A Collective Position for African Peacebuilding
On 16 October 2025, ACCORD, in partnership with the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and with the support of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), hosted the African Regional Consultation in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of preparations for the 2025 CSO–UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding in Geneva.
The event brought together civil society organisations, the donor community, United Nations agencies, individuals, and relevant peacebuilding stakeholders to discuss the African Agenda for the 2025 CSO–UN Peacebuilding Dialogue. This initiative aligns with ACCORD’s strategic objective to strengthen the role of multi-dimensional stakeholders and to constructively resolve conflicts in the region.
The consultation served as a concluding step towards the Global CSO–UN Dialogue, which will be held in Geneva in December 2025. The 2025 Dialogue, themed “A Whole-of-System Approach to Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace,” aims to operationalise the humanitarian–peace–development–human rights nexus.
The African Regional Consultation provided 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. These recommendations focused on advancing a whole-of-system approach as a tool for identifying grounded solutions and driving system-wide coherence in Africa.
Throughout the discussions, participants highlighted the importance of multilateralism, localisation, inclusive engagement, and flexible pooled financing to ensure sustainable peace outcomes. They agreed on the need for a whole-of-system approach, stronger partnerships between CSOs and the UN, coordination between the UN and its agencies and the meaningful integration of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas into all levels of intervention.
Participants also underscored the importance of coordination across the humanitarian–peace–development–human rights nexus. They emphasised that the UN and donor community should learn from local grassroots organisations on coordination and the creation of pooled funding mechanisms across the nexus. Participants reaffirmed that the components of the nexus are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. These insights collectively frame a vision of peacebuilding that is integrated, people-centred, and adaptive—anchored in local realities yet supported by global systems and frameworks.
The recommendations will be collated and will serve as a working document for the Continent during the CSO-UN Peacebuilding Dialogue in Geneva.
