The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a landmark resolution, initiated by Ghana and co-sponsored by Gabon and Mozambique, to support and fund African-led peace support operations that address all threats to international peace and security on the continent.
The resolution, which was adopted on Friday, December 22, 2023, marks a major breakthrough in the financing of peace operations in Africa, as it commits the UN to provide up to 75% of the annual budgets for AU-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council, using assessed contributions from member states. The remaining funds will be jointly mobilized by the UN and the AU from the international community as voluntary contributions.
The resolution is the result of high-level debates led by Ghana’s President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Foreign Minister, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, in November 2022, focusing on the rising challenges of violent extremism and terrorism in Africa, especially in the Sahel and West Africa. The debates emphasized the need to finance peace operations in Africa through UN assessed contributions, while ensuring a balanced approach that addresses both the military and the socio-economic and environmental root causes of conflicts.
In addition to financing peace operations, the resolution also aims to counteract the radicalization and recruitment of terrorists, by disrupting the conditions that enable them. Moreover, the resolution is expected to provide vital resources and international backing to regional security initiatives, such as ECOWAS, the Accra Initiative, and the Multi-National Joint Task Force fighting Boko Haram.
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Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Foreign Minister of Ghana, hailed the adoption of the resolution as a historic achievement for Africa and diplomacy.
“Today is a great day for Africa and for diplomacy. We have taken a giant step to end the threats to international peace and security in our region,” she remarked
Ghana wraps up its term in the UN Security Council and this accomplishment demonstrates the country’s dedication to shaping a future based on sustainable peace and stability in Africa.
