Date : October 18-19, 2024

Location : Luanda – Angola

Theme : “Strengthen Women’s Participation and Leadership in Peace and Security Processes in the Great Lakes Region”

Arrangement type : In-Person

Recognizing the deterioration of the security situation in the Great Lakes region and its devastating effects on women and girls, and highlighting the need to strengthen women's participation and the integration of a gender perspective in ongoing regional peace processes, the Office of the AUC Special Envoy on WPS in collaboration with African Women Leaders Network, FemWise Africa, the AU Peace and Security Programme, under the leadership of H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, and facilitator of the Luanda Peace Process for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will convene a High-Level Forum to bring together women from the Great Lakes Region and the continent.

The Forum in Luanda – Angola from the 18- 19 October 2024 will mobilize ongoing support and solidarity for improving the situation of women and initiating a shift in approaches to peace, by incorporating women's leadership and a gender perspective.

The objectives of the Forum are:

• Develop strategies to improve women’s involvement and leadership in ongoing regional peace initiatives and identify ways to support the Luanda peace process.
• Share recommendations and messages from women in the region with the Mediator of the Luanda peace processes.

The Forum is expected to achieve the following:

• Clear understanding of ongoing peace processes and pathways for women's participation and significant influence.
• A clear roadmap developed with details of concrete actions for the next steps.

The Forum will apply participatory, interactive and learning approaches, including high-level opening and closing sessions, panel sessions with facilitators, plenary debates and group work sessions.

Events leading to the convening of the High-Level Regional Forum of Women of the Great Lakes Region.

The Third High-Level African Forum on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), held in December 2022, recommended, among other aspects, greater attention to the crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, and requested the African Union Special Envoy for WPS to support initiatives aimed at promoting the role of women in dialogue and peace processes.

In August 2023, the African Union Commission Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security in collaboration with FemWise Africa, with support from the United Nations (UN), and in partnership with the women's civil society organization in the DRC, led a high-level women's peace advocacy mission in the DRC. The mission revealed the devastating effects of the conflict in Eastern DRC on women and girls, including mass displacement, sexual violence, loss of livelihoods and economic power, limited access to healthcare, education, food and other basic needs.

The delegation also maintained contacts with the Congolese authorities to address the alarming situation and consulted women affected by the conflict and organizations defending women's rights, as well as conducted a field visit to a site for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North Kivu Province.

The mission produced several recommendations, including:

• The need to convene a regional women's forum to share experiences, strengthen regional solidarity with women affected by the conflict in the region and develop a common agenda for peace.
• Continue to work with women affected by conflict in the region and develop a common peace agenda.
• Continue women’s diplomacy at a high level with higher authorities in Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

In a Communique issued by participants of the 4th African Forum on WPS, held on the 13th and 14th of December 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the impact of ongoing continental conflicts was noted with concern, in terms of gender issues, and called for, among others, the strengthening and support of women's peace networks and the adoption of a gender quota policy in all efforts to respond to conflicts led by the African Union.

In March 2024, the African Union Peace and Security Council held a high-level ministerial seminar in Swakopmund, Namibia, which adopted the Swakopmund process, a mechanism to strengthen and monitor women's participation in peace processes, especially, in track one processes.

In 2024, following the recommendations of the DRC mission, the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security held consultations with regional senior leaders, covering Angola, Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda about women in DRC and the region, calling for their increased attention to crises in the DRC and the region.

Further actions have included the Office of the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region (OSESG-GL), in partnership with the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, convened a consultative meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on 17 April 2024, which among others emphasized the importance of Women’s inclusion in the Luanda process as a valuable opportunity to engage women as peace makers, and the creation of a regional women’s coalition in support of ongoing regional peace processes.

On 22 and 23 August, the Republic of Burundi, current Chair of the PSC Framework, convened a Forum with Great Lakes Regional women. The Forum took note of the recent visit of the women of the DRC on 16 July 2024 to Luanda in the Republic of Angola and appreciated the commitment of His Excellency Mr. Joao Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola to offer a platform to promote the inclusion of women from the region in search of a lasting peace. Notable amongst the recommendations was the call for the appointment of a Goodwill Ambassador to champion the aspirations of women in the region.

Participation at the Forum.

The Forum will bring together various participants including:

• Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)
• Current and former Heads of State and Government
• Gender Ministers or their equivalents from ICGLR Member States
• Members of the African Women Leaders Network
• FemWise Africa Members
• Women, Peace and Security Advisory Board for the Great Lakes region
• Child Protection Services Cadre Supervision Mechanism
• Regional Women's Forum for the Great Lakes Region
• East African Community (EAC),
• Southern African Development Society (SADC)
• Representatives of UN agencies
• Heads of Diplomatic Missions
• Representatives of religious institutions and academics.

For more information, contact:

Ms.Catherine Gaku Njeru| Office of the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of AU Commission on Women, Peace and Security| Tel: +251-11-5517700 ext.2047-+251-11- 518 2047 | E-mail: E-mail: NjeruC@africa-union.org | wpsa@africa-union.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ms. Doreen Apollos | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission || E-mail:ApollosD@africa-union.org |Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.