Question NW3563 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Reply:

1 a) Minister Pandor participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on 21 September 2020. The theme of the meeting was “The Role for the Non-Aligned Movement in Post-Pandemic Global Recovery: The Way Forward”, which formed the basis and the context for the discussions. The revitalisation of the Non-Aligned Movement with a view to strengthen and make the organisation fit for purpose in a post-COVID-19 era was topical and thus dominated the discussions. Additionally, the discussions focused on reaffirming the commitment of NAM members to the organisation and its principles as established in the Bandung Conference in 1955 and the need to buttress efforts to achieve its goals towards the promotion of global peace and security, nuclear non-proliferation and attainment of sustainable development. Members stressed the importance of strengthening coordination in the implementation of the NAM agenda and in support of the self-determination of Western Sahara and Palestine.

1 b) On 22 September, Minister Pandor participated in the High-Level Ministerial meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) focusing on preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism on the continent. The meeting took place against the backdrop of increasing incidents of terrorism and violent extremism across all regions in the African Continent. In this regard, the meeting deliberated on ways to strengthen the AU’s efforts towards addressing the threat. The meeting recognised the existing peace and security frameworks of the AU and reaffirmed that focused implementation and enhanced coordination is vital in the AU’s efforts to address the challenge posed by terrorism. In this regard, the PSC underscored the need to strengthen the oversight role of the AUPSC to ensure effective coordination and collaboration between all stakeholders, including Member States, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), the AU Commission, notably the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), and Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), as well as other relevant AU Organs and institutions.

The meeting adopted a Communiqué as an outcome of the meeting. Please see attached additional information. The Communique emphasises the need for collaboration by all Regional Economic Communities (RECs), mobilise necessary resources and implementation of relevant decision such as the Malabo Summit on Terrorism and Violent Extremism.

1 c) Minister Pandor held eleven bilateral meetings on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA77) High-Level Week to discuss multilateral issues, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral political and economic relations. The list of countries that were engaged were: Cuba, France, Ghana (President Nana-Addo), the President of the General Assembly, Latvia, Nicaragua, Tanzania (Former President Jakaya Kikwete), The Netherlands and Russia.

2. On 23 September, a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations between South Africa and Paraguay was signed by Minister Pandor and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, Mr Julio César Arriola Ramirez. The Memorandum of Understanding serves as a framework for the development and consolidation of cooperation at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.

3. The Minister’s working visit to New York was budgeted for as the High-level Week of the UN General Assembly takes place annually in September at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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Additional Information

AFRICAN UNION		UNION AFRICAINE
		UNIÃO AFRICANA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243 Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822 Fax: (251-11) 5519 321

Email: [email protected]

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

1107TH MEETING

23 SEPTEMBER 2022

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PSC/MIN/COMM. 1107 (2022)

DRAFT COMMUNIQUÉ

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1107th meeting, held on 23 September 2022, on the theme – Strengthening Regional Organizations for the Maintenance of Peace and Security in Africa: Preventing and Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism in the Continent:

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling the Declaration and Decision [Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.(XVI)] adopted during the 16th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa held on 28 May 2022, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, which decided, amongst others, the establishment of a Ministerial Committee on Counter-Terrorism to give impetus to the Continental fight against terrorism;

 

Committed to the implementation of its previous decisions and pronouncements on preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism in Africa and related themes, particularly, Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1048(2021)] adopted at its 1048th meeting held on 15 November 2021; and Communiqué [PSC/MIN/COMM.1040(2021)] adopted at its 1040th meeting held at the Ministerial level on 22 October 2021;

Emphasizing the cardinal principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantage, which guide the significant role played by the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), who, on many occasions, are primary responders to crises and conflict situations in their respective geographic areas of jurisdiction;

Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Republic of Ghana and PSC Chairperson for September 2022, the remarks by H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, the statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; also noting the statements made by the representatives of the RECs/RMs;

Reaffirming the solidarity of the AU with the people of the Continent, particularly those adversely impacted by the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council: 

1. Expresses grave concern over the expanding and worsening scourge of terrorism and violent extremism on the Continent, exacerbated by the influx of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs), mercenaries and private military enterprises, and deplores the growing linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime, including illicit exploitation of, and trade in minerals, and illicit financial flows with debilitating impact on the economies of the Continent;

1. Strongly condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism and their attendant adverse impact on ordinary citizens and civilians, committed on the Continent by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes; reiterates the AU’s determination to rid Africa of the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, which cannot be justified under any circumstances, and expresses AU’s full solidarity with the affected countries and the victims of terrorism;

1. Underlines the imperative of enhancing comprehensive regional and continental approaches to address the growing scourge of terrorism and the underlying root causes and structural drivers associated with youth participation in violence including redressing the socio-economic imbalances that exist, with the view to economically empowering the people, especially the women and youth, in this regard, stresses the need to prioritize political solutions alongside military and security interventions; while recognizing that terrorism, radicalization and recruitment have been attributed to many causal factors such as democratic governance deficits, economic deprivation and marginalization, and lack of effective and legitimate governance structures for the provision of sustainable political and socio-economic infrastructures ;

1. Underscores the need to further enhance cooperation, coordination and complementarity of the regional and continental efforts, strengthening synergy and harmonization of interventions, as well as information and intelligence sharing and lessons arising from countering terrorism to reinforce the overall response to the threat of terrorism;

1. Highlights the need for context-specific interventions tailored to address the security, governance, development and humanitarian needs of the affected countries and regions with the participation of local community leaders, faith-based leaders, youth, women and the representatives of children;

1. Emphasizes the need to leverage the immense resource espoused by Traditional, Cultural, Religious and Community Leaders in an effort to de-radicalize the youth, given the enormous respect and influence these leaders command in the communities they lead;

1. Underscores the need to strengthen the oversight role of the PSC to ensure effective coordination and collaboration between all stakeholders, including Member States, RECs/RMs, the AU Commission, notably the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), and Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), as well as other relevant AU Organs and institutions;

1. Encourages the RECs/RMs, who are yet to do so, to establish policy organs on peace and security, to ensure that all the regions have right architectures to respond to conflicts and crises, as well as terrorism and violent extremism; further encourages RECs/RMs with policy organs on peace and security to share expertise with those who are yet to establish theirs, and requests the AU Commission to provide the requisite support, where required and upon request;

1. Urges the RECs/RMs to fully utilize the cooperative mechanisms established to address country- and region-specific issues, most notably the Sahel Fusion and Liaison Unit (UFL), the Nouakchott Process on the Enhancement of Security Cooperation and the Operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture in the Sahelo-Saharan Region, the Djibouti Process and the Accra Initiatives established to respond to growing insecurity linked to violent extremism in the region;

1. Urges international partners to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism regardless of the targets or motives, and to take appropriate practical measures to ensure that their respective territories are not used by terrorists for inciting, instigating, organizing, facilitating, participating in, financing, or for the preparation or organization of terrorist acts intended to be committed against other States or their citizens;

1. Reiterates the need to further enhance collaboration between the AU Commission and RECs/RMs; in this regard, requests the AU Commission to support the RECs/RMs to undertake the following:

1. Explore best ways and means of further improving the implementation of policy interventions aimed at addressing the root causes and drivers of terrorism and violent extremism, especially the democratic governance deficit and the absence or weakness of governance structures in peripheral and remote territories, as well as political, social and economic marginalization;

1. Accompany the Member States affected by the scourge of terrorism through mobilization of requisite resources, including funding needed for strengthening institutions for delivery of social services, such as education, justice, health care and entrenching democracy, good governance and the rule of law;

1. Promote the development of economic opportunities, in particular trade facilitation and cross-border infrastructure and cooperation, to strengthen the regional integration necessary for the consolidation of peace and security, and reorient the people away from terrorism and violent extremism;

1. Strengthen existing mechanisms at the level of RECs/RMs, to compile a list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts, including FTFs, as well as those sponsoring them; with a view to tracking, monitoring, reporting on, and proposing policy responses to prevent the expansion of the threats of terrorism and violent extremism with the support of the AFRIPOL, CISSA and  ACSRT;

1. Establish regional counter-terrorism centres to support national efforts in preventing and combating terrorism;

1. Put in place mechanisms for supporting initiatives of local communities both for deradicalization, reconciliation, inter-communal dialogue and for implementing measures for addressing the humanitarian and socio-economic needs of affected populations;

1. Harness the comparative technical advantages of Africa’s governance and development institutions, including the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Development Bank (ADB), and relevant AU Commission Departments, in developing and implementing peace enhancing development projects, including quick impact projects in areas liberated from terrorist groups, that are aimed at promoting the provision of social services and support the livelihoods of people in marginalized regions;

1. Convene inter-RECs/RMs policy coordination meetings horizontally among RECs/RMs, including at ministerial and heads of state and government levels taking note of the best practices of the Joint Summit of ECOWAS and ECCAS on peace, security and stability and the fight against terrorism and violent extremism held in Lomé, Togo in July 2018;

1. Use existing platforms and mechanisms, including the inter-regional knowledge platform (I-RECKE) for early warning and experience sharing, joint planning and collective action, launched in July 2022, in Lusaka, Zambia;

1. Support national Governments in investing in community policing and civil military relations in order to mobilize and sensitize the population against terrorism and violent extremism with the view to capturing the hearts and minds of the population, and creating a mindset change; and

1. Harmonize counter-terrorism and related laws at the regional level to facilitate greater regional integration and effective response mechanisms to terrorism, violent extremism and other related crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and maritime piracy.

1. Underscores the need for RECs/RMs to be adequately financed, well-resourced and equipped to ensure that the Regional Standby Forces (RSFs) and security institutions engaging in conflict management and counter terrorist operations have the capacity for early and effective response;

1. Looks forward to the convening of the first meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Terrorism as established by the Decision [Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.(XVI)] adopted during the 16th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa in May 2022;

1. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.