Date | 19 May 2025
At a time when multilateral peace operations are at a crossroads, Amani Africa’s role has become prominent in shaping the global policy thinking on the future of peace operations, when, along with the Global Governance Institute (GGI) and the Berlin Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), it fostered the establishment of the Global Alliance for Peace Operations (GAPO). The GAPO is made up of more than 60 global think tanks, research institutes and civil society organizations and more than 100 experts, who play leading role in the policy thinking and action for adapting peace operations for making them fit for the changing realities of the world. The website of GAPO is now also featured on Amani Africa’s website.
To avail rich and fresh perspectives to the intergovernmental deliberations during the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, Germany, together with GGI and ZIF, Amani Africa contributed to the coordination of the writing by members of GAPO of a compendium of eight policy papers (see here) and nearly 20 issue briefs (see here). These contributions reflect the diversity and richness of the membership of GAPO and its immense potential for shaping multilateral policy processes on international peace and security.
Along with ZIF and GGI, Amani Africa coordinated the convening on 12 May 2025 of the GAPO Symposium on Peace Operations, hosted at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin, Germany just ahead of the Berlin Peacekeeping Ministerial. Solomon Dersso, Founding Director of Amani Africa, led the first session titled ‘The State of the World’ which, through the insightful interventions of Jenna Russo of International Peace Institute, Daniel Forti of International Crisis Group and Alexander Marschik, Ambassador of Austria to Germany and former Co-Chairperson of the IGN on UNSC Reform, depicted a clear picture of the fundamental changes and challenges affecting multilateralism and peace operations. The symposium highlighted the need for reforming peace operations as important part of the toolbox for international peace and security and explored diverse and rich ideas on how UN peacekeeping can be adapted and strengthened for it to continue to play critical role in advancing international peace and security.
Amani Africa also played various roles in the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial held on 13-14 May in Berlin, Germany at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Apart from attending the deliberations of the ministerial session that brought together more than 130 state delegates, Amani Africa was involved in various conversations during and on the side of the ministerial session. We also had the unique honor of being featured along co-coordinators of GAPO in hosting the sole exhibition stand at the Berlin Ministerial, showcasing our contributions to global policy discussion and action on peace operations.
As part of the Berlin Ministerial, Amani Africa’s Founding Director made a contribution as a speaker during the High-Level Panel on Partnerships, that featured senior representatives from the UN, AU, EU, and OSCE as well as Founder and Director of Confluence Advisory. The panel explored how to deepen and adapt the relationship of the UN with regional organisations with respect to peace operations, whether and how the role of regional organisations is changing vis-à-vis peace operations, the role of the UN in situations where regional or sub-regional organisaitons or coalitions of the willing lead peace operations, and how and when to operationalize Resolution 2719 on UN financing of AU-led peace operations.
Amani Africa acknowledges with appreciation the support and collaboration of the German Foreign Ministry, Embassy of Germany in Addis Ababa and the co-conspirators of GAPO, ZIF and GGI as well as all the institutions and experts who contributed to and form part of GAPO.
