The fallout from Benin’s presidency of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council is still being felt across diplomatic circles, and the conversation is far from over. On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Benin chaired the 1369th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council at the ministerial level. The session, led by Foreign Minister Corinne Amori Brunet, brought together the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye.

The debate: good neighborliness as a security tool

The meeting tackled the theme “Good neighborliness and regional responses to security and terrorism challenges in Africa,” drawing representatives from Council member states, regional organizations, and international partners. In opening the discussions, the Foreign Minister placed cooperation between neighboring states at the heart of the response to threats that cross African borders. She reminded participants that while borders define territories and sovereignty, they also represent spaces of life, work, trade, and family and cultural ties for local populations.

Why borders matter more than ever

When insecurity takes hold in these areas, its consequences spill far beyond any single state. For Benin, good neighborliness must translate into concrete cooperation: an effective state presence, rapid information sharing, collaboration between security services and judicial authorities, and the preservation of legitimate cross-border exchanges that communities depend on. This approach aligns with the neighborhood diplomacy championed by Benin under President Romuald Wadagni, who has made dialogue with neighboring countries, security, and regional cooperation central to the country’s foreign policy.

What happens when political ties fray

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 and more about better coordinating existing mechanisms and adapting them to the realities on the ground. The session also brought the role of communities living in border areas back to the center of discussions, with particular attention to women. Their knowledge of local realities and their proximity to communities are essential assets for identifying tensions, contributing to prevention, and informing decisions on peace and security.

Women, peace, and security: a thread that runs through the talks

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 extended that momentum by linking women’s participation to prevention and security challenges in border areas.

What comes next for Benin’s diplomatic push

Through this ministerial meeting, Benin is advancing the priorities it championed during its September presidency of the AU Peace and Security Council: crisis prevention, grounding decisions in field realities, increasing women’s participation, and strengthening cooperation between neighboring states. The diplomatic sequence continues on Monday, September 28, when the Foreign Minister will address the UN General Assembly during the general debate of the 81st session.