The Elysée Summit for Peace and Security in Africa was held in Paris on 6-7 December. It dealt with peace and security in Africa, the economic partnership and development, and climate change.
Fifty-three delegations from African countries and France took part in the Summit, as well as representatives from the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
Peace and Security
- The Heads of State and Government reiterated their commitment to collective security in Africa and to encouraging peace and promoting human rights, in line with the goals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union. They called for enhanced strategic dialogue between Africa and France for a shared vision of threats. They affirmed that peace, security, and the promotion and protection of human rights were inseparable and that a rapid response in the event of serious human rights violations could be an effective conflict prevention tool.
- The Heads of State and Government agreed on the importance of an effective multilateral system that is representative of today's world, based on a strong, renovated United Nations. In particular, they called for
a reform of the United Nations Security Council, increasing the role of Africa in the framework of an enlarged Council while preserving its ability to maintain international peace and security to enhance collective security as provided for by the Charter of the United Nations.
- The Heads of State and Government welcomed the considerable progress made by the African Union, the regional economic communities, and the African nations in implementing African peacekeeping operations in Mali, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Burundi, Sudan (Darfur) and the Comoros. These initiatives provide African solutions to African problems and need to be supported by the international community.
- With this in mind, the Heads of State and Government highlighted the importance of building African crisis response capacities. France committed to supporting the African Union's efforts to reach full operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF) and its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC) by 2015, as well as the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC), as decided by the African Union Summit in May 2013.
- The Heads of State and Government called for a major international mobilization to increase the level and predictability of financing for African peacekeeping operations. As a member of the United Nations Security Council, France will continue to play an active role in this area. They reiterated their determination to ensure the success of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), particularly in terms of prevention and mediation.
- The Heads of State and Government congratulated the African Union on the annual High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa and encouraged it to strengthen this forum, including through drawing on relevant international experiences.