guns in Africa.

The RECs emphasized the importance of conflict prevention and achieving durable peace in Africa, including by building inclusive societies in which all citizens, especially women and the youth, can fully participate and which respect diversity, the rule of law, human rights and democratic governance, while fostering investments in job creation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture to provide sustainable livelihoods, particularly for the youth.

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Background

About the meeting

As part of Africa Week 2015, the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa convened the Annual High-level Briefing by African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to Member States and Entities of the United Nations on the margins of the 70th Session of the General Assembly Debate on Africa.

The briefing, jointly organized with the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Chad to the United Nations, was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Mahamat Zene Cherif, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Chad to the United Nations, and Mr. Maged Abdelaziz, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa.

Briefings were made by the Chief Executive Officers or Senior Representatives of seven RECs.

The briefing also featured interventions from the African Union, given its lead role in the development of the proposed continental framework on silencing the guns by 2020. In addition, senior United Nations officials highlighted perspectives from the United Nations on how to further enhance cooperation and support to the African Union and the RECs in advancing the target on silencing the guns by 2020.

A Conflict-free Africa

The African Union and its Member States as well as its regional and sub-regional organizations, with the support of the international community, continues to accelerate actions to achieve a conflict-free Africa and end all wars in Africa by 2020. This is in keeping with its vision and determination to build “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven and managed by its citizens, and representing a dynamic force in the international arena,” as emphasized in the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration of the Organization of African Unity/African Union. In order to realise this vision and objective, the African Union further adopted the historic Agenda 2063 and its First Ten-Year Implementation Plan (2014-2023) that collectively outline a set of aspirations, goals, priority areas, milestones and targets for, inter alia “Silencing the Guns by 2020.”

With only five remaining years to 2020, the African Union has accelerated efforts at particularly the continental and regional levels to address priority issues and concerns for the realization of this target to silence the guns in Africa by 2020. Given their proximity to the ground, the RECs have a crucial role to play, together with the African Union and international community, in ensuring concerted and coordinated efforts and actions at especially regional, sub-regional and national levels towards realising the goal of silencing the guns by 2020.