Pretoria — As South Africa's term as President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draws to a close, South Africa hopes that a United Nations- African Union (AU) Panel will soon be established.

"[Currently on the United Nations Security Council's agenda is] the decision to establish an UN-AU panel of distinguished persons to consider, in-depth, the modalities on how to support peacekeeping operations undertaken by regional organisations.

"We wish to stress the importance of the decision and we want to hope that the panel will be appointed soon," said Foreign Affairs Chief Director for UN Political Affairs, Xolisa Mabhongo, on Thursday.

"... South Africa will be working with other partners to ensure that there is early implementation of this decision."

The establishment of such a panel was born out of the high level discussions that recently took place in New York on the betterment of relations between the UNSC and other regional organisation such as the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), in particular.

The meeting of the two bodies' security councils was the second following a similar meeting in Addis Abba, Ethiopia in 2007.

With regards to Sudan, the UNSC will be discussing the issue of the extension of the mandate of the UN's Mission to Sudan.

The UN's mission to Sudan would be expiring on 30 April 2008, said Mr Mabhongo.

The UN supports the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the north and the south of Sudan which stipulates the demarcation of borders between north and south, and providing security as well as the preparations for a general election.

"The UNSC will on Thursday be discussing whether there is a need to adapt the existing mandate of the UN peacekeepers, in order for the mission to enhance its ability to support the Sudanese parties in the implementation of the CPA.

"We note that on some of the major issues [of the UNSC with regard to Sudan] the progress is rather slow.

"South Africa has always trusted that the full implementation of the CPA is one of the necessary conditions for lasting peace in Sudan," said Mr Mabhongo.