Context
Several coups, unconstitutional changes of government, as well as disputes over political power and resources, have led to a rise in civil unrest and political instability across Africa in recent years. This has had devastating effects on the future development of the continent.
In response, the African Union (AU) has established the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) to prevent and manage violent conflicts as well as to improve governance in its member states.
Despite substantive progress, challenges regarding the effectiveness of AU interventions still exist. The Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) has integrated the functions of APSA and AGA under one structure, but it is not yet fully operational.
Objective
The AU has improved its ability to effectively employ APSA and AGA instruments to prevent and manage conflicts and to consolidate peace in its member states.
Approach
The programme works to improve the organisational development and ensures the coherent integration of APSA and AGA instruments for enhanced crisis prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding in Africa. Activities include:
• Consolidating the AU’s support for crisis prevention in the member states;
• Piloting joint initiatives between the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), member states, and civil society;
• Supporting the organisational development of the AU PAPS department;
• Enhancing the AU’s Network of Think Tanks for Peace (NeTT4Peace) to provide policy-related advice to the AU.