Civil society delegates attending the ACCORD-hosted GPPAC Southern Africa Network Meeting, held in Midrand, South Africa on 30 and 31 August 2012, concluded the meeting by agreeing on two conflict prevention priority areas to be included in the Network's annual plan for implementation during 2012/2013.
With the aim to strengthen partnerships and support the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s peacebuilding process, ACCORD's Peacebuilding Unit undertook a five-day consultation with key peacebuilding stakeholders. The DRC is one of the Unit's focus countries and the consultations did not only inform the Unit about the peacebuilding process in the DRC but also enhanced new partnerships and strengthened existing ones. The consultations were useful in shaping the Unit's current engagements with the DRC and confirmed a partnership with the DRC's Ministry of Planning for increased engagement of national and local actors in identifying strategies for a sustainable peacebuilding process. An activity is scheduled to take place in September 2012.
A two-day Regional Consultation on "Strengthening Partnerships for Civilian Capacities in the Aftermath of Conflict" was recently facilitated by ACCORD at the OR Tambo Building, South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, in Pretoria on 19-20 July. Hosted by the government of South Africa, in collaboration with the African Union and United Nations, the consultation was a resounding success. It brought together a diverse range of relevant actors aiming at enhancing the use and deployment of civilians in post-conflict settings, through promoting ideas of local ownership and strengthened partnerships by local, regional and international responses which feature greater expertise and nimbleness.
With the aim to reflect upon and identify appropriate responses to peacebuilding issues in Burundi and the Great Lakes region, ACCORD organised a 4-day workshop in Bujumbura, Burundi. The peacebuilding workshop, organised by the Burundi Intervention Office and in collaboration with the Peacebuilding Unit, was held from 10-13 July in Bujumbura, Burundi. The workshop brought together stakeholders representing government, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, as well as representatives from youth groups, media, international and regional organisations, experts in Peacebuilding, transitional justice and elections and academia.
ACCORD's Training Unit Coordinator, Pascal da Rocha, has facilitated a three week lecture and mentoring programme on issues relating to peace and security in Africa, in Uppsala, Sweden, as the second phase of an 18-month, 5-phase international training programme to improve the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). It is facilitated by ACCORD, in partnership with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (DPCR) at Uppsala University, and Indevelop, a Stockholm based consultancy.
From 5-7 June 2012, Dr.Martha Mutisi represented ACCORD at the International Learning Exchange on Gender and Conflict Analysis in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The Learning Exchange facilitated ACCORD's ongoing contribution to global conversations on gender and conflict transformation, and confirmed the institution's concerted efforts towards promoting the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The Training for Peace Programme (TfP) at ACCORD, hosted a two day workshop in August to review and adopt the draft Security and Contingency Plan for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The draft manual serves as a framework of procedures for managing security threats to the mission and its personnel, particularly the civilian staff and unarmed police.
On 18 June 2012, ACCORD's Burundi Office hosted a roundtable discussion, focused on key peacebuilding issues for Burundi and the Great Lakes region. The discussion facilitated ACCORD's ongoing contribution towards building a sustainable peace in Burundi.
In June 2012, the Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD (TfP/ACCORD) established a Civilian Capacity Network of civil society organizations, which then facilitated a consultation on Civilian Capacity Matching (CapMatch) in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Civilian Capacity (CivCap) Team. The consultation focused on the UN CivCap Team's proposal on establishing a self-service online platform called Capacity Matching (CapMatch), which aims to better match the demand and supply of specialized civilian capacities for deployment in peacekeeping operations within countries emerging from conflict.
The Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD (TfP/ACCORD), in conjunction with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), has facilitated an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) workshop on Mainstreaming Protection of Civilian (PoC) Considerations into its Operations. PoC measures to protect the safety of civilians during times of war are currently the main benchmarks used by both the entity that mandates a mission, as well as the international community and host communities to evaluate most peacekeeping operations.
ACCORD, through its Training for Peace in Africa (TfP) Programme, has addressed participants at the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) on the important role of civilians in peace support operations.
