From 26 – 30 January 2026, ACCORD participated in Working Sessions on Gender Mainstreaming in African Union (AU) Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and consultations on strengthening gender integration within the AU Compliance and Accountability Framework, held in Nairobi, Kenya. The working sessions were convened by the AU Commission (AUC), with support from the British Peace Support Team – Africa (BPST-A) and the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme through its tripartite partnership between ACCORD, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
The working sessions brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from AU PSOs, Troop and Police Contributing Countries, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs), the Office of the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), gender experts and AUC implementing partners.
Discussions focused on reviewing a foundational AU Draft Policy on Gender Mainstreaming in PSOs and advancing practical recommendations to strengthen the integration of gender perspectives across the AU’s Compliance and Accountability Framework. Participants examined ways to enhance institutional coherence, strengthen accountability mechanisms and improve operational effectiveness in line with the AU Gender Policy, the WPS agenda and other relevant continental normative frameworks.
ACCORD’s participation reflects its continued commitment to supporting the AU’s efforts to advance inclusive, accountable and effective PSOs and to strengthening gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches within the African Peace and Security Architecture.
