Benin: Cotonou Hosts an AU Ministerial Seminar on Women, Peace, and Security This Wednesday

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The meeting, listed on the official calendar of the African Union Department of Peace and Security, is taking place within the framework of the Swakopmund process. The Beninese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Corinne Amori Brunet, who holds the presidency of the Peace and Security Council for the month of September, is expected at the opening of the proceedings.

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According to an analysis note published on the eve of the meeting by Amani Africa, the seminar is set to bring together officials from the African Union, representatives of member states, and partners engaged in the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The AU Special Representative on this issue, Liberata Mulamula, as well as officials from UN Women, are among the announced speakers.

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The Swakopmund process was institutionalized by the Peace and Security Council in March 2024 as a periodic ministerial platform. It aims to provide a more structured space for issues related to the participation of women in crisis prevention, peace negotiations, post-conflict reconstruction, and security governance.

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The meeting in Cotonou takes place as several African countries continue to face armed conflicts, violent extremism, population displacements, and political crises that particularly affect women and girls. Despite frameworks adopted at the continental level, their representation in formal peace processes remains limited.

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The choice of Cotonou also fits within a context of closer ties between Benin and the peace and security institutions of the African Union. In early September, a delegation led by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, met with Beninese authorities to discuss political stability, security, and sub-regional cooperation.

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Wednesday’s work is intended to allow participants to take stock of the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Africa and to identify ways to strengthen the involvement of women in prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding mechanisms. The conclusions of the seminar are expected at the end of the discussions.