12-09-2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Mediation Support Unit (MSU) in collaboration with The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) are starting today holding a 3 day High Level Retreat for Mediators from the IGAD region in Addis Ababa till September 14, 2018.
The IGAD Mediation Support Unit (MSU) was established following the Resolution of the Committee of Ambassadors (COA) in December 2012, mandated to build IGAD’s regional normative capacity on mediation and strengthen capacities of national institutions in member states to build its architecture on conflict prevention, peace making and peace building.
The High Level Retreat is a platform that enables discussions on the role of reconciliation and dialogue in peace processes and is also an avenue for learning and sharing experiences between the IGAD Members of the Roster, IGAD Special Envoys; AU’s Members of the Panel of the Wise with members from other Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) like the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC). Through dialogue the IGAD Roster Members are able to consider practical approaches in encompassing reconciliation and dialogue as tools that strengthen mediation processes.
The theme for this year’s meeting is ‘Enhancing Dialogue and Reconciliation for Conflict Prevention and Transformation’ and all members are expected to have an understanding of the holistic nature of reconciliation and the role it plays in the well-being of all peoples with a strengthened understanding of the role of dialogue and reconciliation within peace processes in the IGAD region.
Some of the key topics to be discussed are; the need for Dialogue and Reconciliation for Conflict Prevention and Transformation; The geo-politics context in the IGAD Region; Effective dialogue in conflict prevention and transformation; Strengthening the Agency of Religious Leaders in Dialogue and Reconciliation; Inclusion of women and youth in dialogue and reconciliation processes at the community, national and regional levels as well as the challenges and best practices towards promoting dialogue and reconciliation.
Through the recommendations, the members will chart a way forward in developing a reconciliation framework and a dialogue index for the IGAD region. These will act as tools for preventing and resolving conflict and for enhancing dialogue and achieving reconciliation.
The retreat is being facilitated by IGAD Mediation Support Unit in partnership with ACCORD and with the financial support from the EU-APSA Support Programme. ஜஜ۩END۩ஜஜ
