Early Warning and Early Action in Least Developed Countries in Conflict and Post-conflict Situations in Africa

This workshop is being organized in support of implementation of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) for the Least Developed Countries (2022–2031) and the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative. The workshop is about listening to countries, connecting global commitments like EW4All and DPoA to local realities, and developing practical, fundable steps that can help protect lives and livelihoods in the most challenging environments. Specifically, it provides a space for conflict and post-conflict situations in African countries, to:

• Speak directly about their needs, challenges, and priorities for early warning and early action.
• Engage alongside humanitarian, development and climate partners, and donors to explore how operational realities that impede early warning systems can be turned into solutions.
• Identify practical entry points for financing, linking national and regional priorities with opportunities from mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, CREWS, and others.

Objectives

The workshop will:

1. Bring country voices to the center by enabling governments and humanitarian partners in conflict and post-conflict situations and displacement contexts to share first-hand challenges and priorities for early warning and early action.

2. Identify concrete ways to strengthen early warning systems, focusing on governance, coordination, financing, capacity and humanitarian linkages, so they are people-centered, inclusive, and responsive.

3. Unlock financing pathways by aligning country and regional priorities with opportunities from the Green Climate Fund, CREWS, and other potential finance instruments.

4. Build stronger partnerships for delivery by connecting governments, humanitarian actors, technical agencies, and donors to move from fragmented efforts toward coherent, operational systems.

5. Leverage practical tools and guidance (e.g., the Handbook on EWS in FCV contexts, Anticipatory Action Toolkit, CREWS resources) to inform solutions and help countries adapt global knowledge to their own realities.

Documents

• Concept Note (English | French)

Background papers for the workshop sessions

As a companion to the workshop sessions, a series of short background papers will be prepared including guiding questions [will be shared with participants in due course].

Additional useful background documents

• Analytical Paper to guide the development of Operational Procedures on CREWS Programming in Fragile, Conflict and Violence (FCV) settings
• Early Warning Systems and Early Action in Fragile, Conflict-affected and Violent Contexts: Addressing Growing Climate and Disaster Risks
• Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems in the Least Developed Countries 2024
• Toolkit for Anticipatory Action in Fragile, Conflict- and Violence-affected settings (FCV)