On the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Benin presided over the 1369th meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in New York. The ministerial-level session was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Corinne Amori Brunet, and attended by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye.

Dedicated to the theme “Good neighborliness and regional responses to security and terrorism challenges in Africa,” the session brought together representatives of the PSC member states, regional organizations, and international partners.

Opening the proceedings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs placed cooperation between neighboring states at the center of the response to threats crossing African borders. She recalled that while borders delineate territories and sovereignties, they also serve as spaces of life, work, trade, and family and cultural ties for local populations.

When insecurity takes hold there, its consequences therefore extend beyond the limits of a single state. For Benin, good neighborliness must translate into concrete cooperation: effective state presence, rapid information sharing, collaboration between security services and judicial authorities, and the maintenance of legitimate cross-border exchanges on which populations depend.

This approach is part of the broader neighborhood diplomacy promoted by Benin under the leadership of President Romuald Wadagni, who places dialogue with neighboring countries, security, and regional cooperation among the pillars of the country’s foreign policy.

The Minister also stressed that this cooperation must be preserved even when political relations between states go through periods of tension. For Benin, the challenge is less about creating new frameworks than about better coordinating existing mechanisms and adapting them to the realities on the ground.

The session also brought back to the center of discussions the role of communities living in border areas, particularly women. Their knowledge of local realities and their proximity to communities are essential assets for identifying tensions, contributing to their prevention, and informing decisions on peace and security.

This priority builds on the second high-level ministerial seminar of the Swakopmund process on “Women, Peace and Security,” held in Cotonou on September 9–10, 2026. The New York meeting thus extends that momentum by linking women’s participation to prevention and security issues in border areas.

Through this ministerial meeting, Benin is pursuing the priorities it championed during its September presidency of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council: crisis prevention, consideration of ground realities, increased participation of women, and strengthened cooperation between neighboring states.

Benin’s diplomatic sequence in New York will continue on Monday, September 28, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs addressing the United Nations General Assembly during the general debate of the 81st session.