UN / AFRICA PEACE SECURITY

STORY: UN / AFRICA PEACE SECURITY
TRT: 03:29
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 11 OCTOBER 2022, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters

11 OCTOBER 2022, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“We are heading straight off a climate cliff. For many Africans, this is not a distant threat, but a daily reality. Africa barely contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is paying an outsized price. This is a textbook case of moral and economic injustice. In the Horn of Africa, for example, people are facing the threat of famine, after four consecutive failed rainy seasons, the first in over 40 years. in the Sahel, drought and land degradation are exacerbating tensions between farmers and herders. At the same time, communities in southern Africa face hurricanes and flash floods.”
4. Med shot, delegates
5. SOUNDBITE (Fench) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The use of force is too often considered the only method to resolve disputes. Unconstitutional changes of government are on the rise. In the Sahel, Da'esh and al-Qaida affiliates pursue their deadly attacks and seek to extend their reach. In the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, the eastern part of the DRC, Mali, Sudan and Libya. protracted conflicts and a dire humanitarian situation are plunging people into despair. Violence against women, especially women human rights defenders is on the rise. We also see an increase in disinformation and hate speech, often used as weapons of war.”
6. Wide shot, Council with AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on screen
7. SOUNDBITE (Fench) Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson, African Union Commission:
“Africa represents 70 percent of the UN peacekeeping missions. We are the most discussed issue at the United Nations, and we benefit from the concerns of the permanent members of the Security Council. We have intelligence, talent, conscience, ambition, how many billions of dollars have been spent on UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, and what has the result been?”
8. Med shot, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (Fench) Michaël Moussa Adamo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gabon:
“Africa cannot be happy given the conflicts that are erupting in the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa and in Central Africa. Africa cannot just sit idly by when we see the hordes of mercenaries, terrorists and armed groups, which ravage our countries, our resources and bring in violence. Africa is more than ever committed and will be even more so to provide solutions to these issues; repositioning the African troops and the deployment of African Union missions, means that we are taking on our share of shouldering this responsibility for peace and security.”
10. Wide shot, Council

STORYLINE:

During a meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the African Union (AU), Secretary-General António Guterres today (11 Oct) told the Security Council that the world is “heading straight off a climate cliff” and “for many Africans, this is not a distant threat, but a daily reality.”

The Secretary-General said, “Africa barely contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is paying an outsized price.”

He said, “in the Horn of Africa, for example, people are facing the threat of famine, after four consecutive failed rainy seasons, the first in over 40 years. in the Sahel, drought and land degradation are exacerbating tensions between farmers and herders. At the same time, communities in southern Africa face hurricanes and flash floods.”

Turning to peace and security in the continent, Guterres said, “the use of force is too often considered the only method to resolve disputes. Unconstitutional changes of government are on the rise. In the Sahel, Da'esh and al-Qaida affiliates pursue their deadly attacks and seek to extend their reach. In the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, the eastern part of the DRC, Mali, Sudan and Libya.”

He said, “protracted conflicts and a dire humanitarian situation are plunging people into despair. Violence against women, especially women human rights defenders is on the rise. We also see an increase in disinformation and hate speech, often used as weapons of war.”

Briefing the Council via video teleconference, the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahama said, “Africa represents 70 percent of the UN peacekeeping missions. We are the most discussed issue at the United Nations, and we benefit from the concerns of the permanent members of the Security Council. We have intelligence, talent, conscience, ambition, how many billions of dollars have been spent on UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, and what has the result been?”

For his part, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, Michaël Moussa Adamo, said, “Africa cannot be happy given the conflicts that are erupting in the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa and in Central Africa. Africa cannot just sit idly by when we see the hordes of mercenaries, terrorists and armed groups, which ravage our countries, our resources and bring in violence. Africa is more than ever committed and will be even more so to provide solutions to these issues; repositioning the African troops and the deployment of African Union missions, means that we are taking on our share of shouldering this responsibility for peace and security.”

Gabon holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October.

The debate focused on the partnership between the UN and the AU.

The AU – UN annual consultative meeting, which rotates between New York and Addis Ababa will take place on 14 October in New York. It will focus on the situations in West Africa and the Sahel and in the Great Lakes region; the application of sanctions in conflict situations in Africa; and the longstanding issue of securing adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for AU-led peace support operations.