Senior Researcher Salome Bronkhorst was invited by the German Federal Foreign Office and Adelphi to attend an international conference titled Climate Diplomacy in Perspective – from Early Warning to Early Action on the security implication of climate change. The conference, which was held on 10 and 11 October in Berlin, Germany and followed on a discussion at the United Nations Security Council in July 2011 on the implications of climate change for security, included working group sessions on food security, water security and coastal stability.

As part of efforts to strengthen the mediation-support capacity of the African Union (AU), and thereby enhance the quality and outcomes of peace processes led by the AU, ACCORD's Peacemaking Unit will conduct mediation training for AU staff in Durban, South Africa, from 1-3 November 2011.

ACCORD Senior Trainer Pascal da Rocha ran an experiential and interactive Capacity Development workshop for the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) in September. The aim of the workshop was to develop and enhance capacity-building and mentoring skills of ASF/UNOAU/OCHA planning officers, to strengthen coordination and cooperation of key players from the UN and the AU.

In preparation for COP17, the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) in Durban held a two day expert seminar on 15 & 16 September, to identify issues and recommendations for ensuring that adaptation to climate change is conflict-sensitive. Policy makers, practitioners and scientists presented new research on the linkages between climate change and conflict in Africa, and analysed various tools, policies and approaches to ensure the prevention of conflicts arising from climate change but also from adaptation efforts. The outcomes of the seminar will be distributed in advance of COP17 and will be presented at a number of side events during COP17.

Senior ACCORD Researcher, Salome Bronkhorst, was invited by OneWorld and Adelphi, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, to present at a regional dialogue in Pretoria which focused on the interrelationship between climate change, conflict and cooperation in Southern Africa. The dialogue, held on 23 September, brought together decision makers and experts from Southern Africa as well as from Europe to address key questions related to climate change and security. In particular, the dialogue focused on identifying potential pathways for regional cooperation and benefit sharing, related to climate change and security.

ACCORD Senior Researcher Salome Bronkhorst recently participated in a World Gold Council (WGC) Standards for Conflict-Free Gold roundtable, hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) on 5 October 2011, as part of the Council's global consultation on a new framework of draft standards to track gold. The framework is intended to ensure that gold can be certified as conflict-free, and applies to mining in armed conflicts - especially gold emerging out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Training for Peace Programme (TfP) at ACCORD has conducted a five-day conflict management course for the South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) Peace Mission Training Centre (PMTC). The training course was aimed at transferring additional skills and knowledge to SANDF officers, and contributes to the SANDF PMTC's endeavours to build peacekeeping capacity for South Africa's contribution to peace operations on the continent.

The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) congratulates the three women who today jointly received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, namely President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, gender activist in Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman, gender activist in Yemen. The award was given in recognition of their non-violent struggle for the safety and protection of women, and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work.

The Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, was invited to be a resource person at an 'Increase Peace through Mediation' Ministerial Breakfast Meeting in New York, by the Government of Finland, who currently funds ACCORD's Mediation Capacity Building Programme for the African Union. The Ministerial Breakfast Meeting was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations on 20 September 2011. This is the second meeting to be held, following a first meeting that was held in 2010.

ACCORD's Knowledge Production Department recently hosted another internal staff seminar – this time with Dr William Tsuma and Dr Kwesi Sansculotte-Greenidge. In their presentation to staff from ACCORD's Interventions and Knowledge Production Department, Dr Tsuma and Dr Sansculotte-Greenidge addressed the issue of integrating conflict prevention in South Sudan's post-independence transition plan. This internal staff seminar was particularly relevant as post-conflict peacebuilding in South Sudan features high on the agenda of many international actors as well as conflict management organisations, such as ACCORD.