The European Union (EU) on Wednesday reaffirmed its strong engagement with the United Nations,
particularly in Africa where a trilateral relationship between the UN, African Union (AU) and EU is already in the making to enhance regional cooperation.
The statement came as the acting head of EU delegation, Pedro Serrano spoke to an open Security Council debate on the cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub- regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security.
"A genuine trilateral UN-AU-EU relationship is already in the making," Serrano said, adding that the EU maintains a high level of engagement with the UN, especially in Africa.
The EU has deployed two military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in support of the UN mission in the DRC (MONUC), Serrano said.
The UN Security Council Wednesday extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in the war-torn DRC until May 31, 2010, and called on
MONUC to "ensure the effective protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and United Nations personnel and facilities."
The EU is currently working with the UN and the Congolese government towards the reform of its security sector in addition to assisting the
African Union (AU) in Darfur and putting into place an operation in Chad at the UN's request, Serrano said.
Reaffirming the EU's support in finding a peaceful solution to the Somali crisis, Serrano said the EU is working "very closely" with the UN in assisting the fight against piracy off Somalia's coast as well as helping the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in the development of their security forces and supporting the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM).
Meanwhile, Serrano touched upon a plethora of global issues which requires collective global action, naming climate change as one of them.
"We cannot afford to fail," Serrano said underscoring that the political agreement in Copenhagen must now be "translated into firm
obligations and followed by effective implementation."
Serrano reaffirmed EU's support for the regional integration agenda as a means to achieve economic growth and peace where he said the EU has developed regional strategies in partnership with all world regions.
"The challenges facing the international community -- poverty, conflict, terrorism, non-proliferation, climate change, are closely
interlinked and of a magnitude that requires collective action," Serrano said.