MINISTER OF FINANCE CHAIRS 3RD AU PEACE FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

…focuses on funding 3 cardinal activities of priority

As the third African Union (AU) Peace Fund Board of Trustees meeting which was held in Abuja on Thursday, Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, chairs the meeting following its crucial role in sustaining peace across the continent.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance on Media and Communications, Paul Ella Abechi, where the thrust of the meeting was made known, which is to review core decision items for the Board, receive key updates on the Fund, amongst other objectives.

The statement also recalled that in March 2019 the Africa Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia appointed Mrs. Ahmed as Chairperson of Board of Trustees.

The statement reads in part, “The third AU Peace Fund Board of Trustees meeting is currently taking place in Abuja Nigeria; chaired by Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, the current Minister of Finance for Nigeria.

“The meeting is to review core decision items for the Board, receive key updates on the Fund amongst other objectives. It can be recalled that in March 2019 the Africa Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia appointed Mrs. Ahmed as Chairperson of Board of Trustees.”

According to the statement the board has five African members each representing a region and two Non African Members (United Nations and European Union) as International partners. The Minister of Finance is representing the Western African Sub-region in the Board.

It also added that “The Board of Trustees was established by the Assembly of the Africa Union in July 2016 to ensure strategic coherence, enhanced governance, and financial and administrative oversight of the Peace Fund.”

Meanwhile, the focus of the Fund for financing that would enhance peaceful co-existence in the continent includes three cardinal and priority activities.

“The Fund will finance three key priorities: mediation and preventive diplomacy activities, institutional capacity requirements, and peace support operations”, it said.