Background and context
The United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) was established on 1 July 2010 by UN General Assembly Resolution 64/288. The Office implements the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security and supports the AU-UN Frameworks for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030, and for Human Rights. Within this mandate, and in line with the Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace (Action 6 on addressing the interlinkages between climate, peace and security), UNOAU partners with the African Union through a Climate, Peace and Security Advisor funded by the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM). The Advisor works with the African Union Commission, RECs/RMs, AU Climate Commissions, specialised agencies and UN missions, funds and programmes to ensure climate‑related peace and security risks are systematically integrated across UN-AU cooperation on the continent.
Rationale
The far‑reaching impacts of climate change continue to shape peace and security dynamics across Africa, acting as a risk multiplier - intensifying food, water and energy insecurity, driving competition over natural resources, worsening inequalities, and fuelling displacement. In 2021, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) at Heads of State level called for strengthened continental capacity to understand the climate-peace-security nexus and requested the development of a Common African Position. Similarly, the AU Climate Resilient Development Strategy (2022-2032) recognises climate risks and shocks as key drivers of fragility requiring coordinated policy and programmatic action. In 2024, both the AU PSC and the Security Council underscored the destabilising effects of climate change and requested sustained, long‑term UN-AU cooperation.
UNOAU advances work on climate, peace and security by supporting the AU’s efforts to anticipate, prevent and respond to climate‑related risks to peace and stability. Supported by the CSM and working closely with AU organs and UN missions, the Office brings together political, climate, environmental and development perspectives to address root and emerging drivers of conflict and fragility, including a gender and youth perspective.
Our Work on Climate, Peace and Security
UNOAU focuses on:
- strengthening UN-AU high‑level advocacy, political engagement and strategic coordination on climate, peace and security, including at continental and global fora;
- supporting the capacity of the AU and its RECs/RMs, Climate Commissions, specialised agencies and the African Group of Negotiators to assess, interpret and respond to climate‑related security risks through forward‑looking analysis, integrated climate-conflict early warning and action, evidence‑based policy and shared political commitments;
- supporting the AU in integrating climate, environmental and natural resource considerations into AU‑led mediation, preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, peace support operations and efforts to address root causes of conflict; and
- supporting peace‑positive climate action, including through the implementation of the AU Climate Change Resilient Development Strategy and climate finance for transformative resilience efforts in fragile, conflict‑affected and vulnerable settings.
Strategic Engagement
UNOAU complements this work through continuous monitoring of policy developments at the AU Assembly, AU PSC, UN Security Council, UN General Assembly and UNFCCC, and close partnership with the AU Commission. Through facilitating continental coordination and joint planning with CSM‑funded Climate, Peace and Security Advisers deployed with UNOWAS, UNOCA, the CSM Horn of Africa Hub, UNTMIS, UNMISS, LCBC and LGA, the Office ensures coherent and mutually reinforcing action from national to continental to global levels.
