The African Union Office of the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (OCPAPS), with technical support from the Training for Peace (TfP)) programme, is developing a network of African Think Tanks for Peace (NETT4Peace). ACCORD General Managers for Research and Programmes participated in the preliminary discussion, on Tuesday 2 August 2022, where, the concept, objectives, and expectations for the Network was shared with select institutions. The Network will be composed of carefully selected Think Tanks working in the area of governance, peace and security in Africa, and capable of supporting the work of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace & Security (DPAPS) with independent strategic analysis on critical issues of governance, peace and security.
The online meeting was moderated by the Senior Advisor on Governance & Peacebuilding in the Office of CPAPS. The CPAPS, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, briefed the participants on the essence and thinking behind the NeTT4Peace initiative emphasizing the need for synergy to ensure that the department is able to develop “smart policies” based on analytical outcomes of Think-Tanks deciphering of the “fluidity as well as complexity of the governance, peace and security landscape.” He further explained the relevance of the benefits of robust data and analysis to underpin the actions of the AU. To ensure a collective process is maintained, the CPAPS called on participants to share thoughts, and to build an inclusive and fully participatory process while respecting the space and independence of think tanks.
The NeTT4Peace will be a platform to develop a community of research and of practice on the issues that relate to the mandate of DPAPS; provide the opportunity to leverage on the strengths of the various Think Tanks and utilize them for targeted research, policy analysis and improvement. The structure of the initiative is intended to be lean, using technology to reduce associated costs and will offer a comprehensive & coordinated engagement between the Department and Think Tanks on the continent.
ACCORD’s contribution to knowledge through its publications has been recognised by the Global Go to Think Tank Index, as one of the highest ranked African institutions, and the institution sees it fitting that all Think-Tanks benefit from having access to requisite information, more strategic inputs to policy development, and a structured feedback loop. ACCORD, through its TfP Programme will continue to contribute this initiative to promote strategic long-term collaborative efforts between DPAPS and Think-Tanks.
