African Union Political Affairs Peace and Security

Africa’s commemoration of the 4⃣0⃣th Anniversary of the @UN Declaration on the #RighttoDevelopment concluded today, 6 November 2026, under the theme: “From Resilience to Sustainable Prosperity.” Delivering the closing statement on behalf of H.E. Amb. @Bankole_Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs @PatienceChirad3, Director of the Governance and Conflict Prevention Division (#GCPD), @AUC_PAPS, conveyed appreciation to the Government of #Ethiopia, @OHCHR_ESARO, partner universities, African human rights institutions, Member States, civil society, young people and all participants for their contributions. The closing message reaffirmed several priorities: ▪️ Embed the right to development in national plans, budgets and accountability systems, in line with #Article22 of the #AfricanCharter and #Agenda2063. ▪️ Ensure meaningful participation of women, young people, persons with disabilities and communities affected by development projects. ▪️ Strengthen international cooperation through fair access to financing, debt sustainability, technology transfer and action against illicit financial flows. ▪️ Sustain partnerships among the @_AfricanUnion, @UN, Member States, regional organisations, human rights institutions and academia to translate conference outcomes into institutional action. The conference is now officially closed. The work of translating the right to development into a reality for every person across Africa continues! #RightToDevelopment #HumanRights #Agenda2063 #FromResilienceToProsperity

In his closing remarks, Mr Marcel Akpovo, Regional Director, East and Southern African Regional Hub and Representative to the @_AfricanUnion, underscored Africa’s historic contribution to the right to development and the urgent need to make it a reality for all. 🔑 Key messages: ▪️ Africa’s leadership: #Africa was instrumental in shaping the right to development, reflected in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted in 1981, even before the 1986 @UN Declaration. ▪️ People-centred development: Development must be grounded in human dignity, equality, justice, participation and accountability—not measured by economic growth alone. ▪️ A fairer economic system: Unsustainable debt, illicit financial flows and structural inequalities constrain investment in essential services. Fair financing and greater fiscal space are vital. ▪️ No one left behind: Women, children, young people, internally displaced persons and marginalised communities must enjoy equal opportunities and meaningful participation in development. ▪️ From #commitment to #implementation: Conference outcomes must translate into policies, institutions, budgets and tangible improvements in people's daily lives. “The right to development is not a promise for the future; it is a #responsibility for the #present.” #RightToDevelopment #HumanRights

In his reflections on the @_AfricanUnion’s human rights work, Mr Issaka Garba Abdou, Head of the Governance and Human Rights Division, @AUC_PAPS, highlighted key priorities for advancing the right to development and strengthening human rights protection across Africa. 1️⃣ Human rights and conflict prevention go hand in hand: Evidence-based monitoring, civilian protection, accountability and survivor-centred approaches are essential to preventing atrocities and addressing violations. 2️⃣ Business must respect human rights: Stronger due diligence, corporate accountability and access to remedies are critical to ensuring that economic activities contribute to inclusive development and sustainable peace. 3️⃣ Early warning must lead to preventive action: Human rights monitoring, civic space protection and coordinated institutional responses should inform timely action against emerging threats, hate speech and disinformation. 4️⃣ The right to development requires effective implementation: National laws, policies, budgets and accountability mechanisms must translate continental and international commitments into real benefits for people. 5️⃣ Partnerships and institutional cooperation matter: Stronger collaboration among the #AU, @UN, African human rights mechanisms, Member States, National Human Rights Institutions and academic partners is essential to advancing shared priorities. #RightToDevelopment #HumanRights

The #closing plenary of Africa’s commemoration of the 4⃣0⃣th Anniversary of the @UN Declaration on the Right to Development brought together distinguished academics and human rights experts to reflect on the conference’s outcomes and the way forward. Moderated by Mrs Seraphine Kando, Principal Human Rights Officer, @AUC_PAPS, @_AfricanUnion, the session featured: ▪️ Prof. Muradu Abdo, Addis Ababa University ▪️ Dr Dorcoas Basimanyane, University of Pretoria ▪️ Prof. Natalie Hudson, University of Dayton ▪️ Prof. Gerard Kamga, University of the Free State ▪️ Dr Patrice Vahard, Director of @unjhro and Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the #DRC. The discussions underscored the importance of translating the right to development into effective policies, accountable institutions, inclusive participation and tangible benefits for all. #RightToDevelopment #HumanRights #FromResilienceToProsperity

📚 A Milestone Publication Advancing the Right to Development in Africa! The African Union’s commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the @UN Declaration on the Right to Development launched an edited commemorative volume that brings together scholarly perspectives and contributions on the #RighttoDevelopment. The plenary book launch featured presentations by distinguished academics and human rights experts, including Prof. Gerard Kamga, Dr Patrice Vahard, Prof. Serges Kamga, Dr Marianne Severin, Dr Basimanyane Dorcas, Prof. Pierre-François Mercure, Yemesrach Belay Belete, Mohamed Alpha Koroma and Dr Merhatibeb Gebregiorgs. The publication contributes to advancing African scholarship, strengthening human rights discourse and translating the right to development into practical policy and institutional action. 📖 Explore the publication: doi.org/10.29053/978-1-06723… #RightToDevelopment #HumanRights #FromResilienceToProsperity

#PCRDMonth2026 #20YearsOfAUPCRD 🚶🏾‍♀️🕊️ Walk for Building and Sustaining Peace in 📸 A symbolic walk bringing together AU staff, the diplomatic corps and the public in a collective show of solidarity and commitment to building and sustaining peace across the continent. Participants include: AU Peace and Security Council (#AUPSC) Members, AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), and partners. 🤝 One Continent. One Shared Commitment. Peace for All.

🏆 Meet the AU #Peacebuilders of the Year 2026! As part of the 20th Anniversary commemoration of the African Union Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (#PCRD) Framework, the AU honoured four remarkable individuals whose dedication, courage and leadership are advancing peace, reconciliation and inclusion across Africa. 🌍 THE 2026 AWARDEES 🇱🇷 Gwendolyn S. Myers – Liberia | Youth Peacebuilder of the Year Founder and Executive Director of Messengers of Peace-Liberia. She has mobilised and mentored thousands of young peace volunteers, championing youth participation, reconciliation and non-violence. 🇹🇩 Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim – Chad | Female Peacebuilder of the Year A leading advocate for Indigenous Peoples, women's rights and climate resilience. Through community dialogue and participatory mapping, she promotes sustainable resource management and helps prevent tensions over land and water. 🇺🇬 Victor Ochen – Uganda | Male Peacebuilder of the Year Founder and Executive Director of the African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET). He supports survivors of war through medical rehabilitation, trauma recovery, transitional justice and reconciliation, while championing the protection and empowerment of children and young people. 🇪🇹 Firehiwot Siyum – Ethiopia | Peacebuilder of the Year – Persons with Disabilities An advocate for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, promoting inclusive employment, equal opportunities and their full participation in public and economic life. 📍 Award Ceremony: 5 November 2026 | Hyatt Regency Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Their achievements demonstrate that sustainable peace is built through courage, service, inclusion and action. 👏 Congratulations to all four awardees for their outstanding contributions to peacebuilding in Africa! #AUPCRD20 #PeacebuildersOfTheYear #Peacebuilding #InclusivePeace

#PCRDMonth2026 #20YearsOfAUPCRD 🕊️ Celebrating 2⃣0⃣ Years of Building and Sustaining Peace in Africa! The @_AfricanUnion commemorated the 20th Anniversary of its Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (#PCRD) Framework with a special dinner and the AU Peacebuilders of the Year Awards Ceremony, in collaboration with @issafrica and @T4PAfrica, on 5 November 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in #AddisAbaba,🇪🇹. The evening featured: ▪️ Opening remarks by H.E. Amb. @Bankole_Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and H.E. Amb. Antonin Benjamin Biéké, Chairperson of the AU Peace and Security Council for November 2026. ▪️ Goodwill messages from H.E. Amb. Javier Niño Pérez, EU Ambassador to the African Union, and Dr Dawit Yoannes of @issafrica. ▪️ Presentation of the 2025 Annual Report on #ElectionsinAfrica by Ms @PatienceChirad3, Director of Governance and Conflict Prevention, @AUC_PAPS. ▪️ The AU #Peacebuilders of the Year Awards, recognising outstanding contributions to peacebuilding across Africa. Twenty years of commitment. A shared vision. A renewed determination to turn policies into tangible impact. From Policy to Action! #AUPCRD20 #PeacebuildersOfTheYear #SilencingTheGuns

The 17th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (#AUPSC) and the Political and Security Committee of the European Union (#EUPSC) is underway today, 6 November 2026, at the AU Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Meeting is co-chaired by H.E. Amb. Antonin B. Bieke, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the AU and Chairperson of the AU PSC for November 2026, and H.E. Amb. Lene Mandel Vensild, Permanent Chair of the EU Political and Security Committee. H.E. Amb. @Bankole_Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, is also participating in the Meeting, underscoring the AU Commission's commitment to strengthening the AU–EU strategic partnership and advancing coordinated efforts to promote peace, security and stability across Africa. Building on the 9th Annual Joint Retreat held on 5 November 2026, the consultations bring together Members of the AU PSC and EU PSC to exchange perspectives on pressing peace and security challenges across Africa and explore opportunities for enhanced coordination and cooperation. The agenda focuses on four key priorities: the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (@aussom_), including operational challenges and international support for stabilization efforts; the situation in Sudan, with particular attention to the ongoing conflict and its humanitarian implications; the situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including regional peace initiatives; and the security challenges facing the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, particularly terrorism and violent extremism. The ongoing consultations underscore the importance of sustained AU–EU political dialogue, strengthened institutional coordination and complementary efforts in conflict prevention, crisis management and peacebuilding, in line with the shared commitment to advancing sustainable peace, security and stability across Africa. #AUPSC #EUPSC #AUEUPartnership #SilencingTheGuns #Agenda2063

📚Book Launch From Resilience to Sustainable Prosperity in Africa: Reimagining the Right to Development 40 Years after the @UN Declaration De la Résilience à la Prospérité Durable en Afrique : Repenser le Droit au Développement 40 ans après la Déclaration des Nations Unies This open-access volume brings together leading scholars and practitioners to explore the future of the right to development, peacebuilding, climate justice, economic transformation, governance, digital innovation and sustainable prosperity in Africa. Cet ouvrage en libre accès rassemble des spécialistes et praticiens de premier plan autour des enjeux du droit au développement, de la paix, de la justice climatique, de la transformation économique, de la gouvernance, de l’innovation numérique et de la prospérité durable en Afrique. Download free | Téléchargement gratuit doi.org/10.29053/978-1-06723… #RightToDevelopment #DroitAuDéveloppement #HumanRights #Africa #Development #UN #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateJustice #AfCFTA #Peacebuilding

The 9th Annual Joint Retreat between the AU Peace and Security Council (#AUPSC) and the EU Political and Security Committee (#EUPSC), held on 5 November 2026 in Addis Ababa, provided an opportunity for both Councils to engage in substantive exchanges on emerging and persistent peace and security challenges. The deliberations focused on strengthening cooperation in addressing maritime security threats across Africa's maritime domain; enhancing coordinated and preventive approaches to countering terrorism and violent extremism; examining the opportunities, risks and implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies for peace, security and governance; and advancing the Women, Peace and Security (#WPS) Agenda, particularly women's meaningful participation and leadership in conflict prevention, peace processes and peacebuilding. The exchanges highlighted the importance of strengthening AU–EU coordination, sharing experiences and identifying practical opportunities for enhanced collaboration in addressing common security concerns. The Retreat also laid the groundwork for the 17th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting scheduled for 6 November 2026, during which both Councils will exchange views on the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (@aussom_), and the situations in Sudan, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (#DRC), the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin. #AUPSC #EUPSC #AUEUPartnership #SilencingTheGuns #Agenda2063

The 9⃣th Annual Joint Retreat between the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (#AUPSC) and the Political and Security Committee of the European Union (#EUPSC) is underway today, 5 November 2026, at the AU Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Retreat is co-chaired by H.E. Amb. Antonin B. Bieke, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the AU and Chairperson of the AU PSC for November 2026, and H.E. Amb. Lene Mandel Vensild, Permanent Chair of the EU Political and Security Committee. The opening session includes remarks by H.E. Amb. @Bankole_Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Amb. Luke Feeney, Representative of Ireland to the Political and Security Committee of the #EU. Bringing together Members of both Councils, the Retreat provides a platform for strategic dialogue and enhanced institutional cooperation, with discussions focusing on four key thematic priorities: Maritime Security; Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Africa; Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance, Peace and Security; and Women, Peace and Security (#WPS). The ongoing engagement underscores the longstanding AU–EU strategic partnership and the shared commitment to strengthening coordinated responses to emerging and persistent peace and security challenges across Africa. #AUPSC #EUPSC #AUEUPartnership #SilencingTheGuns #Agenda2063

The Government of the Republic of #Zambia has begun developing the country's first-ever National Action Plan (NAP) on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), marking an important step toward translating regional and continental commitments into national action. The process brings together Government, civil society, academia, youth organisations and cooperating partners to establish a coordinated framework for advancing youth participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and sustaining peace. During the opening of a capacity-building workshop for the Technical Working Group in Lusaka, the African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace for Southern Africa, Ruth Kangwa-Ndhlovu @hon_kangwa, commended the Government of the Republic of Zambia for taking this important step. She emphasised that young people must be recognised not merely as beneficiaries of peace and security interventions, but as active partners in decision-making, implementation, monitoring and accountability. The process provides an opportunity to address the peace and security challenges affecting young people while strengthening their contributions to dialogue, mediation, conflict prevention and community resilience. Zambia's progress also contributes to advancing the implementation of the AU Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security and the SADC Regional Strategy on YPS 2026–2036. Ensuring the meaningful participation of young people, particularly young women, persons with disabilities and refugee youth, will be critical throughout the development and implementation of the National Action Plan. From commitments to action: Zambia is taking steps towards institutionalising the Youth, Peace and Security agenda. #Youth4Peace #YouthPeaceAndSecurity #YPS #AfricanUnion

The @AUC_PAPS co-hosted ‘Sustaining Peace in Africa’ with @issafrica, @nupinytt, @ipinst, and @africa_amani, marking #PCRDMonth and 20 years of AU PCRD, as participants in the roundtable reaffirmed that peacemaking and peace operations must deliver lasting recovery, strengthen institutions, and restore livelihoods.

Communiqué de la 1372eme réunion tenue le 9 octobre 2026, sur l’Intégrité de l’information, la paix et la sécurité en Afrique: peaceau.org/fr/article/commu…

Communiqué of the 1372nd meeting held on 9 October 2026, on Information Integrity, Peace and Security in Africa: peaceau.org/en/article/commu…