I. Introduction
Since the establishment of the African Union in 2002, the legislative bodies and senior leadership of both the United Nations and the African Union have strongly endorsed closer cooperation and coordination in peace and security, leading to a more strategic partnership. This endorsement is based on a recognition that African peace and security challenges are too complex for any single organization to adequately address on its own.
Both the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, at their 7816th and 628th meetings respectively, reiterated the need to transform the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union into one that is predictable, systematic and strategic. They recognized the imperative for close coordination and cooperation based on their respective comparative advantage and complementarity in peace and security, and burden-sharing on the basis of collective responsibility to respond early, coherently and decisively to prevent, manage, and resolve violent conflict.