Cooperation Between the United Nations and the African Union

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 22m Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, published in 2003.

What other versions does this mandate have?

7 versions · 2003–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/79/329

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/79/329	Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union	4,349	16%Compare
2013	A/RES/67/302	Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union	3,723	66%Compare
2011	A/RES/65/274	Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union	3,782	53%Compare
2009	A/RES/63/310	Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union	2,601	39%Compare
2007	A/RES/61/296	Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union	2,199	46%Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report · 2004

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2004	A/59/591	Enhancement of African peacekeeping capacity report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/57/48

What’s in this document?

38 operative paragraphs

Takes note with satisfaction of the report of the Secretary-General;1

Welcomes the cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations and, in this respect, the continuing participation in and constructive contribution of the African Union and its specialized agencies to the work of the United Nations, and calls upon the two organizations to enhance the involvement of the African Union in all United Nations activities concerning Africa;

Calls upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Interim Chairman of the African Union to review the Cooperation Agreement between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity with a view to reflecting the establishment of the African Union;

Also calls upon the Secretary-General to involve the African Union and its organs closely in the implementation of the commitments contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,3 especially those that relate to addressing the special needs of Africa;

Encourages the Secretary-General to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations Liaison Office with the African Union;

Stresses the need for closer cooperation and coordination between the African Union and the United Nations, and calls upon the United Nations system to continue to support the African Union on an ongoing basis in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement between the two organizations;

Requests the United Nations system, while acknowledging its primary role in the promotion of international peace and security, to intensify its assistance to the African Union, as appropriate, in strengthening the institutional and operational capacity of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, in particular in the following areas:

Development of its early warning system, including the Situation Room of the Conflict Management Directorate;

Training of civilian and military personnel, including a staff exchange programme;

Regular and continued exchange and coordination of information, including between the early warning systems of the two organizations;

Field missions of the African Union in its various member States, in particular in the area of communication and other related logistical support;

Capacity-building for peace-building before and after the termination of hostilities on the continent;

Support for the Peace and Security Council in taking humanitarian action on the continent in accordance with the Protocol relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council;

Urges the United Nations system to examine the possibilities of assisting the African Union in the following areas:

Mobilization of financial resources to support the African Union Peace Fund;

Establishment of the Panel of the Wise;

Establishment of a military staff committee;

Creation of an African standby force;

Urges the United Nations to encourage donor countries, in consultation with the African Union, to contribute to adequate funding, training and logistical support for African countries in their efforts to enhance their peacekeeping capabilities, with a view to enabling those countries to participate actively in peacekeeping operations within the framework of the United Nations;

Also urges the United Nations to contribute, where appropriate, to the enhancement of the capacity of the African Union to deploy peace support missions;

Requests the United Nations system to extend full cooperation and support, as appropriate, to the African Union in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa;

Requests the agencies of the United Nations system working in Africa to include in their programmes at the national, subregional and regional levels activities to support African countries in their efforts to enhance regional economic cooperation and integration;

Stresses the urgent need for the United Nations and the African Union to develop close cooperation and concrete programmes aimed at addressing the problems posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and anti-personnel mines, within the framework of the relevant declarations and resolutions adopted by the two organizations, including the Plan of Action on Landmines, adopted at the First Continental Conference of African Experts on Landmines, held at Kempton Park, South Africa, from 19 to 21 May 1997, the Bamako Declaration of 1 December 2000 on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons¹⁴ and the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, adopted by the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held in New York from 9 to 20 July 2001;¹⁵

¹⁴See A/CONF.192/PC/23.

¹⁵See A/CONF.192/15, para. 24.

Calls upon the United Nations system to continue to cooperate with the African Union in the creation of its organs and the implementation of the protocols to the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community,¹⁶ to intensify the coordination of regional programmes in Africa to ensure the effective harmonization of programmes with those of the African regional and subregional economic organizations and to contribute to creating a positive environment for economic development and investment;

¹⁶A/46/651, annex.

Calls upon the United Nations system and the international community to support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development¹⁷ and the ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of the substantive session of 2001 of the Economic and Social Council,7 and the enhancement of the capacity of African countries to take advantage of the opportunities offered by globalization and overcome the challenges it poses, as a means of ensuring sustained economic growth and sustainable development;

¹⁷A/57/304, annex.

Calls upon the United Nations system, the African Union and the international community to intensify their cooperation in the global fight against terrorism through the implementation of the relevant international and regional treaties, protocols and other instruments on combating terrorism, noting in this regard the Plan of Action adopted in Algiers on 14 September 2002;

Encourages the United Nations system to effectively support the efforts of the African Union in urging the international community to duly implement the Doha Development Agenda,4 including negotiations aimed at substantial improvements in market access to promote sustainable growth in Africa;

Urges the United Nations system to increase its support for Africa in the implementation of the declaration of the extraordinary summit meeting of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other related infectious diseases,8 and the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, so as to arrest the spread of these diseases, inter alia, through sound capacity-building in human resources;

Calls upon the United Nations system to implement the Plan of Action contained in the document entitled “A world fit for children”, adopted at the special session of the General Assembly on children,9 and to provide assistance, as appropriate, to the African Union and its member States in this regard;

Calls upon the United Nations system and other development partners to provide assistance, as appropriate, to the African Union and African Governments in the fight against the scourge of illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse;

Calls upon the United Nations system and the African Union to develop a coherent and effective strategy, including through joint programmes and activities, for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa, within the framework of the implementation of regional and international treaties, resolutions and plans of action adopted by the two organizations;

Welcomes the adoption by the States members of the African Union of the protocol establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to complement the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and encourages the finalization of the process leading to the establishment of the Court;

Calls upon all Member States and regional and international organizations, in particular those of the United Nations system, as well as non-governmental organizations, to provide additional assistance, as appropriate, to the African Union and those Governments in Africa concerned with the problems of refugees, returnees and displaced persons;

Urges the United Nations system to speedily implement resolution 56/135 of 19 December 2001, on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa, and to effectively support African countries in their efforts to incorporate the problems of refugees into national and regional development plans;

Also urges the United Nations system to work towards ensuring the effective and equitable representation of African men and women at senior and policy levels at the respective headquarters of its organizations and in their regional fields of operation;

Requests the United Nations system to cooperate with the African Union and its member States in the implementation of appropriate policies for the promotion of the culture of democracy, good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and the strengthening of democratic institutions which will enhance the popular participation of the peoples of the continent in these issues, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development;

Calls upon the United Nations system and invites the Bretton Woods institutions to support, within their respective mandates, and where necessary and possible to assist in the establishment of appropriate institutional structures of the African Union, including the Pan-African Parliament, the Court of Justice, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council and the Financial Institutions;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session on the implementation of the present resolution.

Cooperation Between the United Nations and the African Union

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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