Remarks by Undersecretary Uzra Zeya at a UN Security Council open debate on peace and security in Africa
Uzra Zeja
Undersecretary for Civil Security, Democracy and Human Rights
New-York, New-York
March 30, 2023
AS DELIVERED
I would like to begin by thanking President Nyusi for leading today’s important discussion and congratulating him on Mozambique’s successful presidency of the Security Council. I would also like to thank all of our distinguished speakers for their informative briefings.
As our briefings said today, to silence the guns on the African continent, we need a move away from the status quo. Left unchecked, deadly conflict will divide African societies, corruption will hamper economic progress, mismanagement will squander natural resources, food insecurity will increase the risk of hunger and malnutrition, injustice will erode social and economic gains, and oppression will stifle people’s enjoyment of life rights and fundamental freedoms. These challenges are particularly pressing for communities in the Sahel and Horn of Africa – they require a comprehensive approach. For this reason, the US strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa calls on the United States to use all of our diplomatic, development and defense capabilities; Strengthening our trade and trade ties; focus on digital ecosystems; and refocusing on urban centers to realize a new vision of how the people of Africa will shape the future of Africa and the world.
To that end, the Vice President just announced our $1 billion initiatives for the economic empowerment of women in Africa. As Vice President Harris made clear during his visit to Ghana this week, the United States is committed to investing in African ingenuity and creativity to fuel robust economic growth and opportunity in Africa and beyond. However, economic development alone is not the main key to unlocking peace and stability. Societies thrive best when they combine robust democracy with development. President Biden has repeatedly stated that we are at a tipping point when it comes to the future of democracy. Democracy has suffered severe setbacks in many parts of Africa, with seven undemocratic transfers of power in West and Central Africa in the past two years. At the same time, developments in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Gambia in recent years have shown that democracy can still triumph over the ballot box. The events of 2022 make clear what we already know: that democratic governance grounded in the rule of law, accountability and respect for human rights remains the best tool we have to unleash human potential, international peace and to safeguard international security and promote prosperity and respect for human dignity.
The United States is committed to the full achievement of all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and I’m particularly pleased that this discussion revolves around SDG 16—Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
As the 2030 Agenda recognizes, sustainable development that balances economic, social and environmental concerns must be promoted alongside the other equal and interrelated pillars of the UN Charter, including peace and security, human rights and the rule of law. These democratic principles, together with those in the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Silencing the Guns roadmap, offer a positive vision for sustainable peace, development and security in Africa. We also recognize the crucial role that UN arms embargoes play in promoting the silencing-the-arms agenda and in limiting the flow of arms into conflict zones.
As formulated in our National Security Strategy, democratic governance consistently surpasses authoritarianism in protecting human dignity, leading to more prosperous and resilient societies, creating stronger and more reliable economic and security partners, and promoting peace and stability.
That’s why we’re proud to be co-hosts today [March 29-30] the second Democracy Summit with the leaders of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Zambia. This diverse group of co-hosts underscores a global signal of demand for accountable, transparent and rights-respecting governance and a commitment to collective action.
However, collective action at the global level does not work without empowerment at the local level. I have observed this time and time again in my travels, including my visit to Mozambique last year and Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal earlier this month. From South to West Africa, local leaders and civil society have stressed to me the importance of being able to set their own agenda, develop solutions and receive resources and capacity-building support to bring peace and security back home anchor. In line with SDG 16, we support inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
Civil society, including religious and traditional leaders and actors, are essential partners in promoting more open, safer, freer and more prosperous societies. As active members of their communities, civil society actors have insight into key opportunities to promote peace and stability and represent the strongest bulwark against destabilizing forces, and we must support their strength and resilience.
Ultimately, we believe that the best strategy to save lives, build lasting stability, and break the cycle of violence is to prevent conflict before it occurs. Through our new 10-year US Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, we are actively working with partners to ensure that peace and security decision-making includes diverse perspectives and that local voices and locally-led solutions are mutual Trust and long-term accountability are at the forefront of building inclusive resilience. This strategy aims to strengthen civil security in the long term, particularly in Mozambique and in coastal West African countries that face a growing threat of extremism at their borders.
I congratulate President Nyusi on his leadership in efforts to counter terrorism’s vulnerability, facilitate recovery from its effects and address the root causes of instability in northern Mozambique. We are proud to support Mozambique’s plans to promote reconciliation, inclusive and sustainable development and resilience in historically marginalized and conflict-affected areas, as well as civil society and private sector initiatives to promote pathways for inclusive economic growth to boost employment among young people increase Mozambicans.
I am pleased to announce that last week, on March 24, we submitted to the United States Congress our ten-year plans for implementing the US strategy to prevent conflict and promote stability. We are launching the next phase of this landmark initiative to reinvigorate our approach to conflict prevention and help a select group of partner countries achieve a more peaceful and resilient future. Each plan adapts our collective approach to the unique challenges and opportunities of the local and regional context. We will continue to highlight and elevate local voices and solutions to prevent conflict and promote stability. We understand that the context inevitably changes in every country and these plans will adapt and evolve as needed.
As President Biden noted, instability can have global ramifications anywhere in our interconnected world. The United States is committed to strengthening global resilience and democratic renewal and fostering open, peaceful, inclusive, and self-reliant nations that become strong economic and security partners capable of addressing shared challenges. We look forward to working together to achieve these common goals.
Thank you very much.
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