The Executive Secretary of the North Africa Regional Capacity (NARC), accompanied by a delegation, participated in the Steering Committee meeting of the Early Response Mechanism and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), held in Cairo over three days.
The meeting opened with remarks emphasizing the vital importance of peace, security, and stability in Africa as prerequisites for sustainable development and continental prosperity.
Executive Secretary Ahmed Ahmida Tajouri expressed his gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt, its leadership and people, for hosting the meeting and providing all necessary facilities. He also thanked NARC member states for their continued support, which has significantly contributed to NARC’s achievements, including activating its permanent components and achieving full operational capability. He stressed that these accomplishments would not have been possible without this support.
Mr. Tajouri confirmed that this support has enabled NARC to reach full operational capability, as recently announced by the African Union in Accra, Ghana, on July 19th, 2024. This signifies NARC’s readiness to deploy a peace support mission if mandated by the African Union Peace and Security Council.
He expressed his appreciation to the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) for their efforts in establishing peace, security, and stability across the continent. He also thanked the European Union for its support of African peace and security programs, which has been instrumental to the success of many initiatives.
The Executive Secretary underscored that peace, security, and stability are paramount at regional, continental, and international levels. Security is interconnected, and its deterioration in one region can have far-reaching consequences, impacting even distant areas, as well as neighboring countries. Furthermore, peace is inextricably linked to social stability, which is essential for sustainable development, prosperity, and improved living standards.
He highlighted the meeting’s significance, particularly with the approaching conclusion of the APSA Support Programme 4. The meeting will endorse the 2025 work plans and mark the end of both the Early Response Mechanism and the APSA Support Programme 4 at the close of 2025.
In closing, the Executive Secretary expressed his hopes for productive discussions and positive outcomes, emphasizing the importance of maintaining this platform as a forum for exchanging experiences, successes, and lessons learned.
Speaking on behalf of the Director of the Conflict Management Division at the African Union Commission, Program Management Director Josephat Borgahare thanked the RECs/RMs for their efforts in supporting peace and security on the continent. He expressed gratitude to the European Union for its support, highlighting its contribution to building lasting peace and the strong partnership between Africa and the European Union for a peaceful and secure continent.
Mr. Christophe, representing the European Union Delegation to the African Union, thanked the African Union and NARC for hosting the meetings. He reaffirmed the strong partnership between the European Union and the African Union and the support provided for peace and security programs in Africa under this partnership, noting the specific support given to various APSA components.
Over three days, the meeting will discuss early response programs for conflict prevention, activities related to the peace and security architecture, and the endorsement of the 2025 work plans for the African Union, RECs, and RMs.