At the invitation of the African Union Commission, I participated in the High-Level 20th Anniversary of the African Union Peace and Security Council-20 years of the AU PCS as a standing Decision-Making Organ: The Next Two Decades of the Peace and Security We Want in Africa- in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The logo of the AU PSC was also unveiled.
My remarks were under the RoundTable Discussion on relevance, procedure and performance- the role of the PSC focused on 5 points:
1. Going forward, the AUPSC should include economic security in its scope of work. As long there is no economic development and security for African citizens, there will be no peace and stability on the continent,
2. The AU PSC should broaden its definition of “democracy” and go beyond the “free and fair” elections mantra. There is no evidence anywhere that demonstrates that elections deliver development. They should include all aspects of human security in their scope of definitions and work.
3. On Financing, the AfricanUnion should develop and implement more innovative means of income generation for funding the peace and security agenda. Unpredictable donations are not sustainable, especially as the scope of work continues to increase.
4. The PSC needs to decide on how it will engage with the rest of the world, since war and instability elsewhere has direct implications on peace and stability in Africa. They also need preventive strategies and inputs into global peace and stability.
5. There is a need to review the technical and human resources capacity of the PSC Secretariat in order to cater for the increasing scope of work of the PSC.
It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect, network and catch up with colleagues from years gone by.