ACCCORD's Manager for the Interventions Department, Dr. Martha Mutisi, has represented the institution at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Stakeholders' Roundtable on Gender and Development. As one of the few civil society organisations represented, ACCORD is well placed to continue to influence the development of the SADC Gender Unit and contribute to regional initiatives towards gender equity and parity in peace and development processes.

The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) congratulates the three women who today jointly received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, namely President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, gender activist in Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman, gender activist in Yemen. The award was given in recognition of their non-violent struggle for the safety and protection of women, and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work.

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Executive Secretary, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula and the Founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (Accord), Mr Vasu Gounden, signed this 11 August in Bujumbura a Memorendum of understanding between their two organizations, whereby the two parties are to work together to support common objectives.

ACCORD recently joined the United Nations (UN) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on women in peace and security. The event provided an opportune moment for the promotion of the Durban Statement arising from the High Level Seminar on ‘UNSCR 1325 in 2020: Looking Forward…Looking Back’ hosted by ACCORD from 8-9 October 2010.

A High Level seminar on the role of women, peace and security in Africa has proposed measures to accelerate the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 in the context of the African Union (AU) Year of Peace and Security (YoPS), and the launch of the decade of the African Women 2010-2020. The Seminar brought together eminent practitioners, academics and policy makers from around the globe to advance an Africa-wide strategy for women in Peace and Security for the next decade (2010-2020).

ACCORD is involved in ongoing efforts to highlight the role gender plays in peace and security. In its three pillars of intervention, namely peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, ACCORD is cognisant of the role of gender in peace and conflict such that gender is a cross-cutting theme in the organisation's training manuals and operational documents. Against this backdrop, ACCORD's Knowledge Production Department (KPD) hosted a two-day authors' roundtable on the topic: "Women, Peace and Security: Approaches to Gender Empowerment."

In ongoing commitment to the fulfilment of UN Resolution 1325, in late August ACCORD held a mediation training for South African women in partnership with the Progressive Women's Movement of South Africa (PWMSA). The development of skilled female mediators, who are active in their communities, is a vital component of addressing conflict within our societies and ACCORD was delighted to play a role in preparing a group of specially selected women from across the country with the skills to mediate in conflict situations.

Nikiwe Bikitsha, who was at the ACCORD 1325 seminar in Durban, reports in the Mail & Guardian on the state of women and Resolution 1325 on the continent of Africa...

A delegation of Darfuri Women are now more prepared to address conflict challenges during the Doha peace process, having completed conflict resolution, negotiation and facilitation training conducted by the ACCORD Peacemaking Unit in partnership with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Sudan, and the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNIMAD).

In celebration of International Women Day the 8th March, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane hosted a Banquet Dinner at the Presidential Guest house and seminar at DIRCO