Climate change, AfCFTA in focus as leaders chart new course for African peace

Climate change, widening inequality, governance deficit, economic exclusion, human rights violations and sundry challenges most African countries are currently battling are among talking points this weekend as about 150 political and corporate leaders meet in Gauteng, South Africa, at the inaugural Annual Peace and Security Dialogue (APSD).

The event, organised by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TBF) in partnership with the Institute for Global Dialogue, the Human Sciences Research Council and the United Nations Development Programme, in response to rising conflict and insecurity in the continent, starts today and runs till Sunday, offering participants an opportunity to chart a new course for a more peaceful continent and proffer solutions the historical existential crises many regions have had to battle.

Themed: ‘Towards a Peaceful and Secure Africa: Challenges and Opportunities’, the conference aims to “provide a platform for critical thinking and generate practical solutions to peace and security challenges in Africa”, the organiser said in its announcement.

The event will also present the much-needed interface for both business and political leaders to assess the prospects and challenges associated with shared platforms such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the African Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, the African Peer Review Mechanism, peace and security architecture, governance architecture among others.

This groundbreaking event will bring together 150 African political and economic leaders, scholars and policymakers. The APSD, themed “Towards a Peaceful and Secure Africa: Challenges and Opportunities,” aims to provide a platform for critical thinking and generate practical solutions to peace and security challenges in Africa.

“Africa faces numerous peace and security challenges that have undermined our efforts to achieve development goals and eroded trust in leaders and institutions,” said President Thabo Mbeki, patron of the TBF.

“While many countries on the continent still wrestle with economic hurdles, conflict, and governance issues, the APSD will seek to address these issues by enhancing the capacity of African leaders, fostering a culture of dialogue and cooperation and harnessing the TMF’s convening power to catalyse action,” he added.

Key features of the APSD include keynote speeches, panel discussions and invitation-only roundtable sessions, where national leaders, policymakers, scholars, business and civil society organisations are expected to make interventions to advance the cause of Africa.

There will also be a special focus on the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, regions that have experienced some of the most complex and protracted conflicts in recent years with attention paid to African-led solutions and the role of regional and international partners.

“The APSD will provide an opportunity for the participants to examine the various factors and dynamics that contribute to conflicts and insecurity in Africa such as poverty, inequality, exclusion, marginalisation, governance deficits, human rights violations, environmental degradation, climate change and external interference. The APSD will also enable participants to explore the existing and potential tools and instruments for addressing these factors and dynamics,” the concept note stated.