Joint AU-UN Trip Announcement – South Sudan, Chad & Niger

Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, 2 July 2018: The African Union and the United Nations,
with the support of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission,
H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, and with the participation of the AU Special
Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, H.E. Bineta Diop, the United Nations
Deputy Secretary-General, H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, and the Executive
Director of UN Women, H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who will travel to
South Sudan, Chad and Niger, starting 3 July, in a joint AU-UN visit
with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, H.E. Ms. Margot
Wallström.

Their visit will highlight women’s participation and leadership in
peace, security and development in the three countries, with an
additional focus on climate security and the Sahel.

In South Sudan on 3-4 July, the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and
Security and the UN Deputy Secretary-General will have bilateral
meetings with authorities in Juba. They will visit a protection of
civilians’ site, a hospital that treats victims of gender-based
violence, and community resilience programmes, and hold meetings with
women’s leaders, including members of the “African Women Leaders
Network” (AWLN), religious leaders and civil society groups, among
others.

In Chad on 5-6 July, the AU Special Envoy and the UN Deputy
Secretary-General will have bilateral meetings with authorities in
N’Djamena. They will travel to a project site to meet with communities
adapting to climate change and meet with religious, youth and women’s
groups.

In Niger on 7-8 July, the joint UN-AU delegation will have bilateral
meetings with authorities in Niamey. They will also meet with leaders of
women’s groups, AWLN Members and visit a women’s health centre.

Her Excellency Minister Margot Wallström will join the joint UN-AU delegation in Chad and Niger.

The joint UN-AU Delegation will also be accompanied on different legs of
the trip by senior AU and UN Officials, including H.E. Ambassador Prof.
Joram Mukama Biswaro, Special Representative of the AU Chairperson to
South Sudan; H.E. Madame Zaina Nyiramatama, Head of the AU Liaison
Office in Chad; Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka;
the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund, Natalia Kanem; the
Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Africa, Bience Gawanas. Members
of the “African Women Leaders Network” based in South Sudan, Chad and
Niger will also participate in the activities of the joint mission, to
resonate women’s voices for transformative change, adopted through the
Network’s “Call to Action.”

The AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security and the United Nations
Deputy Secretary-General are undertaking their visit to the three
countries after they participate in the 31st AU Summit, taking place in
Nouakchott, Mauritania, on 1-2 July.

This is their second effort to lead a joint UN-AU Delegation in Africa
for peace, security and sustainable development. Last year, the joint
delegation visited Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The AU Special Envoy and the UN Deputy Secretary-General are expected
back in New York on 9 July. On 10 July, they will brief the Security
Council together on the topic of women, peace and security in the Sahel.
The Council debate will be under the presidency of HE Minister Ms.
Wallström, with Sweden holding the Council’s rotating presidency in
July. The AU Peace and Security Council will also be briefed,

For any enquiry:

Dr. Jean-Bosco BUTERA, Special Adviser and Chief of Staff, Office of The
Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, African Union Commission Buteraj@africa-union.org 

Ms. Verlaine-Diane SOOBROYDOO, Policy Adviser on Women, Peace and
Security at the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the
United Nations 

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

Verlaine.soobroydoo@unwomen.org

For further information: