Who: African Development Bank, development partners
What: Third Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development
Where: Hybrid format, Cairo, Egypt
When: 21-22 June 2022
The theme of this year's Aswan Forum is "Africa in an Era of Cascading Risks and Climate Vulnerability: Pathways for a Peaceful, Resilient, and Sustainable Continent."
Participants will include heads of state, and representatives of the United Nations, African Union, and the African Development Bank, which is a strategic partner of the Aswan Forum. This forms part of the Bank's leading role in the sector. Other efforts include its collaboration with the Sahel Alliance. The Bank has also produced groundbreaking research on building resilience in fragile situations.
This year's edition of the Forum takes place in the context of an increasingly volatile international situation. Disruptions in energy and commodities markets have resulted in price spikes that are negatively affecting many African countries that rely on food and fuel imports. In response, the African Development Bank has approved a $1.5 billion emergency facility to avert a food crisis.
The rapidly evolving situation comes at a time when Africa is still grappling with the health and socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, with women and youth being hit the hardest. Concurrently, protracted conflicts and violence continue to destabilize parts of the continent. These challenges have been compounded by the rising threat posed by climate change.
This cascade of multi-faceted risks is putting African national capacities to the test in an unprecedented manner, as well as sub-regional and continental frameworks. Nonetheless, Africa's pro-active stance is reflected in several recent developments and initiatives which seek to address some of these challenges. These include the African Union Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, and the African Development Bank's 3rd Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa (2022-2026).
Building on the work of previous years, the Third Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development will benefit from the deliberations of relevant preceding events, such as the African Development Bank Group's Annual Meetings and the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
This year's Aswan Forum will also place special emphasis on the interface between climate change and sustaining peace in Africa, in anticipation of the 27th Session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheikh in November this year.
The Forum will be held in a hybrid format, with sessions online and in-person in Cairo. It will bring together leaders from governments, regional and international organizations, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society, as well as visionaries, scholars, key experts, and practitioners for context-specific, action-oriented, and forward-looking discussions on the new threats and challenges, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead.
The Aswan Forum was launched in 2019 during Egypt's chairmanship of the African Union, and is held annually under the auspices of H.E. Abdelfattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It provides a high-level platform that brings together African leaders, as well as leaders from international and regional organizations, the private sector and civil society.
For more information, please visit the Aswan Forum website.
Kindly register here, or follow via livestream on the African Development Bank's website and social media platforms.
Media contact: Grace Kiire, Communication and External Relations Department, African Development Bank, media@afdb.org
