Norway welcomes the opportunity to advance the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) partnership.
Allow me to focus on three areas.
First, more regular cooperation between the PSC and PBC.
The two bodies bring different but complementary strengths. The AUPSC offers regional expertise and political engagement, while the PBC provides a platform for mobilizing international attention and partnerships.
Therefore, Norway recommends to:
- Consider carrying out joint visits to relevant country situations;
- Exchange forward-looking annual programs of work to identify overlaps early;
- and invite AU representatives to provide more frequent PBC briefings.
We also welcome the proposal for further cooperation through focused country or regional engagement.
Second, leverage the PBC’s convening role to promote more coherent support for and political attention to national priorities.
Through targeted exchanges, the Commission can complement existing national and regional efforts by connecting identified priorities with the political, technical and financial support available across the international system. Nationally led prevention efforts and mission transitions are two areas where closer PBC-PSC partnership could add value.
Women, peace and security should remain at the center of these efforts. Peace will not be achieved without women's full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership.
We welcome the strong support to WPS from many AU member states, and note the AU’s 2026-2028 WPS Strategic Plan as an important milestone.
Third, strengthening coherence on the ground.
Effective and well-coordinated African institutions are essential in ensuring peace, security and development on the African continent. The affected countries must be in the front seat, supported by regions, organisations and partners.
The UN office to the African Union is a key mechanism in facilitating the cooperation between the UN and the continent. Implementing UN80 reforms at country level is also critical to foster greater coherence among different actors and across pillars.
Colleagues,
African leadership and ownership in prevention and peacebuilding are essential, as are partnerships. The value of our cooperation will ultimately be measured by the impact we achieve on the ground.
Norway is, and will remain, a consistent partner in these efforts.