PSC Program of Work for February 2019

Automatic Heading TextDate | February 2019

Gabon assumes the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of February 2019. The provisional program of work envisages six substantive sessions other than the meetings on the consideration of the PSC reports. One open session is scheduled.

The PSC program of work starts on 1 January with a meeting of the PSC for consideration of its reports on a) the implementation of the African Union Master Roadmap of Practical Steps on Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020 and b) its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa. If the consideration of the reports is not finalized, it is expected to continue on 4 February.

On 5 February, the PSC is scheduled to have a session for ‘Exchange of views between the PSC and the AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns’. This session is envisaged to be open to all AU member states. Considering the 2020 timeline for silencing the guns, this session offers good opportunity for taking stoke of the progress made, if any, the remaining challenges towards achieving the targets of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps on Silencing the Guns and the changes required.

The next session of the PSC scheduled on 14 February focuses on the consideration and adoption of the draft PSC Program of Work for the month of March 2019.

On 15 February, the PSC plans to consider and adopt the new Concept of Operations (CONOPS) of AMISOM, a session carried forward from January. This session may however be brought forward to the early days of the week of 4 February. It is to be recalled that the PSC at its 806th session expressed its expectation to the consideration and adoption of the new revised CONPOPs of AMISOM. This was developed within the framework of the AMISOM Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) and the process on the reconfiguration of AMISOM including the anticipated reduction of its size by 1000 troops by February 2019.

The only fully open session of the PSC is planned on 19 February. Interestingly, the focus of the session is on climate change funding in line with the Africa Adaptation Initiative (IAA) to contribute to peace and security.

Carried forward from the January program, on 21 February the PSC plans to have a briefing session on the situation in Darfur and the reconfiguration of UNAMID.

The next session on 26 February involves the quarterly briefing by CISSA on terrorism and violent extremism in Africa.

On 27 February, the PSC will have another session carried from its January program. PSC is scheduled to consider the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of the A3 Draft Resolution on Financing. Following the last minute withdrawal of the A3 resolution from proceeding to voting on 21 December despite it being co-sponsored by about 90 UN member states, the matter was referred to the PSC for its direction. After discussing it as AOB on 24 December, the PSC requested the AU Commission to submit to it a report, outlining the issues encountered in the negotiation of the resolution. It is expected that the PSC will provide guidance on the parameters for negotiations in the UNSC in taking the resolution forward.

On the same day, the PSC will have a monthly review of the implementation of the harmonization of ACIRC into the ASF as per its decision on the Report and Recommendations of the Military Staff Committee on the Harmonization of ACIRC into the ASF.

In the last anticipated session on 28 February, the PSC is scheduled to have a session to review post- conflict reconstruction and development in Africa.