Director Ms Patience Chiradza
AGA-APSA Secretariat Promoting African Union Shared Values
Agenda 2030
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Agenda 2063
Aspiration 3: Aspires towards a “An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law”
Aspiration 4: Aspires towards a “peaceful and secure Africa.”
When the AUC departments of Political Affairs and Peace and Security were merged into the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) in 2021, the process of aligning APSA with the African Governance Architecture (AGA) began with the establishment of a joint AGA–APSA Secretariat. This convergence reinforces the African Union's commitment to an integrated peace and governance agenda, recognizing that good governance and security are mutually reinforcing pillars essential for the continent’s stability and prosperity.
PAPS Commissioner: Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Nigeria (elected in February 2021)
Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate - Director: Patience Zanelie Chiradza, Zimbabwe
@AUC_PAPS Hashtags: #AGA #APSA #Peace #Governance #AUReforms #SilencingTheGuns
"While AGA and APSA architectures have contributed considerably well to the Union’s agenda, the time has come for these institutions to come together for closer collaboration and synergy. The AU reform process also realized the mutually reinforcing relationship between governance and security issues in Africa that led to their merger.” Amb. Bankole
About
The vision of the African Union (AU) is to achieve “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”. The realization of that vision rests on three foundational imperatives: democratic governance, peace and security, and sustainable development. Democratic governance, peace and security are essential for the socio-economic development of the continent. The three aspects remain interrelated, interdependent, and mutually reinforcing imperatives for Africa to realize its vision for integration and sustainable development. This therefore underlines the urgency to strengthen the coordination and synergy between the African Governance Architectures (AGA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) to effectively execute the mandate of governance, conflict prevention and management.
The APSA Pillars and AGA Platform are working to institutionalize joint working methods, strategies, implementation action plans and monitoring and evaluation on issues of common interest and concerns between the APSA Pillars, the AGA Platform, Clusters, and Secretariat, strengthening the Peace and Governance Nexus within the African Union. Particular areas of convergence include the areas of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and post-conflict as well as reconstruction and development. When the AUC departments of Political Affairs and Peace and Security were merged into the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) in 2021 , the process of aligning APSA with the African Governance Architecture (AGA) began with the establishment of a joint AGA–APSA Secretariat .
The African Governance Architecture (AGA)
WHY AGA
The African Governance Architecture (AGA) is inspired by the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) that expresses the AU’s determination to ‘promote and protect human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture and ensure good governance and the rule of law’. The principle objective is implementation of AU Shared Values and in particular the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). Mandate of AGA The African Governance Architecture (AGA) is inspired by the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) that expresses the AU’s determination to ‘promote and protect human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture and ensure good governance and the rule of law’. This determination is buttressed by related objectives and principles contained in Article 3(g and h) and Article 4(m) of the Act on the promotion, protection and respect for human rights, democratic principles and institutions, and good governance. These ideals are further reinforced by norms, pronouncements, decisions and instruments adopted by the AU in particular the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). The mandate of AGA stems from the Decision of the 15th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government AU/Dec.304 (XV) held in July 2010 which recalled the decision adopted by the 16th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU and endorsed by the 14th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government to dedicate the theme of the 16th Ordinary Session of the African Assembly to the Shared Values of the Objectives And Principles of AGAU, that was held in Addis Ababa in 2011 and provided a mandate for putting in place a ‘Pan-African Architecture on Governance’. In order to give effect to the Assembly decision on the Establishment of the Pan-African Governance Architecture, the African Union Commission (AUC) established AGA as a “platform for dialogue between the various stakeholders” who are mandated to promote good governance and strengthen democracy in Africa, in addition to translating the objectives of the legal and policy pronouncements in the AU Shared Values.
Objectives And Principles of AGA1. Accelerate the ratification, domestication, implementation and monitoring of African Shared values instrument
2. Deepen synergy, coordination, cooperation and harmonisation of shared values instruments among AU organs, institutions and RECs on democracy, governance, human rights and humanitarian affairs.
3. Enhance the capacity of AU organs, institutions and RECs to support Member States to strengthen governance and consolidate democracy through implementation of shared values agenda
4. Enhance popular participation and citizen engagement in attainment of democracy, governance and respect for human and peoples’ rights
5. Coordinate evaluation and reporting on implementation and compliance with AU norms on governance and democracy as envisaged by article 44, 45 and 49 of the ACDEG.
6. Foster dialogue and share comparable lessons on trends, challenges, opportunities and prospects for improving governance and democracy among Member States
7. Generate, manage and disseminate knowledge on African shared values agenda, good governance and democracy in Africa.
8. Facilitate joint engagement and deepen synergy with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) in strategic interventions: preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and post-conflict, reconstruction and development in Africa
The Institutional Framework: The African Governance Platform In an effort to operationalize AGA, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government affirmed the importance of establishing an African Governance Platform in Assembly/AU/Dec.1 (XVI), a basis for facilitating harmonisation of instruments and coordination of initiatives in governance and democracy. Consequently, the Platform was established as the institutional framework of the AGA, composed of AU Organs, Institutions and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) with a formal mandate for the promotion and sustenance of democracy, governance and human rights in Africa. The Platform serves as a first concentric circle that draws inspiration and inputs from representative of AU Organs, Institutions and RECs and a second circle of continental stakeholders in the private sector, development partners, civil society and the diaspora. The Platform serves as the coordinating arm or catalyst for the achievement of the goals of AGA. In this role, it does not assume or duplicate the functions established by other policy organs, rather it provides a framework for interaction, active engagement, synthesis and convergence. Workings of The Platform The Platform offers a flexible and dynamic meeting point that facilitates information flows, exchanges and dialogue; and promotes synergies, mutual complementarity, close coordination, collaboration and concerted action on democratic governance issues. In this capacity, it performs the following specific functions:
1. Coordinate efforts by Platform Members to accelerate the elaboration, popularisation, domestication and reporting of African Shared Values on democracy, elections, governance, human rights and humanitarian assistance across the continent;
2. Facilitate the harmonisation of instruments and coordination of initiatives in governance and democracy amongst Platform Members;
3. Evaluate implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance as envisaged by Article 45(c) of the Charter;
4. Encourage the active participation of African peoples in democratic governance initiatives and programmes;
5. Foster a systematic exchange of information on democracy, governance, elections, human rights and humanitarian assistance across the continent;
6. Create a framework for dialogue and cross-fertilization of ideas and comparable lessons and experiences among the Platform Members and key stakeholders in the promotion of good governance and strengthening of democracy in Africa; and
7. Strengthen the capacity of Platform Members to track compliance and implementation of the AU Shared Values by AU Member States.
AGA Area of Focus
AGA was created primarily to coordinate efforts and ensure synergy between various initiatives aimed at deepening a culture of democratic governance, respect of human rights and effective humanitarian assistance. In this regard, AGA works through members of its platform consisting of AU organs and RECs with a mandate on governance, democracy, human rights and humanitarian affairs and harmonize shared values instruments
The AGA has a formal mandate to coordinate evaluation and reporting on implementation and compliance of AU norms on governance and democracy. A state reporting process , including guidelines were developed to guide reporting on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) as per its Articles 44, 45 and 49. So far, one state report (Togo) has been received.
AGA seeks to foster dialogue and share comparable lessons as well as generate and contribute to knowledge on trends, challenges, opportunities and prospects for improving governance and democracy in Africa. Through its knowledge management work, AGA has facilitated the Palm Tree Circle Series, the DG Trends Debates and Africa Talks DG Trends in addition to various online foras. The flagship dialogue hosted on an annual basis by AGA is the High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Elections and Governance which is now in its sixth year.
At the heart of AGA's work is enhancing popular participation and citizen's engagement on issues pertaining to democracy, governance, human rights and humanitarian affairs as a way to realize a people-centred Africa. We realize that all of the efforts made are futile without the buy-in of the people who are expected to drive the change we want. AGA has developed an elaborate youth engagement strategy, dubbed AGA-YES to ensure the deliberate and meaningful engagement of over 60% of this continents human resources. It is also working on a women's engagement strategy
AGA was created primarily to coordinate efforts and ensure synergy between various initiatives aimed at deepening a culture of democratic governance, respect of human rights and effective humanitarian assistance. In this regard, AGA works through members of its platform consisting of AU organs and RECs with a mandate on governance, democracy, human rights and humanitarian affairs and harmonize shared values instruments. The AGA has a formal mandate to coordinate evaluation and reporting on implementation and compliance of AU norms on governance and democracy. A state reporting process, including guidelines were developed to guide reporting on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) as per its Articles 44, 45 and 49. So far, one state report (Togo) has been received.
AGA-APSA Synergy: The African Governance Architecture (AGA) complements its sister architecture, the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) - for without a situation of peace, much of the efforts to establish democratic governance are moot - and vice versa. AGA thus seeks to facilitate joint engagement and deepen its coordination with APSA. Particular areas of convergence include the areas of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and post-conflict as well as reconstruction and development. source: https://au.int/en/aga/what-we-do The direct linking of governance to peace and security has allowed the PSC to engage directly in conflict prevention, including through coordinated early warning on diverse issues such as political transitions, elections, UCG, climate security, intra and inter-state conflicts etc., which provides viable opportunities for enhanced synergies between AGA and APSA through joint reflection and identification of strategic options for response at political or technical levels.
The African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA)
The African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) is a mechanism established to comprehensively address peace and security issues in a coordinated manner between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.
Established under the AU Constitutive Act (2000) and the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security
Council (2002), APSA is built around defined structures that include:
- The Peace and Security Council (PSC) , the standing decision-making organ for peace, security and stability in Africa;
- AU Commission (AUC) :
- Panel of the Wise (POW);
- Continental Early Warning System (CEWS);
- African Standby Force (ASF);
- and the Peace Fund.
Additional components of APSA are
As an institutional mechanism, APSA has become the foundation of interventions in peace and security in Africa . Collaboration between the RECs and RMs on
peace and security matters is guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Area of Peace and Security between the AU, RECs and Coordination
Mechanisms of the Regional Standby Brigades of Eastern and Northern Africa, signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 28 January 2008.
One aim of the MoU is to contribute to the full operationalisation and effective functioning of APSA, which would enable the AUC and RECs/RMs to develop joint
programmes and activities in the area of peace, security and stability in Africa. The Revised Protocol on Relations between the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities,
which entered into force in November 2021, establishes a framework for the coordination of activities of the RECs in their contribution to realising the objectives of the AU Constitutive Act
and other relevant AU legal instruments. The Revised Protocol also coordinates AU and REC policies, measures, programmes and activities with a view to avoiding duplication.
- The Military Staff Committee, a subsidiary body of the PSC;
- The Common African Defence and Security Policy;
- The Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa), a subsidiary mechanism of the POW;
- and the African Union Child Protection Architecture, established by the AU Assembly in 2019 as a sub-set of APSA.
The implementation of APSA is guided by roadmaps in order to increase its impact. Under the 2016–20 Roadmap, the AU and RECs/RMs agreed to concentrate on five strategic priorities:
Additional components of APSA are:
An important aspect of the Roadmap emphasised the need to mainstream and address cross-cutting issues such as youth, gender, children in situations of conflict,
human rights and climate change.
When the AUC departments of Political Affairs and Peace and Security were merged into the Department of Political Affairs,
Peace and Security (PAPS) in 2021 , the process of aligning APSA with the African Governance Architecture (AGA) began with the establishment of a
joint AGA–APSA Secretariat .
Notably, the design, ambitions and aspirations of both the APSA and the AGA are meant to ensure that the two naturally function simultaneously in an interwoven and
mutually reinforcing manner. In fact, the APSA and the AGA can be best described as two sides of the same coin.
Their functional relationship is that the full adherence by Member States to the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance should
naturally enhance the capacity of Member States and by extension that of the PSC and RECs/RMs, to effectively prevent
the eruption of violent conflicts; while a fully operational APSA come on to reinforce efforts deployed under the AGA, by guiding management and resolution of
conflicts that would have erupted. Both the AGA and the APSA also complement each other in contexts of post-conflict
peace building, reconstruction and development, with a view to preventing potential situations of relapses back to the cycle of violent conflicts.
- Conflict prevention;
- Crisis and conflict management;
- Post-conflict reconstruction and peace building;
- Strategic security issues;
- and coordination and partnerships.
Under the current European Union (EU) contribution agreement, EU APSA IV (2020–24) , there are three strategic objectives that guide the
implementation of the Programme:
All outputs and activities are centred on these three strategic objectives. In addition, there is a
particular emphasis on complementarity and synergy amongst the APSA stakeholders in the implementation of these strategic objectives.
- 1. The conflict cycle management under APSA is improved with a focus on effective Early Warning Systems and the African Standby Force
- 2. The effectiveness and cooperation within and around the APSA framework (including civil society organisations (CSOs)) is enhanced
- 3. APSA is more inclusive of youth and children.
AGA-APSA
Footprints of Success
2021
Operationalise the African Governance Architecture Platform and Secretariat
- The integration of AGA and APSA into a single Department
- The Platform flagship initiatives successfully held:
- The celebration of Anti-Corruption day and Anti-Corruption Conference
- The 10th High-Level Dialogue and its pre forums on Youth and Gender
- The preparation of the African Governance Report
- The organization of APRM - PRC Sub Committee and PSC Retreat
- The PRC Sub Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance continued to interact with members of the African Governance Platform
- AGA and COMESA continued to implement the Joint project on youth in democratic governance and socio-economic development
- The Youth Continental consultation and Gender pre-forum as well as the 10th High-Level Dialogue successfully held
2022
AGA-APSA Synergies
- Statutory meetings of the AGA Platform
- A Stakeholder seminar on the ACDEG was held for 15 Member States who are part of the PRC Sub Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG) which renewed commitment from AU Member States on signing, ratifying and reporting to the ACDEG
- Citizen's Engagement enhanced through the development of and revision of the AGA-APSA citizen engagement strategy and revision of the Knowledge management Strategy
- The PRC Sub Committee was successful in opening up the space for engagement between Organs/RECs of the AGP with Member States. For the first time, inaugural meetings of the PSC and PRC sub committee held and as a result, the engagement is decided to be held annually. The PSC and AGA Platform have also institutionalized their engagement as part of creating synergies between AGA and APSA.
2023
AU PSC
- . The PSC dedicated its 1167th meeting on 11 August 2023 to an experience-sharing session with the African Governance Architecture (AGA) Platform members. This was the second engagement following the first held during the 1095th meeting on 1 August 2022. The Council underlined the need for commitment by Member States to the universal ratification, domestication, implementation and reporting of AU Shared Values, particularly the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and, in this regard, encouraged all Member States, which have not yet done so, to sign, ratify and domesticate the Charter.
- The Council further requested the AU Commission and the African Governance Platform (AGP) to organize a
consultative meeting to identify joint initiatives beyond the experience-sharing sessions, paying particular attention to the
following areas:
- Joint PSC, the PRC Sub Committee and the AGP promotional visits on AU-shared values instruments;
- a more active role in preventive diplomacy and mediation efforts;
- greater PSC involvement in the planning and delivery of the AGA Flagship Initiatives;
- and the establishment of follow-up mechanisms on the decisions of the joint session between PSC and AGP.
- In addition, Council requested the AU Commission to expedite the operationalization of the African Governance Facility in order to facilitate effective resource mobilization to support the initiatives of the AGP and Member States towards the promotion of good governance and strengthening of democracy on the continent;
- and in the same context, also requested the AU Commission to further strengthen the PRC Sub Committee on HRDG and AGP, as well as the institutional capacity of the AGA-APSA Secretariat to more effectively discharge their respective mandates.
- Statutory meetings of the AGA Platform held
- The Secretariat delivered the long-awaited Concluding Observation from the review of two state parties report on the ACDEG for political consideration.
-
- Citizen's Engagement enhanced through the conducting of a successful TOT on youth participation in electoral and political processes have been completed;
- A Youth Continental Consultation held as a pre-forum to the 12HLD and the Pan African Leadership training program and validation of the draft manual;
- The 12th HLD in democracy, governance and human rights and the pre-forms on Gender and youth was successfully held with the adopted outcomes provided for all stakeholders for action.
- The PRC Sub Committee was successful in opening up the space for engagement between Organs/RECs of the AGP with Member States. The meetings of the PSC the AGP and PRC sub committee on HRDG held. The PSC and AGA Platform have also continued the institutionalized engagement as part of enhancing synergies between AGA and APSA
AGA-APSA Synergies
2024
Statutory Technical and Political meetings of the African Governance Platform
- 287. The Statutory Technical and Political meetings of the AGA-APSA Platform were held in February and July 2024 ahead of the Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa. The new Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the AGA-APSA Platform were elected. The meeting also adopted the 2024 AGA-APSA flagship initiatives and the roadmap for the harmonization of state reporting mechanisms/processes for instruments focusing on Human rights, Democracy and Governance which is intended to reduce the reporting burden on Member States.
- 288. The e-AGA-APSA Platform, through the Secretariat, also held several discussions to identify priority areas for the platform including of PAPS, RECs/RMs and Organs. The priority areas were presented at the Second Statutory Meeting of the AGA-APSA Platform held in Accra, Ghana prior to the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM).
- 289. An Extraordinary meeting of the AGA-APSA Platform was also held in November 2024. The discussions focused on the report back of flagship initiatives, validation of important documents like the Citizens Engagement Strategy of the AGA- APSA, Validation of the feasibility study and the Compendium of the High-Level Dialogue (HLD) discussions of the past 12 years among other issues. Key outcomes of the discussion included the adoption of the CES strategy for AGA-APSA platform, a decision for the AUC to be more inclusive in the negotiations of the new AGA-APSA project.
Harmonisation of Reporting mechanisms Feasibility Study
- 290. The Harmonization of State reporting mechanisms/processes initiative, which is an AGA-APSA platform flagship initiative, successfully worked on a feasibility study to identify practical options on how to make harmonization a reality for instruments on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG).
The PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights Democracy and Governance
- 291. The Sub-Committee on HRDG, chaired by the Republic of South Sudan, proceeded with the implementation of the adopted 2024 Work Plan. As part of bridging the information gap between AU Organs, RECs/RMs, a Stakeholders Seminar on the ACDEG and AU Shared Values and Instruments was held on 13-14 June 2024 in Bujumbura, Burundi.
- The Stakeholder seminar deepened the understanding of these important instruments for our Member States.
- The Stakeholders Seminar and subsequent organization of a Recognition ceremony hosted by the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee for the two State Reports received under the ACDEG, reflected strong commitments from Members of the Sub-Committee to promote the ratification, domestication and implementation of ACDEG and other relevant AU instruments.
Promotion of the AU Shared Values Instruments
- 292. Stakeholders engagement on AU Shared Values Instruments with emphasis on ACDEG was organized during the second quarter.
- The seminar assessed the status of ratification, signature, domestication, and implementation of ACDEG and other AU shared values instruments.
- As a result, efforts to encourage MS on the ratification as well as implementation was initiated, and renewed commitments were made by the PRC Sub-committee to address the governance challenges by promoting the implementation of ACDEG and other AU shared value instruments.
- The key outcomes of the Stakeholder Seminar were a strong commitment and pledge from Member States of the PRC Sub Committee on HRDG to ratify, domesticate, implement, and report on the ACDEG.
- Among many, the republic of Burundi and the Republic of The Gambia have expressed their commitment towards ratification and state reporting process.
Compendium on High Level Dialogues
- 293. The AGA-APSA Platform Flagship initiative, the High-Level Dialogue (HLD) and its pre-events on Gender and youth had been implemented for the past 12 years on an annual basis. Following a decision of the HLD to be a biennial event instead of an annual one, the Secretariat was tasked to embark on the process of compiling the outcomes and report of the past dialogues.
- The compendium is intended to not only compile but provide an analysis of the status of implementation of the outcomes of the discussions.
- During this reporting period, a resource person has been tasked to compile this compendium.
2025
AGA-APSA Synergies
Strengthening Synergy between AGA and APSA
- 156. The Commission enhanced the AGA-APSA synergies by encouraging coordination among AU Organs, RECs, and RMs on Sudan. A High-Level Panel held in February 2025 called for collective efforts to push for a cessation of hostilities and supported the development of the Expanded Mechanism to align all interventions. The Panel reaffirmed the need for an inclusive political process that will lead to the establishment of a civilian transitional government. The Platform also launched several PAPS knowledge products designed to improve governance, security, and conflict resolution across the continent in line with Agenda 2063.
- 157. Steps have been taken to revise the AGA/APSA Rules of Procedure and develop a joint Roadmap to strengthen the coordination of actors and stakeholders working to implement these frameworks. This is an opportunity to enhance the synergies between these critical frameworks. To enhance synergies, the PSC has institutionalized annual joint sessions with the PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG) and the AGA–APSA Platform to strengthen cooperation on democracy, governance, rule of law and security.
- 158. Operationalized in 2019, the PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG) is a body that promotes AGA-APSA synergies. Comprising 15 Member States, the Subcommittee has continued to bridge engagement between Member States and AU institutions, under the leadership of Amb. Willy Nyamitwe (Acting Chairperson). The Sub-Committee held 13 update briefings with AU organs and institutions in 2025, a significant increase from previous years, and provided policy guidance on advancing democracy, governance, and human rights across the continent. Decisions shall be reflected in the PRC’s annual report and draft decision and shall be presented to the Executive Council for adoption.
i. Facilitating Implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance
- 159. The Commission also strengthened Member States’ technical capacities, particularly those yet to ratify ACDEG. It reinforced the link between democratic governance and sustainable peace through capacity building on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) for AU Member States that have not ratified the ACDEG, as well as some Members of the PRC Sub-Committee on HRDG. The renewed momentum for ratification and reporting on ACDEG is to be sustained with Member States pledging to accelerate both processes and translate commitments into tangible actions.
ii. Strengthening Citizens’ Engagement and Popular Participation
- 160. The AU Commission reinforced its commitment to bringing citizens closer to the Union and ensuring the meaningful inclusion and mainstreaming of youth in political, governance, and peace processes, in line with Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
- 161. The Commission convened the High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Elections and Governance, in line with the theme of the year - Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations. The High-Level Dialogue, as well as youth and women pre-forums, served as a critical platform for reflection, reaffirmation, and collective action. Building on the African Union’s commitment to justice, unity, and reparations, the Dialogue emphasized the importance of historical redress, strengthened solidarity between the continent and its diaspora, and practical steps toward advancing Pan-Africanism. Furthermore, the dialogue reflected on the Decision 934, proposed by the Togolese Republic during the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly (15–16 February 2025, Addis Ababa), formally recognizing slavery, deportation, and colonization as crimes against humanity and genocide perpetrated against the peoples of Africa. The Dialogue encouraged the implementation of the decision, which mandates a study by the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) to be presented in February 2026 and designates Togo, in collaboration with Ghana, South Africa, Algeria, and the AU Commission, to oversee the implementation. Some of the critical outcomes included the recognition that the restoration of dignity requires inclusive frameworks co-designed with affected communities, especially women, youth, and marginalized groups. This restoration also involves symbolic and cultural justice, including the return of cultural artifacts and heritage; reparations should equally be used as a tool to redress global economic imbalances, including debt cancellation and equitable value chain participation; the current geopolitical climate demands that Africa speaks with a unified voice, leveraging its position in a multipolar world to advocate for its interests, including reparations and global justice.
- 162. The AGA-APSA Citizen Engagement Strategy (2025–2030) was also launched as key documents in 2025, along with a knowledge management strategy, a Training of Trainers Manual on Youth Participation in the Electoral cycle and the Pan African Youth Leadership Manual that is focused on enhancing citizens engagement through institutionalizing participation, enhancing knowledge creation and ensuring that the African Union is a people-centred and knowledge based institution.
- 163. A leadership training was also rolled out based on the Pan African Youth Leadership Manual in Ethiopia and Libya, targeting youth from east and north Africa, respectively, as well as the African Youth Ambassadors for Peace and the Wise Youth. This leadership training emphasized diversity and inclusiveness, providing a platform to address leadership challenges and enhance youth participation in governance and peacebuilding. The training deepened participants' awareness of AU Shared Values instruments, particularly the ACDEG and Agenda 2063, while improving their leadership and advocacy skills. It also provided tools and resources to strengthen the youths’ understanding of democratic governance, as well as peace and security. It enhanced youth leadership capacities to promote greater participation in governance, peace, and security initiatives across Africa.
Related Contents
PARTNERSHIP FOOTPRINT OF SUCCESS
No one institution is capable of meeting all the continent's governance, peace and security needs. The progress made so far has been possible through joint efforts between the Commission, the RECs and RMs, Member States, multilateral and bilateral Partners and international, continental and national civil society organisations. Our ability to effectively and efficiently deliver on our mandate is dependent on deepening our strategic partnerships, understanding the strengths and limitations of each Partner and maximising the opportunities each presents.
In our new business model, co-creation is the hallmark of our partnerships. At the multilateral level, technocrats in the Department are working with their counterparts in other organisations, particularly the UN, in setting up joint task teams on critical elements in governance, peace and security. These joint task teams allow for collaborative analysis, horizon scanning and scenario development to guide decision makers in their organisations. To harness the opportunities provided by the continental free trade regime to promote peace, security and stability, we collaborated with the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry and Mining, and other multilateral organisations, to organise a continental policy conference on Promoting the Peace, Security, and Development Nexus: The Promise of Regional Integration. The outcome of the policy conference offers concrete recommendations for promoting inclusive growth and development to minimise inequalities that could be mobilised to foment insecurity and proactively use the opportunities of Africa's free trade regime to promote peace and security. "In our new business model, co-creation is the hallmark of our partnerships" As part of our determination to use evidence based knowledge for policy development and implementation, we have instituted formal structures of engagement with African civil society organisations. The idea is to provide a platform to strategically interact and use civil society expertise to generate evidence based policy-oriented research to guide the Department's work, thereby ensuring use of the various studies being conducted.
2021
United Nations
- Significant progress has been recorded in the implementation of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security of April 2017 despite increasing threats to peace, security and good governance on the Continent amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes sustained policy dialogue, horizon scanning and clustered meeting, joint high-level missions, coordinated messaging including during electoral processes, and country-level coordinated action.
- The 18th Joint Task Force in peace and security was held on 5 November 2021. The PAPS Commissioner and the UN Under Secretary Generals for the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; Peace Operations as well as Operational Supports respectively (DPPA, DPO and DOS) discussed peace and security challenges on the Continent. Joint technical-level conflict prevention cluster meetings also held virtually with increased frequency in 2021 on country-specific situations, including in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Sudan, Mozambique, eSwatini as well as on elections.
- The Commissioner for PAPS and the UN USG-DPO undertook a joint mission to CAR in June 2021 , in collaboration with ECCAS and the EU. The AU and UN have also worked closely with regional organizations such as IGAD in Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. They also worked with ECOWAS for unified messaging on the situations in Mali and Guinea and are closely engaging in the Libya peace process. The Commission and the OSE-WPS collaborated with the UN to organize the annual Africa Women's Leadership Network (AWLN) Third Women Leaders Forum.
- Through the joint project between AUC and UNDP on enhancing AU's capacities on Conflict Prevention , several programmes were implemented in line with the Project Initiation Plan (PIP). This include the CSVRA/CSVMS processes in the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, Zambia and Ghana, with ongoing efforts to ensure sustained support for the implementation of the mitigation strategies as well as operationalization of peace architectures in Member States; capacities of CSOs in Eastern and Southern African regions were also enhanced on early warning; as well as the conduct of a training of trainers course by the Youth4Peace programme on "Art, Culture and Heritage" for peace, leveraging the AU theme of the year 2021.
- The Commission also collaborated with the UN to develop its strategic documents such as policy guidelines, monitoring and reporting and accountability mechanisms for the Maputo Five-Year Work plan to operationalize the ASF. In collaboration with the RECs/RMs, as well as the African Peacekeeping Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs), the AU and UN enhance capacities of RECs' planning and management of peace operations as well as supported the operationalisation of the Continental Logistics Concept and Continental Movements Control Centre.
- Collaboration between both institutions also facilitated the development of the training curriculum on gender mainstreaming for PSOs, the revision and harmonisation of the gender training package for AU PSOs; and the production of "She Stands for Peace" Podcast series on different thematic issues of the WPS agenda. In addition, the two organisations have worked together in the implementation of the Gender, WPS agenda, implementation of the AU Compliance Framework on the Conduct and Discipline and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; and the finalization of the AU Board of Inquiry policy for AMISOM.
- Furthermore, the AUC Department of PAPS and the UN developed the AU Safety and Security Policy and Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) for AUC staff and installations in the field missions, as well as the AU policy on the management of recovered weapons in PSOs. Under the DOS Knowledge Experience Exchange Program (KEEP), the AU has been allocated licenses to access the Supply Chain schoolhouse, training facilities and opportunities. Medical support to AMISOM troops, including personal protective equipment and COVID-19 vaccines were enhanced.
2021
The European Union
- The strategic partnership between the AU and EU continued to bolster and benefited from the guidance of the 2018 MoU on Peace, Security and Governance. Within the implementation of this MoU, key notable achievements were recorded. The political dialogue between the two institutions increased in frequency, scope and depth. In 2021, the Ministerial Meeting in Kigali among other things reaffirmed the need to reinforce the cooperation and work towards the effective delivery of the MoU. Furthermore, the Commissioner for PAPS engaged with EU counterparts on the strategic priorities to strengthen key partnership issues in the peace and security arena especially continuous EU support to AMISOM especially in the post-2021 period.
- Despite the decade of flourishing engagement between the EU and the AU, concerns have been raised about the dissolution of the African Peace Facility (APF) and the creation of the European Peace Facility (EPF). The global nature of the EPF funding mechanism implies enhanced competition for resources which could potentially diminish support to the AU. Furthermore, the political role of the AU in disbursing funds from the APF to the RECs/RMs and Member States has been removed in the EPF structure; thereby allowing the EU to fund African Member States and RECs/RMs directly without consulting the AU.
- These concerns were raised in Kigali and during the Commissioner's engagement with EU counterparts. The AU continues to call on the EU to reconsider the political nature of the EPF disbursement and to uphold the principle of responsive partnership. Looking ahead, the AU-EU Summit on 18 to 19 February 2022 is an opportunity to re-engage on these issues while strengthening the partnership.
2022
Partnerships for Peace
- Several activities were implemented to strengthen the AU's partnership with multilateral regional and subregional organisation on peace and security. Through sustained policy dialogue, joint high-level missions, coordinated messaging and country-level coordinated actions, for instance, significant progress was recorded in the implementation of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. Further, in the context of AU-UN Partnership, there were regular engagements between the President of the UNSC and the Chair of the AUPSC between the AUPSC and UNSC on region-specific, as well as thematic issues.
- Recognizing the challenge that political instability poses to sustainable development, the AU Commission was supported and joined by the UN and partners in organizing a Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, in March 2022 in Accra, Ghana. The outcome of the Forum fed into the Malabo Declaration on Terrorism, and Unconstitutional Changes of Government adopted by the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly held on 28 May 2022, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea as well as the adoption of the Accra Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa.
2022
Partnership for Peace
- In partnership with the UNDP, the PAPS department established the African Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT) during the year under review. AFSIT will support countries going through complex political transitions to peacefully navigate their pathway back to more stable democratic development, with a specific focus on ensuring the inclusion of women, young people and other marginalized groups. AUC and UNDP worked to operationalize the AFSIT and, guided by the Accra Declaration and various PSC directives, articulate the specific scope, structure, programmatic interventions, and criteria for supporting transitions.
- The AUC-PAPS and ETIM, in partnership with UNDP, UNECA, African Development Bank and Afrexim Bank, the convened the inaugural AUC Policy Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security and Development Nexus in Africa, from 25 to 27 October 2022 in Tangier, Kingdom of Morocco. The Policy Conference allowed the AUC and its partners to reflect on measures and strategies to promote development, regional integration, and peace and security. The Conference adopted the Tangier Declaration. The joint organization of the Policy Conference demonstrated strong partnership between the AUC and development partners.
2023
Strengthening Partnerships for African Peace and Security
- Milestones
- The PSC and the European Union Political and Security Committee (EUPSC) held their 6th Informal Joint Seminar and the 14th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting (AJCM) and the from 2-3 May 2023, respectively, in Brussels, Belgium, to exchange views on their joint efforts to address the threats to peace and security in Africa. The Informal Joint Seminar discussed peace support operations in Africa and the global consequences of geopolitical development, while the Consultative meeting discussed the situations in the Horn of Africa, The Sahel and Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes Region. However, the PSC with the EUPSC did not reach commonly agreed conclusions for the second time.
- Article 17 of the PSC Protocol provides for the PSC to cooperate and work closely with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and other relevant international organizations on the issues of governance, peace and security in Africa. In this context, the PSC and the UN Security Council convened their 8th Informal Joint Seminar and 17th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting (AJCM) on 5 and 6 October 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and adopted a Joint Communique. The Informal Joint Seminar discussed, among others, the issue of financing AU Peace Support Operations and the Consultative Meeting discussed the situations in Sudan, the Sahel region, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia, as well as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). While underscoring the primary responsibility of the UN Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security, the two Councils reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to working together to address the challenges in these theatres in a coordinated manner.
- Underscoring the importance of post-conflict and reconstruction activities in Member States emerging from conflict, the PSC convened a consultative meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission (UN-PBC) on 13 November 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The session focused on enhancing collaboration between the two bodies and coordinating peacebuilding efforts on the continent.
2023 (continued)
- In December 2023, the PSC and the three elected African Members of the UNSC (A3) participated at the Tenth High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa: Assisting Incoming African Members of the United Nations Security Council (A3) in Preparing to Address Peace and Security Issues on the Continent, in Oran, Algeria, pursuant to communiqué [PSC/AHG/COMM/1.(CCCXCVII)], adopted by the PSC at its 397th meeting held at the level of Heads of State and Government on 23 September 2013. Key outcomes centred on enhancing PSC-A3 cooperation in advancing and promoting Africa's agenda and interests in the UNSC agenda.
- The PSC and A3 commemorated its 10th Anniversary and considered the Manual on Modalities for Enhancing Coordination between the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the African Members of the United Nations Security Council.
- The Manual aims at providing guidance on how the PSC and A3 can promote and defend common African positions within the UNSC in accordance with the UN Charter, AU legal instruments and relevant decisions of the AU Policy Organs. The Conclusions of the 10th High Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa, the Oran Process, have been adopted by the PSC at its 1193rd meeting of 22 January 2024, and attached herewith as Annex III.
Partnerships for Peace, Security and Governance
429. Inclusive, smart, and mutually beneficial partnerships continue to be the topmost priority for the PAPS Department. To this end, the Department pursues enhanced interconnectivity with all stakeholders and partners toward promoting good governance, peace, and security. Furthermore, the department seeks to continue to engage think tanks, do-tanks, the academia, and CSOs within and outside the continent, towards rethinking and proposing the pragmatic role of women and youth in peace and security as well as on other thematic areas, to make peace happen.United Nations
- 430. Significant progress has been recorded in the implementation of the Joint UN- AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security of April 2017 despite increasing threats to peace, security, and good governance on the continent. AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security and DPAPS senior staff held a strategic dialogue with UNOAU on 20 February 2024 which reflected on the experiences of the AU-UN partnership in peace and security in 2023 and the priorities for 2024.
- 431. The 23rd Joint Task Force of USGs and CPAPS consulted at the UN Headquarters on 16 April 2024, comprising the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security and the UN Under Secretaries General for Political & Peace Building Affairs; Peace Operations and the Special Representative of the Secretary- General to the African Union; along with the Assistant Secretaries-General (Africa) and Operational Support.
- 432. The consultative platform examined the peace and security developments in the CAR, DRC, Ethiopia, Libya, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, as well as West Africa and the Sahel region. It also considered the way forward, following the adoption of UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023). A senior-level Joint Task Force was established to coordinate the efforts of the Secretariat and its engagement with the AU towards the implementation of UNSCR 2719.
- 433. The Joint Working Group on PSOs and Ad-hoc Security Initiatives continued interaction and coordination throughout the year. The AUC and the UN Secretariat maintained technical-level contacts on regional, country-specific, and thematic files. As part of the revitalization of the AU climate security cluster and the UN climate security mechanism , the first interdepartmental retreat on climate, peace, and security convened on 11 May 2024; the Retreat built on the consultative process conducted as part of the African continental climate security risk assessment, as requested by the AU PSC, as well as collaboration towards the development of the common African position on climate, peace and security. This includes sustained policy dialogue, horizon scanning and clustered meetings, joint high-level missions, coordinated messaging including during electoral processes, and country-level coordinated action.
- 434. The Commission also collaborated with the UN to develop strategic documents namely; policy guidelines, monitoring and reporting, and accountability mechanisms for the Maputo Five-Year Work plan to operationalize the ASF. In collaboration with the RECs/RMs, and the African Peacekeeping Training Centers of Excellence (TCEs), the AU and UN contributed to enhancing the capacities of RECs/RMs’ planning and management of peace operations and supported the operationalization of the Continental Logistics Concept and Continental Movements Control Centre.
- 435. AU/UN Partnership also resulted in the development of the training curriculum on gender-mainstreaming for PSOs, the revision and harmonization of the gender training package for AU PSOs; and the production of “She Stands for Peace” Podcast series on different thematic issues of the WPS agenda.
- 436. In addition, the two organizations worked together in the implementation of the Gender, WPS agenda , and implementation of the AU Compliance Framework on the Conduct and Discipline and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ; and the finalization of the AU Board of Inquiry policy for ATMIS .
- 437. The UN and AU continued to hold strategic dialogues , both at Headquarters and in the field, to assess conflict situations, complementarities, and coordination of actions, and explore areas for common messaging. In this regard, the Annual Conference also officially established the High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development, to be chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General and the Deputy Chairperson. The High-level Strategic Dialogue held its 3rd meeting on 29 May 2024, at which they reviewed implementation mechanisms for the operationalization of the five “college-to-college” formations as a new method of working between AU Commissioners and their United Nations counterparts in the context of AU Agenda 2063 and SDGs 2030.
- 438. On 8 July 2024, the Military Staff Committee of the AUPSC and representatives of the Military Staff Committee of the UN engaged in their first informal consultations at the AU headquarters. This enabled the two Committees to better understand their respective mandates, working methods, and challenges while laying the foundation for more effective collaboration to provide timely and informed advice to the two Councils.
- 439. On 15 October 2024, the Peacebuilding Commission and the AUPSC scheduled at the UN Headquarters, their seventh annual consultative meeting, which explored the opportunities for enhancing cooperation with a view to supporting the African Union’s PCRD and peace-building efforts.
- 440. The 18th AUPSC / UNSC Annual Joint Consultation took place on 18 October, in New York, preceded by the 9th Informal Joint Seminar on 17 October 2024. The deliberations considered matters about financing AU-led Peace Support Operations (PSOs), Youth, Peace and Security, and the working methods of the joint meetings and other engagements; as well as the review of the conflict situations in the Sudan, Sahel, Somalia, and eastern DRC.
- 441. The meetings of the two Councils were preceded by two-day consultations of the AUPSC Committee of Experts and the Security Council’s Ad-hoc Working Group on Peace and Security in Africa, which included comprehensive briefings by the AU Commission.
- 442. The eighth Annual Conference between the Secretary-General and the AUC Chairperson took place on 21 October 2024. The Secretary-General and Chairperson reviewed progress in the implementation of the “UN-AU Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security” and the “AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and signed the AU-UN Joint Framework on Human Rights. Then discussions covered Unconstitutional changes of government and political transitions on the continent; the coordination of peace efforts in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan) and the Great Lakes region; the progress on Security Council negotiations on predictable financing of the AU-led peace support operations; Africa’s socio-economic recovery and the reform of the international financial architecture. The annual conference also endorsed the jointly developed roadmap for the implementation of UNSCR 2719 (2023) on the financing of AU-led PSOs.
European Union
- 443. The strategic partnership between the AU and EU continued to bolster and benefit from the guidance of the 2018 MoU on Peace, Security, and Governance . The formulation of the combined EU support programme for the AGA and APSA is nearing completion. Set to begin in January 2026, the programme is designed to capitalize on the synergies between the AGA and APSA, with a planned duration of four years. Key areas of cooperation include early warning, mediation, climate and security, human rights, and the promotion of good governance and democracy. This integrated programme will enhance human rights adherence in AU-led Peace Support Operations and will place a strong emphasis on increasing citizen participation in governance, peace, and security. Additionally, EU support through the Early Response Mechanism will be redirected to support the initiatives under the Crisis Reserve Facility of the AU Peace Fund.
- 444. The Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) has evolved into a non-binding coordination framework, now referred to as the "Joint Framework Arrangement (JFA)." The JFA is designed to strengthen coordination among all stakeholders involved in managing and supporting AU Commission initiatives. This framework encompasses both partners contributing earmarked funding and those providing non-earmarked funding for the Commission 's activities, with the coordination platform now extended to include AUC Member States. The JFA is set to remain in place until December 2028, with Canada, Denmark, the EU, Germany, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, already committed to it.
TICAD Ministerial
- 445. In preparation for the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) scheduled for August 2025, the PAPS Department participated in the TICAD Ministerial session in Tokyo, Japan, from August 24-25, 2024. This strategic engagement aimed to enhance partnerships and advance Africa's peace and security agenda. The session allowed stakeholders to deepen cooperation, sharpening collective approaches toward ensuring human dignity and security in Africa. While underscoring the imperative for robust Global multilateralism to achieve global security and the Peace we want in Africa, the following key reflections were highlighted (i) the free will of African citizens to build innovative capacity in the advanced age of the knowledge economy and new technologies particularly the youth for assured human security; (ii) Political will to boost democratic leadership In Africa evident In constitutionalism, rule of law, and building of resilient Institutions; (iii) Collective will that Is anchored on smart partnerships to achieve global sustainable security for all.
- 446. The ministerial presented a platform to reaffirm the importance of prioritizing prevention while working to ensure lasting solutions to pervasive security threats including lingering conflicts, terrorism, and violent extremism by tackling the root causes. Overall, it highlighted the need to strengthen African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and African Governance Architecture (AGA) including support to AU-led peace support operations through UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023), sustainable and predictable financing, and capacity building for public institutions, as appropriate.
Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)
- 447. In September 2024, President Xi Jinping hosted 34 African leaders to the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing. The AUC Chairperson, ably supported by the CPAPS and other Commissioners were also in attendance. Chinese President Xi announced China's readiness to work with Africa to implement China 's 10 partnership actions carefully crafted to jointly advance modernization in the two (2) continents and the overall characterization of China-Africa relations to be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. Within the ten (10) partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation, the PAPS related areas reflecting China's confidence and sincerity in promoting modernization with Africa are mutual learning among civilizations in state governance; development cooperation; people-to-people exchanges; and common security.