Accra – Ghana: The Swedish Government, in partnership with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), is providing funding to train regional actors to better monitor and report on the implementation of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in Africa, using the Continental Results Framework (CRF).
Adopted by the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in 2018, the CRF aims at enhancing regular and systematic monitoring and reporting of the WPS agenda in Africa and contribute to closing the gap between WPS policy commitment and implementation in Africa.
Two decades after the passage of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 which is an important tool for advancing the WPS Agenda, the exclusion of women from formal peace negotiations among other issues remain a challenge.
The CRF has two main objectives – to institutionalize regular and systematic monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the WPS Agenda in Africa, and to strengthen accountability for the implementation of the WPS Agenda in Africa.
The KAIPTC with funding support from the Swedish Government is advancing the WPS Agenda in Africa as part of its strategic objective. Thus, the Centre through its Women Peace and Security Institute (WPSI) in partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy (OSE) on WPS developed a training manual with a simplified template to support Member States on utilizing the CRF in reporting on the WPS agenda as a response to the request made by member states.
With support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the KAPITC will train focal points in charge of the implementation and reporting on the WPS agenda within the identified member states of the AU.
Five countries are benefiting from the training. The training took off in Liberia in September, with similar workshops scheduled to be held in Ghana, Niger, Benin, and The Gambia successively.
The overall objective of the training is to enhance skills and knowledge on the WPS monitoring and reporting.
The Course has adopted a “Trainers of trainers” approach and thus, it is expected that the participants would further train more people in their respective Ministries, Departments and Units.
Gender equality and improved human security are central goals in Swedish Development Cooperation and clearly reflected in SIDA’s result strategies. Since 2009, the Swedish Government also has been implementing a National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325.
SIDA supports the WPS agenda, given its broad mandate to contribute to poverty reduction in fragile states as well as its strong focus on gender equality and human security.
The CRF recognizes that while several commitments towards the WPS Agenda have been adopted at the continental, regional and national levels in Africa, the continent has not established measures to ensure effective assessment of, and reporting on, the delivery of those commitments. Thus, the Swedish Government and KAIPTC are collaborating to contribute to the effective implementation of the CRF by strengthening the capacities of AU Member States to advance WPS issues on the continent.