“The aim of the debate was to examine the UN’s peace and security architecture and to consider what remains to be done, in the context of the 2015 reviews of peace operations, peacebuilding and women, peace and security. Some of the developments that framed the conversation included ongoing and new conflicts and crises in Africa, especially in the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel and in the Lake Chad basin; the role of armed non-state actors, including violent extremists in many of these conflicts; the degree to which transnational organised crime weakened governance and its links with many of these non-state ac-tors. New challenges to the international peace and security architecture were discussed, such as the high number of people displaced by poverty, poor governance and instability, and the significant political and security challenges posed by trends in migration within Africa and from Africa to Europe and elsewhere, including as refugees and asylum-seekers. Other issues discussed included rivalries among major powers and uncertainty in the global order, international terrorism, crises and wars in the Middle East, the global financial and energy crises, capital flight from Africa facilitated by the international financial system including secrecy jurisdictions and tax havens, and the exploitation of Africa’s natural resource.”
