Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, praised the co-operation activities between the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on September 29 while in attendance at a virtual annual consultation between the two councils.

Ambassador Quy lauded the range of co-operative feats recently achieved through joint efforts by the two councils. This includes the establishment of peace keeping missions in Somalia along with the Sudanese region of Darfur, the launch of the “Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020” initiative, and various activities aimed at promoting regional peace and security, as well as women empowerment.

With Africa facing a number of formidable challenges, Ambassador Quy expressed his hope that the UNSC and the AUPSC will continue to participate in further co-operative measures aimed at seeking suitable settlements.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese diplomat used the occasion to highlight the AU’s role in promoting multilateralism and their contributions to initiatives led by the UN.

Participants at the virtual annual consultation between the UN Security Council (UNSC)
and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC)

Most notably, the nation has always placed great value on its traditional friendship and co-operation with African nations, with suggestions put forward that ASEAN and the AU can co-operate and share their experiences across multiple areas.

During the meeting, participants also discussed a range of measures aimed at enhancing collaboration between the UNSC and AUPSC, in addition to creating opportunities for African development through schemes such as “Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020”.

Moreover, members of the two councils also lauded recent progress made in terms of politics, security, and economy in Africa, while pointing out the continent’s tough challenges relating to armed conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters, poverty, and diseases.

They shared the view that both sides must improve their co-operation efficiency and accelerate the implementation of the “Silencing the Guns in Africa” initiative beyond 2020.

Participants therefore underlined the need to enhance the role of the A3 group, the three non-permanent African members of the UNSC, namely Niger, South Africa, and Tunisia, in African issues brought up at the UNSC.

Both councils continued their consultations on Mali, Somalia, and issues in the Sahel region, in addition to issuing a joint statement on September 30.

The annual consultation between the UNSC and AUPSC was first established in 2007 in order to augment bilateral co-operation in peace and security in Africa. Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), this year marks the first time that the consultation was held virtually.