Statement of Italy at the Open Debate on United Nations-African Union peace and security cooperation; May 24, 2016

 Among the ways to ensure an effective partnership, I wish to underscore the importance of securing predictable, sustainable and flexible resources for operations; promoting better coordination and interaction between tUnited Nations and AU envoys; involving more women and youth in conf lict-prevention and peacebuilding initiatives; cooperating in electoral assistance, in particular this year, when Africa will hold more than 20 elections; addressing the root causes and socioeconomic causes of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa; and focusing on capacity-building and institution-building to sustain peace.