The Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS) of the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), has successfully concluded a pivotal four-day regional capacity-building workshop in Bujumbura, Burundi, from 9 to 12 December 2025. The event, titled "Regional Stakeholders' Capacity Building on Mainstreaming Human Rights into Early Warning," marks a strategic milestone in fortifying proactive conflict prevention across the Central Africa region.

The workshop brought together over 40 key stakeholders from 11 Member States (Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea Bissau), including representatives from National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the AUC, ECCAS, AU human rights organs, and development partners. This diverse assembly convened with the overall objective of strengthening the capacity of Central African stakeholders to apply human rights-based approaches in early warning and conflict prevention frameworks.

"Only by embedding human rights into the very core of our early warning systems can Africa move from reactive crisis management to proactive prevention, addressing root causes before they escalate into crises," stated a concept note framing the workshop's imperative. The training is a direct implementation of the AU Strategic Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human and Peoples' Rights (2024-2026) and Assembly decisions mandating the integration of human rights into the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

The intensive agenda spanned four days, moving from foundational concepts to advanced practical application:

- Day 1 established the strategic and normative framework, featuring high-level opening remarks and deep dives into international, continental, and national human rights instruments.

- Day 2 focused on operational systems, with participants mapping key early warning stakeholders, examining the AU Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) and ECCAS's MARAC mechanism, and sharing critical lessons from IGAD's experience with national early warning mechanisms.

- Day 3 was dedicated to hands-on skill-building, where participants engaged in group exercises to formulate human rights indicators, reviewed data collection tools, and worked on refining draft templates for NHRIs and National Peace Infrastructures.

- Day 4 addressed cross-cutting issues—including gender, youth, and children in armed conflict—and culminated in a practical Training of Trainers (ToT) session, equipping participants to replicate the training within their national contexts.

A key outcome of the workshop is the enhanced coordination mechanism between the AUC, ECCAS, NHRIs, and CSOs, fostering a cohesive network for data sharing and joint analysis. Participants departed with concrete national action points to institutionalize human rights in their domestic early warning processes.

This workshop in Bujumbura represents the fourth in a series of successful regional trainings, following earlier sessions in Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa, solidifying a continent-wide movement towards rights-based conflict prevention.

 

For media inquiries:

Ms. Limi Mohammed Shash, Communications focal point, Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate, Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, African Union Commission. Email: shashlm@africanunion.org

 

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