The African Union (AU) and the Government of the Republic of Burundi are convening the 5^th Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in Africa, under the high patronage of H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, AU Chairperson, and AU Champion for the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda. The Dialogue will be held from 10 to 12 August 2026 at the Kiriri Presidential Palace, under the theme “Water, Peace and Inclusive Leadership in Africa: Institutionalising the strategic role of youth and women in conflict prevention, crisis management and sustainable peacebuilding through responsible resource governance”. It aims to assess progress in implementing the YPS and WPS Agendas; promote synergy and intergenerational exchange; provide an update on the peace and security landscape in Africa, with a focus on climate and water-related risks; examine the nexus between water, conflict, and peacebuilding, including emerging trends and policy implications; identify challenges and opportunities for institutionalising youth and women’s roles in resource governance and peace processes; promote inclusive leadership models that integrate youth and women into decision-making structures; strengthen partnerships and coordination mechanisms among stakeholders at continental, regional, and national levels; and develop actionable recommendations to inform AU policy processes and Member State strategies for implementing the YPS, WPS, and climate-security agendas.

The Intergenerational Dialogue will bring together African policy and decision-makers, including H.E. Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi, AU Chairperson and AU Champion on Youth, Peace and Security; Amb. Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, representing the AU Commission Chairperson; H.E. Mohamed Khaled, Ambassador of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria and Chair of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) for August; representatives of AU PSC Member States; Amb. Marie Rose Quatre Antoinette, CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism; members of the Panel of the Wise, AU High Representatives and Special Envoys; high-level representatives of the Government of Burundi and of diplomatic missions in the country; representatives from UN entities and international and multilateral organisations; women peacebuilders, including members of the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (Femwise-Africa) and the Regional Women’s Forum of the ICGLR; youth representatives, including African Youth Ambassadors for Peace, the WiseYouth Network, the Pan-African Youth Union, African National Youth Councils, youth civil society organisations, including the Youth Creative Consortium, and African youth in the diaspora; representatives of regional economic communities and mechanisms (Recs/RMs); academic institutions; Burundian and community leaders; and young social media influencers, to continue amplifying youth voices and to ensure that youth-led peace initiatives complement and endure within the continental peace architecture.

In line with the AU theme of the year on water sustainability and the AU’s flagship Silencing the Guns project, discussions will focus on how the intersection of water insecurity, conflict dynamics, and governance deficits disproportionately affects youth, women and girls, while also positioning them as indispensable agents of peace and sustainability. Bridging the gap between commitments to the WPS and YPS agendas and their implementation, including by institutionalising youth and women's leadership in advancing sustainable peace through responsible and inclusive resource governance within the formal peace and security architecture, is therefore critical, as youth and women remain at the forefront of community-level responses, often in informal roles.

This Fifth Edition will promote the implementation of the Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security at continental, regional, and national levels; enhance synergies between the YPS and WPS Agendas; ensure a comprehensive understanding of the water–peace–security nexus and its policy implications; strengthen pathways for institutionalising the roles of youth and women in resource governance and peace processes; highlight best practices and scalable models for inclusive water governance, including youth-led innovations; strengthen partnerships among youth, women, governments, RECs/RMs, and international partners; reinforce the network of youth and women leaders in peacebuilding and resource governance; and adopt a continental communiqué outlining key recommendations and commitments to advance both the YPS and WPS Agendas.

 

The Dialogue, which will include celebrations for International Youth Day on 12^th August 2026, is organised in collaboration with the African Peer Review Mechanism, United Nations Agencies, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Search for Common Ground, the Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Burundi, the Pan-African Youth Union, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Oxfam, the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Institute for Security Studies, and the Youth Creative Consortium.

 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mr. Paschal Chem-Langhee I Communications, Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) I African Union Commission I Email: Chem-LangheeP@AfricanUnion.org | Telephone: +251929487749  Addis | Ababa, Ethiopia

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
Web: www.au.int | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

 

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