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Peace and Security at the table as regional countries convene under UNSAC

07 February 2024

Creating and sustaining peace and security in the Great Lakes region of Africa involves a comprehensive and collaborative approach, addressing both immediate and underlying causes of conflicts. This was at the center of the discussion during the 56th Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC) hosted by Rwanda

The five-day gathering convened foreign ministers and experts from 11 member countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to assess various topics focusing on security and stability issues in the region.

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC), Ms. Virginia Gamba, called on member countries to prioritize the issue of shielding children in conflicted areas as a vital aspect of human rights protection.

She further observed that while the UN plays a significant role, it's important to note that addressing the complex issue of child protection in conflict zones requires the cooperation of governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the international community as a whole.

“We need to have a regional plan on how to prevent violations, improve communications between borders, improve border controls, and improve how to handle children who are released from the conflicts so they can be reintegrated safely back into communities”, she said during the exclusive interview with the UNRCO communications team.

The UN Leader commended the meeting mentioning that though it was generally focusing on human rights protection, it was also a great opportunity to advocate for children suffering in the conflicted zones in the region particularly girls who are raped by terrorists and armed groups.

During this meeting, Rwanda was elected to chair the Bureau of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa for the next 6 months.

In his remarks, Rwanda’s foreign affairs Minister H.E Vincent Biruta called for joint efforts to address regional security issues. He stated that Central Africa is facing numerous security threats, ranging from the problem of small arms to questions linked to migration crises, climate change, terrorism, extremism, and unconstitutional changes, among others.

Minister Biruta further emphasized the need to identify and adopt coherent strategies to counter all potential threats to the stability of the sub-region while reiterating Rwanda’s commitment to achieving the goal.

“I hope this meeting will give new impetus to the search for solutions to the security challenges facing our sub-region. I would also like to reiterate Rwanda's willingness to work with each of you to achieve this goal,” he highlighted.

UNSAC was established on 28 May 1992 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, under Resolution 46/37 B adopted on 6 December 1991 by the UN General Assembly. The decision was to have a positive response to the request made on 28 November 1986 by the member countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) emphasizing the need to create this Committee