IPSS participated in the Annual Civil Society Planning Retreat with the Political Affairs Peace and Security (PAPS) commissioner representative in Nairobi, Kenya from 22 – 24 February 2022. Representatives from RECs/RMs, CSOs, AU liaison officers, and Special Representatives attended the workshop.
The three-day Annual CSO Planning Retreat highlighted the role of various civil society organisations outside of the African Union ECOSOCC in supporting peace & security objectives. In Addition, the workshop outlined all the existing frameworks for civil society engagement within the African Union. The workshop explored existing best practices, identified opportunities and proposed innovative mechanisms that can become formal entry points for engaging the AU at the national and regional levels. Representatives from ECOSOCC attended REC and key actors within the AUC-PAPS also interacted with these CSOs on issues of democratic governance, peace and security, and addressed how best they can support initiatives and alternative ways of working. Deliberations in the seminar led to a set of recommendations to guide engagements between civil society, academia, and policy institutions such as the AU’s regional and national offices.