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Welcome to the African Union Border Programme (AUBP)
The African Union Border Programme was established in 2007 as part of African Union’s efforts to strengthen the structural conflict prevention capacities of its Member States. The main objective of the AUBP is the promotion of peace, security and stability through: delimitation and demarcation of borders, cross-border cooperation, and capacity building. The African Union Border Programme offers a platform for the negotiated resolution of border disputes and the promotion of regional and continental integration through cross border cooperation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLQkds0vcFBLeXBxcyMor8AKJH471OFaFM&v=78gzTDVsiN8&feature=emb_logo
The implementation of the AU Border Programme is effected at several levels – national, regional and continental, and the responsibility of each of these levels should be determined on the basis of the principle of subsidiarity and respect of the sovereignty of States.
- Declaration on AUBP 2007 1st Conference of African Ministers - Declaration on AUBP 2010 2nd Conference of African Ministers - Declaration on AUBP 2012 3rd Conference of African Ministers - Declaration on AUBP 2016 4th Conference of African Ministers
- PSC Communique 930th Meeting (2020) - PSC Communique 901st Meeting Natural Resources Governance (2019) - PSC Press Statement 777th Meeting Delimitation of Borders (2018) - PSC Press Statement 603rd Meeting Border Disputes (2015)
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External Links Commission Nationale des Frontières de la Côte d’Ivoire
Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) External links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. The AUBP/PSD/AUC bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links.
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Our Newsletter: Read more about the activities to implement the African Union Border Programme across the continent
The African Union Border Programme has launched a bi-annual Newsletter to highlight ongoing activities in Member States and by Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as the African Union to implement the AUBP on the continent. Be the first to receive the AUBP Newsletter by signing up here. The first edition of the Newsletter documents the commitment of Member States and RECs to implement the principles of African Union Border Programme in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It highlights the efforts of the Commission, through the AUBP, to support Member States and RECs in their efforts to limit the spread and impact of the pandemic through cross border cooperation and stabilization of the border areas. It also features on-the-ground implementation of activities by Member States to delimit/ demarcate their inter-state boundaries. Download here the first edition of the Newsletter |
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The African Union Strategy for a Better Integrated Border Governance
The African Union Strategy for a Better Integrated Border Governance was adopted in 2020 by the AU Heads of State and Government. The Continental Strategy is an important milestone in the implementation of the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), in line with existing political and legal instruments adopted by Member States to guide their efforts in the management of border issues. It is designed to use borders as an instrument to promote peace, security and stability; to improve and accelerate integration. The Strategy provides guidelines and recommendations for coordination and cooperation on border policies at the continental, regional and national levels with a focus on enhancing coherence. Download here the long and popular version of the African Union Strategy for a Better Integrated Border Governance: - English AUBGS |
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The African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (Niamey Convention)
The AU Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (Niamey Convention) was adopted in 2014 at the 23rd Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU. The Niamey Convention constitutes the first continental legal framework for cross-border cooperation, making it possible to accelerate the process of regional and continental integration and to resolve border disputes peacefully. Download here the Niamey Convention: Download an info sheet about the Niamey Convention: |
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The African Border Day
African Ministers in Charge of Border Issues adopted 7 June as a day to popularize the importance of the African Union Border Programme in promoting peace and regional and continental integration in Africa. The first African Border Day was celebrated in 2011 under the theme “uniting and integrating Africa through peaceful, open and prosperous borders”. In 2021 celebrations of the 11th edition of the African Border Day were held under the theme “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”. Celebrations featured a short series of animated videos showcasing cultural practices, arts and languages as well as natural heritages from the borderlands. African Border Day – Intro Video African Border Day – Languages & Borders African Border Day – Arts, Culture & Borders African Border Day – Natural Heritage in Borderlands Press Release: Celebration of African Border Day 2021 Infosheet about Borders, Languages, Arts, Culture and Natural Heritage in Africa Highlights from previous Border Days
In 2020, the African Union Commission celebrated the Border Day virtually on Social Media. Take a look at the video statement from H.E. Amb. Smail Chergui, Commissioner for Peace and Security on the occasion of the 2020 Border Day:
The African Border Day 2018 was celebrated at the DRC-Rwanda (Goma-Rubavu) border under the theme “Fighting Corruption through Cross-border Cooperation”. The choice of the theme was motivated by the will of the Peace and Security Department of the AU Commission to make a strong contribution to raising awareness on cross-border cooperation and on the African Union theme of the year 2018 "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa'sTransformation". Read more about the 2018 African Border Day celebrations (https://www.peaceau.org/en/article/celebration-of-african-border-day-2018)
In 2017, the theme of the African Border was “the role of the youth in conflict prevention and cross-border cooperation”. In so doing, it popularizes the African Union Assembly Decision (Assembly / AU / Dec.601 (XXVI) of January 2016, which enshrined the theme of 2017 as: "harnessing the demographic dividend through investment in youth". Read the speech of H.E. Amb. Smail Chergui, Peace and Security Commissioner of the African Union Commission on the occasion of the African Border Day celebration 2017 (https://www.tralac.org/news/article/11721-african-border-day-message-from-auc-peace-and-security-commissioner-amb-smail-chergui.html)
In 2013 the celebration of the African Border Day took place in the context of the 50th anniversary of the OAU-AU which is dedicated to the spirit of pan-Africanism and African Renaissance. The event highlighted the existing achievements of the AUBP in promoting borders as bridges – instead of barriers – and served as a platform to inform all African countries and partners about the availability of the archives, as well as the guidebooks, to serve the implementation of AUBP objectives. The AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, presided over the event, and AUC officials, Ambassadors of AU Member States, members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), experts on border issues, and other guests attended the event. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Lamamra highlighted the importance of the AU Border Program (AUBP). He said, “it is clear that the AUBP is an important step in the commitment of the African Union to peace, security and integration. Its historical role is to help eradicate any tension at our borders and strengthen peaceful relations between our countries. The effective implementation of the AUBP by all Member States will help transcend boundaries as barriers to enhance their mission of bridges for the benefit of states and populations concerned”. Press release: (https://www.peaceau.org/en/article/african-union-celebrates-border-day)
The African Union Border Program (AUBP) of the Peace and Security Department (PSD) of the African Union Commission (AUC) celebrated the first African Union Border Day at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday 07 June 2011. The theme of the day was: “Uniting and integrating Africa through peaceful, open and prosperous borders”. |
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The AUBP border expert database
To support its Member States, the Commission of the African Union (AUC) set up a database to create a pool of experts on border issues. The Border Expert database constitutes a cornerstone of the services offered by the AUC to Member States within the context of the operationalization of AUBP. The Border Expert database aims at supporting the Member States in the implementation of the AUBP through the provision of a pool of qualified short and long-term experts. Interested in joining the expert database? Download here the call for application, the application form and the data protection form and kindly send your application to aubp@africa-union.org. |
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The African Union Border Guidebooks
Over the last years, the African Union Border Programme has developed a series of guidebooks on various topics. The guidebooks share experiences and knowledge in the area of border governance from across the continent. You can download all the AU Border Guidebooks here.
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