The Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development was launched in 2019 during Egypt’s Chairmanship of the African Union (AU) and under the auspices of H.E. Abdelfattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Champion of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) in Africa. The forum serves as a uniquely African-owned and African-led high-level platform for promoting home-grown solutions to peace, security and development challenges.
Since its inception, and over the course of its four past editions, the Forum has stood out for its ability to bridge the often-missing link between policy and practice. Anchored in a full-cycle process “the Aswan Cycle,” from strategic preparatory workshops to post-forum implementation of its Conclusions, the Forum ensures that its outcomes are translated into tangible and concrete actions. These include capacity-building and training programmes, policy engagement, and field initiatives, leveraging the immense capacity of the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), the Executive Secretariat of the Aswan Forum, and other partners.
Initiatives have been implemented across Africa exemplifying how “Aswan in Practice” bridges policy and practice across the peace-security-development nexus. This process is demonstrated in a number of recent initiatives that were implemented in this context, such as prevention and counter-extremism conducive to terrorism efforts in Nigeria and Somalia. In addition to programmes aimed at strengthening Chadian national capacities and advancing the resilience of state institutions in response to the Sudanese displacement crisis, the Forum has advanced the Climate, Peace and Development nexus through the operationalisation of the Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CRSP) initiative. This has included the delivery of tailored capacity building programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the Sahel Region.
The Aswan Forum’s consecutive editions remain linked to evolving discussions at both the continental and global levels, ensuring the Forum’s relevance as a platform for timely and forward-looking discourse. It brings together a diverse and influential set of stakeholders: African and international leaders, policymakers, regional and international organisations, financial institutions, civil society, the private sector, and experts, creating a dynamic space for inclusive engagement. Its aim is to amplify African perspectives in global governance priorities, frameworks and strategies, positioning the continent not just as a recipient of international decisions, but as a contributor and an agent of change of global peace and development agendas.
Carrying these efforts forward, the Fifth Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development will take place on 19–20 October 2025 in Aswan, Egypt, under the theme A World in Flux, A Continent in Motion: Navigating Africa’s Progress Amid Global Shifts. This year, the Forum convenes at a critical juncture in global affairs, as rising geopolitical tensions, protectionism, and shifting global priorities threaten multilateral cooperation and sustainable development. In this context, Africa, home to a rapidly growing youth population and abundant resources, stands at a defining moment to navigate these global shifts and assert its leadership in shaping a more equitable and peaceful future.
The Fifth Edition will uphold the distinctiveness of its discussions that has characterised the Forum since its inception, while introducing new features and opening fresh avenues for dialogue on emerging issues of regional and global significance. These include, but not limited to, exploring ways to restore trust in the rules-based international order and strengthen multilateralism, as well as the prominent role of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) elected non-permanent members (E10) in reviving the global governance system. The Forum will delve into pressing regional challenges, such as the situation in Sudan, cooperation in the Sahel, and mediation efforts across Africa, while also spotlighting opportunities for regional integration through infrastructure by fully operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Critical themes include public health, climate-resilient food and water security, and the green transition, as well as the strategic use of Africa’s natural resources. The programme will also address the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agendas, durable solutions to forced displacement, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on peace and development.
In line with the Aswan Forum Cycle, discussions for the Fifth Edition will begin well ahead of the two-day Forum through a series of strategic preparatory workshops and policy dialogues. This year’s preparatory process included discussions and workshops on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, examining the challenges and opportunities in advancing the WPS Agenda, and charting a forward-looking roadmap for the next 25 years, grounded in African realities and informed by African priorities. This also includes a workshop titledCharting the Future of Peace Operations Post-Berlin Ministerial through an African Lens to shape African perspectives on the future of peace operations, followed by three other workshops A New Era of Peace, Security, and Development Powered by Artificial Intelligence, The Stakes of Mediation in the Arab Region: Expanding Roles and the Needed Complementarity Amid Regional Shifts and One Continuum: Strengthening the Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Nexus.
These workshops have taken (and will continue to take) place in different locations, including Cairo, Addis Ababa and New York, to ensure the inclusion of a broad spectrum of regional and international perspectives, and to bring different worlds and experiences to the Fifth Edition of the Aswan Forum.
Its aim is to amplify African perspectives in global governance priorities, frameworks and strategies, positioning the continent not just as a recipient of international decisions, but as a contributor and an agent of change of global peace and development agendas
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In addition to its high-level discussions, the Forum also serves as a platform to showcase and highlight African-owned innovative solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges. It provides a unique space not only for government officials and policymakers, but also for local voices, practitioners, and local actors to be heard and to contribute meaningfully to the discussions. This is exemplified by the Aswan Forum Award for PCRD, launched during the Fourth Edition and continuing in the Fifth, which recognises impactful, home-grown responses that advance peace, recovery, and development across Africa. As Dr. Fatima Akilu, Executive Director of the Neem Foundation (and previous awardee of the first Aswan Forum PCRD Award), observed, it was meaningful to be “recognised and rewarded for [our] work in Africa, as Africans, by an African platform on African soil.”
In addition, since its inception, the Aswan Forum has been closely aligned with African Union priorities, serving as the leading continental platform on peace, security and development. Its relevance has been consistently recognised by the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), including during its 1234th meeting on the Forum’s Fourth Edition outcomes, and most recently in its 1295th Communiqué, which welcomed the upcoming Fifth Edition and underscored the Forum’s role in advancing the peace-security-development nexus and supporting PCRD efforts across the continent. By remaining grounded in African realities while engaging with global dynamics, the Forum not only addresses today’s most urgent challenges but also helps shape the continent’s future on its own terms. As preparations for the Fifth Edition continue, the Forum reaffirms its commitment to turning recommendations into action, advancing a more resilient, peaceful, and equitable Africa, for Africa and the world. This milestone edition will return to Aswan City, where it all began in 2019, a city long recognised as a symbol of peace and youth, and Egypt’s historic gateway to the heart of Africa.
By remaining grounded in African realities while engaging with global dynamics, the Forum not only addresses today’s most urgent challenges but also helps shape the continent’s future on its own terms
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Seba Issa is the Aswan Forum Coordinator and Peace Operations Programme Manager at the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA).
