The 5^th Africa Forum on Women, Peace, and Security, whose theme is: “recalibrating the Women Peace and Security agenda" convened in Addis Ababa, from 5-6 December 2024, under the leadership of H.E Sahle-Work Zewde, Former President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Champion of the WPS Forum.  The two-day forum brought together WPS practitioners from African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, prominent African women leaders, UN representatives, diplomatic missions, religious institutions, civil society organizations, academics and the media. Many high-level representatives including H.E Sahle-Work Zewde, Former President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and Champion of the WPS Forum, H.E.  Bineta Diop, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, H.E Dr. Speciosa Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe,  Former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda  and Member of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan, H.E. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Hon. Justice Effie Owour  Chair of the AU Panel of the Wise and   Co-Chair FemWise-Africa; H.E. Signe Gilen, Special Envoy on Women Peace and Security, Norway  were also in attendance and delivered opening remarks.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative to the African Union and Head of the UN Office to the African Union, stressed his concern on the push back the world is witnessing on women’s rights. He further highlighted that the world benefits from the gender balance and a fair representation of women where decision making is at stake. He also stressed the critical need for robust data collection. "With clear and reliable data, it becomes difficult to assess progress and identify areas for improvement," he said. He called for continued advocacy for a comprehensive approach that integrates all stakeholders to develop holistic, long-term solutions to the challenges faced.

The forum commended the efforts of African women in different contexts to promote peace and security at local, sub-national and national levels, including undertaking solidarity missions to conflict contexts. The forum noted with concern the gendered impact of the persistent conflict situations in the continent, including those in Burkina Faso, Chad, DRC, Niger, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan, which are compounded by emerging peace and security threats such as climate change, displacement and digital gender-based violence and a back rush on women rights. The forum also noted with concern that despite the advances noted, women remain grossly under- represented in decision making roles in different sectors critical for maintaining and sustaining peace including in politics, public administration, Justice, security and development and more particularly in peace negotiations and mediations. The forum further noted with concern the persistent challenges such as the underfunding of NAPs, limited capacities to implement the WPS Agenda, and lack of quantifiable data and siloed approaches to peace and security processes.

The forum called for the redoubling of efforts to fully implement and advance the WPS agenda through among others, strengthening and supporting women’s peace networks, especially in countries in conflict situations and political crises; fast-tracking of the development, finalization and adoption of the gender parity framework in line with the Swakopmund process for enhancing women’s participation in AU led and co-led peace processes; the development of a tracking tool to enhance accountability and implementation of the Swakopmund process, including by expanding the indicators of the AU Continental results framework on monitoring and reporting on women peace and security agenda; and establishing a flexible funding mechanism for the implementation of the WPS Agenda