On 18 September 2025, ACCORD partnered with the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), with the support of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), to host a webinar. This event brought together civil society organisations, academia, individuals and relevant peacebuilding stakeholders to discuss the 2025 CSO–UN Peacebuilding Dialogue African Agenda.
This consultation is a crucial step in preparing Africa’s collective input for both the African Regional Consultation, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 16 October 2025, and the Global CSO–UN Dialogue, to be held in Geneva in December 2025. The 2025 CSO–UN Peacebuilding Dialogue, themed ‘A Whole-of-System Approach to Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace’, seeks to operationalise the humanitarian, peace, development and human rights nexus.
The African pre-consultation was designed to provide an inclusive platform for civil society organisations (CSOs), policymakers, youth, women’s groups, and other stakeholders to reflect on Africa’s unique experiences, identify shared challenges, and co-develop recommendations for the global peacebuilding agenda.
Dr Roselyn Akombe, the Chief of Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships at the UN PBSO, delivered a global situational analysis of conflict and noted that impunity for violent actors is on the rise, citing conflicts such as those in Gaza, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She also highlighted the significant increase in military expenditures worldwide, exceeding resources dedicated to peacebuilding, education, and health. Despite these challenges, Dr Akombe identified areas of hope; youth, women, and civil society groups must remain active and organised, and continue to engage constructively in multilateral platforms, and the United Nations must remain committed to peacebuilding and inclusive multilateralism.
Throughout the consultations, participants highlighted the importance of multilateralism, localisation, inclusive engagement, and flexible financing to ensure sustainable peace outcomes. They agreed on the necessity of a whole-of-system approach, stronger partnerships between CSOs and the UN, and the meaningful integration of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas into all levels of intervention.
