A three-strong African Union (AU) delegation used the World Bank Group annual meeting in Washington to present a case for funding peacekeeping and peace support missions.
The delegation, led by the continental bloc deputy chair Monique Nsanzabaganwa, met with global financial institutions, development banks and what a statement said was “prominent peacebuilding organisations”. At the crux of the meetings was the need to secure sustainable peace financing as a mechanism to address the root causes of conflict and to accelerate Africa’s development for the realisation of Agenda 2063.
It is the continent’s blueprint and master plan to transform Africa into “the global powerhouse of the future”. At the same time it is, according to the AU, the continent’s strategic framework to deliver on inclusive and sustainable development and “a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”.
Others in the delegation were Steve Lalande, AU Commission Director for Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, and Dagmawit Moges, AU Peace Fund Secretariat Director.
Post a meeting with the World Bank Group, according to the statement, Ayanda Dlodlo, World Bank Executive Director expressed “a strong interest in mobilising resources for AU priorities” using the International Development Association (IDA) to enable regional and continent-wide projects that transcend country specific approaches.
Both institutions agreed on the importance of involving African finance ministers to align financial strategies with Africa’s peace and development goals. To strengthen governance and accountability, Nsanzabaganwa invited the World Bank to join the AU Peace Fund Independent Evaluation Group, where its impact assessment expertise could enhance the Fund’s transparency and effectiveness. Together, the AU and the bank agreed to establish a joint framework to advance sustainable peace financing initiatives drawing from public and private sector resources.
The delegation also met Afreximbank, African Trade and Development Insurance, Ecobank Transnational Inc, Shelter Afrique Development Bank as well as the Alliance for Peacebuilding, One Earth Future, Humanity United, Saferworld and the Fund for Peace.
The AU Peace Fund is committed to strengthening Africa’s capacity to address peace-related challenges and create a stable environment where peace drives economic growth, resilience and prosperity.
