African Union

Since its inception in 2002, the African Union (AU) has remained steadfast in its commitment to conflict prevention and resolution, guided by its envoys and representatives through diplomacy, dialogue, and mediation.

Our work

CMI’s long-standing engagement with the African Union has contributed to developing mediation and preventive diplomacy capacities of the organization consisting of 55 members states, supporting its central role in resolving conflicts through mediation and seeking diplomatic solutions to disputes on the continent. CMI encourages strong local ownership and therefore we also strongly believe that conflicts, fragility, and violent disputes in Africa require solutions and responses by African actors. The support from CMI focuses at just that: addressing institutional capacity on the needs of the AU.

The current project phase (2023-2026) contributes towards the enhanced ability of the AU to prevent and resolve conflicts in a timely, sustainable, and inclusive manner. To achieve this, CMI provides needs-based operational support to the AU Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security in contexts where its assistance can make a meaningful contribution to the department’s capacity to design, implement, or support mediation and preventive diplomacy processes.

Key results

Over the past 15 years, CMI’s support has contributed to the development of key policies and tools, lessons learned and reflection opportunities which have strengthened the institutionalization of mediation by the AU Commission (AUC). The cooperation, funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 2009, has been relevant to the responses addressing the contemporary African peace and security challenges characterized by conflict in its various configurations. CMI support has contributed to the development of the AU Standard Operating Procedures for Mediation Support, the AU Knowledge Management Framework for Mediation Processes, AU Mediation Handbooks, and other policy and research publications. A key contribution continues to be the support to the AU’s annual High-level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa, which is the primary forum for peacemakers working in Africa to reflect on emerging issues pertinent to peace and security, share experiences and best practices, and deliberate on innovative approaches to emerging challenges.