he ACTION Support Centre has recently conducted a research project with the funding support of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa and the Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery. The research project was aimed at carrying out a mapping exercise to identify the existing Infrastructures for Peace (IfP), Insider Mediators and local capacities for peace. It also involved carrying out a light technical assessment of their institutional and operational capacities.
The mapping exercise was carried out in twenty-three African countries from various Regional Economic Communities (RECs). These included the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Economic Commission for Central African States (ECCAS), the East African Communities (EAC) and the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD).
The mapping project was carried out in support of the call from the African Union Peace and Security Council to build an African Peace and Security Architecture. The output of the research project was consolidated into a published document that will be shared during the joint UNDP-AU Insiders’ Mediators’ retreat for the involvement of National Infrastructures for Peace in the PanWise UNDP-AUC retreat.