Outreach/Patnerships

Background

The AU and especially NEPAD are based upon a spirit of partnership, both between African actors and with international development partners. Within Africa, the International Peace and Cooperation Programme conducts outreach to inform civil society of developments in the APSA and thereby enhance civil society’s ability to participate in continental peace and security. The Programme has also entered into a number of partnerships with other civil society organisations, think tanks and academic institutions to further the governance, peace and security agenda. Additionally, the Programme participates in training of government officials, practitioners and others to enhance their capacity to achieve peace and security-related objectives.

While Africa is increasingly taking responsibility for its own peace and security, and setting the agenda for conflict prevention, management and resolution on the continent, the enormity of the task of providing peace, stability and development, and the reality of Africa’s limited resources, necessitates support from international partners. Over the past decade or so, these partners have increasingly recognised the importance of Africa-owned and –led programmes for peace, security and development on the continent, and have entered into relationships with the AU and especially NEPAD with the aim of supporting the African agenda.

The International Peace and Cooperation Programme has established solid relationships with a number of Africa’s international partners, including the Group of Eight (G8) Member States and the broader African Partnership Forum (APF), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations, in particular the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the UN NEPAD Cluster and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Given SaferAfrica’s unique working relationship with the AU, NEPAD and other regional and national organisations on the continent, the organisation is well-placed to serve as interlocutor between Africa and its partners on the APSA and governance agenda.

Ongoing/ Planned Activities

The programme undertakes a number of outreach activities from national to continental level, including:

Interaction with G8, EU, UN and other partners to strengthen and align their support to Africa with the APSA
Publication of Pax Africa, a quarterly newsletter on peace, security and governance in Africa which are disseminated to the government, multilateral organisations, CSOs and the diplomatic corps
Holding of regular Ukumbi policy forum, to brief Africa’s partners on the latest developments in peace and security
Holding of regular briefings with government officials, leaders of multi-laterals, etc to encourage and coordinate support for APSA priorities
Facilitation of information-sharing between AU, NEPAD, RECs and Member States
Participation in NEPAD CSO Think Tank
Collaboration with the University of Pretoria and UN University for Peace through the development of training courses on human rights, justice and peace, and conflict prevention, management and resolution as well as through editing of an African peace and security compendium and reader
Collaboration with RECs to enhance their participation in the development and implementation of the African peace and security agenda
Briefings of African civil society organisations on the African peace and security agenda and architecture to enhance their ability to participate in the development and implementation of peace and security policies

Past Activities

Convened and facilitated the NEPAD Peace, Security and Stability Priorities Development seminar held in May 2002. These were crystallized into the NEPAD Initial Action Plan (2002).
Facilitated a consultative brainstorming meeting of the Central Organ that resulted in the Protocol Relating to the Establishing of the Peace and Security Council. This protocol was adopted at the 1st AU Summit in July 2002. The Protocol entered ratification stage in December 2003
Facilitated and sponsored a joint AU-NEPAD Consultation on Peace and Security to increase alignment and coordination between the AU and NEPAD on matters of peace and security. This led to the crystallisation of the African Peace and Security Agenda (Addis Ababa, February 2003).
Provided full-time support to the NEPAD Secretariat through the secondment of a staff member to the office of the Executive Secretary
Provided full-time support to the APRM Secretariat through the secondment of a staff member.
Provided expertise in the form of lecturers to the South African Defence College and the South African Army College.