Communiqué of the 1142nd Meeting of the Peace and Security Council Held on 3 March 2023, on the Briefing by the Panel of the Wise on its Activities in Africa.

Abstract

The Council welcomed the holding of the inaugural Joint Retreat between the AU Panel of the Wise and the African Peer Review Panel of Eminent Persons, held on 13 November 2022, in eThekwini, Republic of South Africa, on preventive diplomacy efforts, and encouraged them to regularise the Panel of the Wise to deepen further interactions with the Panel of Eminent Persons and other similar entities in order to synergise efforts on the Continent. Council further expressed concern over persistent issues of denialism and limited political will by some Member States to accept the Panel’s engagement, and in this respect, urged Member States and all stakeholders to create conducive conditions for the Panel of the Wise to execute its mandate in preventing and resolving conflicts effectively. Council also stressed the imperative for the Panel of the Wise to redouble its efforts and prioritise interventions in countries in political transition and welcomed the plans for the PoW to undertake a mission to the Republic of Chad. Lastly, the Council (i) directed the AU Commission to ensure the mobilization and provision of requisite political, technical, financial and operational resources for the effective and timeous execution of the Panel of the Wise’s responsibilities and (ii) requested the AU Commission to extend the necessary support to the PoW and ensure its regular interaction with the Council and the Chairperson of the Commission and in this regard, reiterates its decision that the Panel of the Wise shall brief the Council quarterly on its activities, particularly on early warning and preventive diplomacy efforts on the Continent.