From 16 to 18 September 2025, ACCORD participated in a capacity-building workshop for mediation experts on mainstreaming child protection in mediation efforts and peace processes, held in Accra, Ghana. The workshop was convened by the Child Protection Unit of the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the Mediation and Dialogue Division (MDD), and in partnership with Save the Children Kenya, with support from ACCORD.
This initiative brought together mediation support experts from the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa) and the Network of African Youth in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (WiseYouth Network). Its central aim was to strengthen the capacity of these actors to integrate child protection more systematically into mediation and dialogue processes at the national, regional and continental levels, ensuring that children’s needs, rights and voices are meaningfully considered in peacebuilding efforts. The capacity-building process was further enriched by the participation of representatives from the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) and academia.
Through the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme, ACCORD has consistently supported the AUC in advancing child protection within peace and security agendas. Notably, ACCORD contributed to the Scoping Study on the Protection of Children in Situations of Conflict in Africa (2020) and the Policy on Child Protection in AU Peace Support Operations (2021). In 2024, ACCORD further supported the AUC by conducting a study on the impact of terrorism on children, following a request from the Peace and Security Council.
This latest capacity-building workshop reflects a continuing commitment by the AUC, ACCORD and partners to ensure that mediation processes across Africa are child-sensitive, inclusive and sustainable. ACCORD remains dedicated to strengthening frameworks and practices that safeguard children in conflict and post-conflict contexts.
