Why Benin’s diplomatic push in New York hinges on good neighborliness
Why Benin’s diplomatic push in New York hinges on good neighborliness
On the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Benin chaired the 1369th meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in New York, held at the ministerial level. The session, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Corinne Amori Brunet, took place in the presence of 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.
In opening the proceedings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs placed cooperation between neighboring states at the heart of the response to threats that cross African borders. She recalled that while borders delineate territories and sovereignties, they also constitute spaces of life, work, trade, and family and cultural ties for populations.
When insecurity takes hold there, its consequences therefore exceed the limits of a single state. For Benin, good neighborliness must translate into concrete cooperation: effective state presence, rapid information sharing, cooperation between security services and judicial authorities, and the maintenance of legitimate cross-border exchanges on which populations depend.
This orientation is part of the broader neighborhood diplomacy pursued by Benin under the leadership of President Romuald Wadagni, who places dialogue with neighboring countries, security, and regional cooperation among the axes of the country’s foreign action.
The Minister also stressed that this cooperation must be preserved, including when political relations between states go through periods of tension. For Benin, the challenge is less about creating new frameworks than about better articulating existing mechanisms and adapting them to the realities of the territories.
The session also brought back to the center of discussions the role of communities living in border areas and, in particular, that of 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 dedicated to “Women, Peace and Security,” held in Cotonou on September 9-10, 2026. The New York meeting thus extends this dynamic by linking women’s participation to prevention and security issues in border territories.
Through this ministerial meeting, Benin continues the priorities pursued during its presidency of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council in September: crisis prevention, consideration of field realities, increased participation of women, and strengthening cooperation between neighboring states.
Benin’s diplomatic sequence in New York will continue on Monday, September 28, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs speaking at the United Nations podium during the general debate of the 81st session of the General Assembly.
