President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced, on Tuesday 21/11/2023, the launch of the activities of the third edition of the African Union's Reconstruction and Development Week under the theme "Towards a better future for Africa through peacebuilding" from November 22 to 27, 2023.
President El-Sisi's Statement on the Launch of AU's Post-Conflict Reconstruction & Development Week
"As the AU Champion on the "Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development" dossier, it gives me pleasure to announce the launch of the functions of the third edition of the African Union's Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Awareness Week, which is held under the theme "Toward a Better Future for Africa through Peacebuilding ", from November 22-27, 2023. It aims to shed light on the priority we all accord to peacebuilding endeavours as well as reconstruction and development efforts in Africa, as the continent grapples with formidable and intricate challenges, compounded by a global geopolitical and economic climate characterized by polarization. This makes it incumbent upon us to embrace a full-fledged African vision to address the challenges of peace, security and development.
In this context, I would like to commend the progress achieved in the operation of the African Union Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), which Cairo hosts. I would also like to express hope for the prompt and full activation of the center, in a manner that serves the interests and needs of our continent, particularly in light of the Government of Egypt's commitment to providing all means of support to the center, so that it can expeditiously embark on its crucial mission to foster peace-building efforts in the continent.
In this context, I also value the progress achieved in the review of Africa's Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Policy, after Cairo hosted a high-level workshop for this purpose in May 2023. This workshop has contributed to updating and revising the African policy, to keep pace with the conceptual and political developments of the concept of peacebuilding, with the aim of bolstering the continent's tools for responding to conflicts and adopting a more encompassing approach to addressing them, from a proactive perspective that tackles the underlying causes and origins of conflicts, effectively preventing their outbreak in the first place, and ensures a sustained response to conflicts at all stage. This is in addition to deepening the partnership between the African Union and all international actors and coordinating their efforts to reinforce their effectiveness and impact on the lives of the peoples of the continent.
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Within this context, Cairo hosted the High-Level Retreat of the Special Envoys on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa in October 2023, in order to provide a vital space for constructive dialogue, solidify joint cooperation among all effective stakeholders in Africa, and achieve the required integration and amalgamation among them. Work is also underway to convene the fourth edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, emanating from Egypt's steadfast commitment to continuing its active participation in the ongoing deliberations on bolstering efforts toward maintaining peace and security and promoting stability across the African continent.
Finally, I call on Africa's partners to honour their pledges and commitments and extend the necessary support to the continent's countries as they embark on their journey of peacebuilding and development, aligned with the needs and priorities of African countries, upholding the principle of national ownership. Similarly, I reiterate my steadfast commitment to dedicating every effort toward the sustainability of peace and consolidating stability in Africa, in coordination with my brothers, the African Heads of State and Government and the African Union's apparatuses and agencies. In this context, I call on them to include the updated policy axes of reconstruction and development in their national plans, in alignment with the goals of the 2063 Agenda, notably as the continent ushers-in the second decade of the implementation of the agenda."
