New York (VNA) – Vietnam supports joint efforts by the United Nations (UN) and the AfricanUnion (AU) to promote peace in Africa, Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, hassaid.

Speaking at the annual consultation between the UN Security Council (UNSC) andthe African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on September 30, Anhalso affirmed Vietnam supports Mali's independence, sovereignty and territorialintegrity, and acknowledges that stakeholders in Mali has reached an agreementto establish a transitional government.

He emphasised the importance of ensuring security and safety for people of Maliand continuing efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and called on thetransitional government and relevant parties to strengthen cooperation andmutual trust towards promoting national concord and making a peaceful andstable transition.

The ambassador urged relevant parties to comply with international humanitarianlaw and protect the rights of women and children, highlighting the importanceof women’s participation in all stages of the political process in Mali.

He also highly valued the cooperation between UNSC and AUPSC in preventing and dealingwith the conflicts in Africa in general and in Mali in particular.

Rosemary Di Carlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, highlighted cooperation achievements betweenUNSC and AUPSC in the context of COVID-19 outbreak, especially their jointcontributions to the peace processes in Mali, Madagascar, Sudan and South Sudan,and to promoting the participation of women and young people in peace processes.

She expressed her hope for stable situations in Mali, Sahel and Somalia, and praised AUPSC’s response to the UNSecretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire to focus on fighting COVID-19.

Meanwhile, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui affirmed that AUPSC will continue to work closely with UNSC, and reiteratedthe call by AU member countries on facilitating the involvement of Africancountries in UNSC in building the council’s documents on Africa.

A joint statement was adopted at the consultation, spotlighting the role by AUin preventing, managing and solving conflicts, and in promoting reconstructionand development in Africa; and reaffirming the importance of strengthening the cooperationbetween UNSC and AUPSC on peace and security issues in Africa.

It also stressed the need to enhance the coordinationin implementing the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the AU Agendato 2063, and the UNSC's Resolution 2457 on supporting the initiative “Silencing the Guns in Africa”.

The annual consultationbetween the UNSC andthe AUPSC was established in 2007 to enhance bilateral cooperation in peace andsecurity in Africa. This was the first time the consultation was held onlinedue to the COVID-19 pandemic./.