On 3 October 2015, at the Headquarters of the African Union (AU), the AU Commission hosted the 5th and final meeting of the Steering Committee for the AU Project titled “Building African Union Capacities for Security Sector Reform (SSR): A Joint United Nations/European Union Support Action”. The Project, which started on 1 January 2013, will end on 31 December 2015.

The Steering Committee is the oversight body for the Project, and comprises the AU Commission, as Chair, the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the European Union (EU), the Netherlands, Norway and the African Security Sector Network (ASSN). The objective of the meeting was to assess the Project activities for the three-year period from January 2013 up to December 2015. In addition, the meeting of the Steering Committee provided an opportunity for all partners to express their commitment to pursue their collaboration. They agreed to continue to work together on SSR under different arrangements.

The meeting discussed the reports of the Project activities for the period May to December 2015, and conducted an analysis of the Project activities for the 3-year period from January 2013 to December 2015, including budget issues. It was noted that the partnership enabled the AU to establish a continental SSR capacity, including the dissemination of the AU Policy Framework on SSR and the development of relevant SSR guidance documents, the provision of training for the RECs/RMs, the conduct of needs assessment missions and the deployment of experts to assist AU Member States in their national SSR activities.

On behalf of the AU Commission, Dr. Tarek A. Sharif, Head of the Defense and Security Division (DSD) of the AU Peace and Security Department, thanked all the partners for their support to the AU. He informed the participants that from, January 2016, SSR will be mainstreamed as part of AU activities within the framework of the broader African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).