The Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (D-PAPS) of the African Union (AU) hosted a strategic assessment and review meeting of the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) from 26-29 November 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda. The meeting brought representatives from various regional economic communities, continental bodies of the AU, such as the African Development Bank and the African Peer Review Mechanism, and those working within the CEWS mechanism as well as members of civil society.
The meeting provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of the CEWS system since its inception, its current status, and its achievements. Participants discussed the various activities and responsibilities of CEWS as an early warning mechanism for the AU (African Union). The meeting included evaluations in several breakout groups to analyse the CEWS mandate, institutional setup, operational processes, tools, sources of information, and the products generated by the mechanism. Additionally, the meeting explored ways to better utilise the work produced by CEWS and discussed potential improvements for the mechanism.
This meeting took place, in part, as fulfilment of a request from the AU Commission to undertake a comprehensive review of CEWS with the objective of re-engineering the tool to be more effective in responding to threats to peace and security in Africa.
ACCORD continues to support the work of the AU in enhancing its institutional responses to complex conflicts.
