African leaders, policymakers, diplomats, youth representatives and women peacebuilders will gather in Burundi next week for the African Union’s Fifth Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security to assess progress on commitments aimed at increasing the participation of young people and women in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and governance.
The three-day meeting, scheduled for Aug. 10–12 at the Kiriri Presidential Palace, comes as the AU seeks to strengthen implementation of its Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agendas amid growing concern over conflicts linked to climate change, competition for natural resources and governance challenges across the continent.
Hosted under the patronage of Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who is serving as African Union chairperson and the AU Champion for Youth, Peace and Security, the dialogue will bring together senior AU officials, representatives of United Nations agencies, regional organizations, civil society groups, women mediators and youth organizations from across Africa.
This year’s theme, “Water, Peace and Inclusive Leadership in Africa,” places water governance at the center of discussions on peace and security. According to the AU, participants will examine how water insecurity and climate-related risks are affecting conflict dynamics while exploring ways to institutionalize the participation of youth and women in resource governance and peace processes.
“The Dialogue aims to assess progress in implementing the Youth, Peace and Security and Women, Peace and Security agendas, strengthen partnerships among stakeholders, and develop actionable recommendations to inform African Union policy processes and member state strategies,” the AU said in a concept note for the meeting.
The dialogue builds on the AU’s Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security, adopted in 2020, which provides a roadmap for integrating young people into conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction across member states.
According to the AU Commission, the framework recognizes young people as “partners in peace” and calls on member states to strengthen youth participation in decision-making while addressing the social, political and economic factors that contribute to instability.
The meeting also follows recommendations adopted during previous editions of the continental dialogue. In 2022, participants meeting in Bujumbura adopted the Bujumbura Declaration, calling on AU member states to institutionalize youth participation in peace processes, increase investment in youth-led peace initiatives and strengthen collaboration between governments and youth organizations.
The AU Peace and Security Council later endorsed annual continental dialogues on Youth, Peace and Security as part of efforts to support implementation of the continental framework.
Despite those policy commitments, implementation has varied across member states.
In a communiqué issued after its meeting on Youth, Peace and Security in 2023, the AU Peace and Security Council urged member states to accelerate implementation of the continental framework and previous council decisions, while encouraging stronger collaboration with regional economic communities, civil society organizations and youth networks.
The council also reiterated the need for adequate financing, monitoring mechanisms and stronger institutional support to translate continental commitments into national action.
This year’s dialogue is expected to review progress made since previous meetings while identifying remaining challenges and opportunities for strengthening the participation of youth and women in Africa’s peace and security architecture.
The AU says discussions will also focus on the relationship between water governance and conflict prevention, highlighting how environmental pressures and competition over natural resources can affect peace and stability, particularly in communities vulnerable to climate change.
Participants are expected to include AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye; representatives of the AU Peace and Security Council; the African Peer Review Mechanism; the Panel of the Wise; the FemWise-Africa network; regional economic communities; the Pan-African Youth Union; African National Youth Councils; youth civil society organizations; academic institutions; and representatives of international partners, including United Nations agencies.
The meeting will conclude on Aug. 12, coinciding with International Youth Day, with delegates expected to adopt a continental communiqué containing recommendations to guide future implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security and Women, Peace and Security agendas at continental, regional and national levels.
For many participants, the dialogue will provide an opportunity to review progress made under previous AU commitments while identifying priorities for strengthening the role of youth and women in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and inclusive governance across Africa.
The African Union adopted the Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security in 2020 to guide member states in implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 2250 and subsequent resolutions recognizing the role of young people in peace and security. The framework complements the AU’s Women, Peace and Security agenda and its broader “Silencing the Guns” initiative, which seeks to reduce armed conflict and promote sustainable peace across the continent.
