Supporting the African Union Initiative on Silencing the Guns in Africa with a focus on Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace (Phase II/2022-2023)

Lead Entity/ies
Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)
Collaborating Partners
Entities within the United Nations System: United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO).
Other partners: African Union Commission.
Duration
March 2022 – December 2024
Location
Africa
Approved Budget
$ 623,275
Description/outline
The project supported the African Union’s Silencing the Guns initiative by funding a Senior Political Affairs Officer in the African Union’s Peace and Security Department. The officer integrated relevant indicators into programs, coordinated support to the Chairperson’s High Representative, and organized key meetings between the African Union and the United Nations. The project also developed a policy paper on enhancing the African Union Continental Early Warning System and supported a 2024 policy meeting on early warning and conflict prevention in Accra. Additionally, the project aided the development of a Knowledge Management and Institutional Learning Strategy.
Status
Closed

Synopsis

Objectives

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the African Union Commission to engage in meaningful conflict prevention and resolution efforts to accelerate/advance the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap on silencing the guns in Africa and support regular consultations between the AU and the United Nations.

Components

The project supports conflict prevention and resolution efforts undertaken as part of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, by assisting in the implementation of the African Union Silencing the Guns initiative extended until 2030 and establishing a knowledge management framework and strategy for the PAPS department, through the funding of a Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Department of Political Affairs and Peace and Security (D-PAPS) of the African Union Commission.

Main achievements

The project has supported the African Union's Silencing the Guns in Africa initiative through the funding of a Senior Political Affairs Officer, embedded in D-PAPS, who supported the initiative through the integration of relevant indicators into all programs, the coordination of support to the Chairperson’s High Representative on Silencing the Guns, and the organization of the Joint African Union-United Nations Task Force and the Director-to-Director meetings, held respectively in the United Nations Headquarters and Addis Ababa. Additionally, the Senior Political Affairs Officer developed a policy paper on enhancing the AU Continental Early Warning System and Early Action. In the area of preventive diplomacy, the project supported the holding in Accra, on the margins of the mid-Year Summit, of a policy meeting in July 2024 on early warning and conflict prevention with the various mechanisms of the organizations concerned. Lastly the project supported the development of a Knowledge Management and Institutional Learning Strategy.

Impact

The project strengthens the capacity of the African Union, particularly D-PAPS, to effectively deliver on its conflict prevention, peace-making and knowledge management mandate and priorities by supporting key strategic initiatives in these areas.