The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) held a consultative meeting on July 10-11, 2025, in Durban, South Africa aimed at reinforcing a longstanding partnership and exploring new avenues for collaboration in governance, peace and security across the continent.
Led by Assistant Secretary General for Programmes, Amb. Dr. Mohamed Kadah and ACCORD Founder and Executive Director Dr. Vasu Gounden, the two-day meeting centered on addressing the complex security challenges facing Africa, including political instability, cross-border conflicts, violent extremism, and climate-induced insecurity.
In his opening remarks, Amb. Kadah emphasized the importance of peace for sustainable development, highlighting that despite Africa’s rich diversity and potential, the region continues to grapple with threats that require robust regional cooperation and strategic partnerships.
“We have continued to face challenges ranging from political instability and cross-border conflicts including emerging threats such as violent extremism and climate-induced insecurity. These challenges require not only regional cooperation but also strategic partnerships with institutions like ACCORD,” said Dr Kadah.
Dr. Gounden echoed these sentiments, expressing concern over ongoing conflicts and underscoring the need to consolidate past gains and strengthen future collaborations to tackle poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
“We believe we have the expertise, experience and a deep understanding of the African peace and security architecture and therefore this partnership will yield the intended positive results,” Dr Gounden added.
The consultations culminated in agreements to deepen cooperation in key areas such as Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, Mediation Support, Democracy and Governance, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Climate Change, Women, Youth, and Peace Security, as well as Research, Knowledge Dissemination, and joint resource mobilization.
Both organizations reaffirmed their commitment to working together to foster peace, stability, and sustainable development across the African continent.