The issue of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) remains a priority for the African Union. In January 2014, the African Union became the first continental organization to appoint a Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, with the specific mandate to “ensure that the voices of women and children, particularly those affected by conflict are heard and to advocate at the highest levels for the rightful participation and contribution of women in conflict resolution and peace building”.
During the 6th High-Level Africa Forum on Women, Peace and Security, held in Tunis, Republic of Tunisia, from 9–10 December 2025, under the leadership of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Office of the Special Envoy of the Chairperson on Women, Peace and Security (OSE-WPS), and in partnership with the Government of Tunisia and the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), the Tunis Declaration 2025 was adopted, which further advanced the WPS agenda in Africa.
The Tunis Declaration contains 3 outcomes. The first outcome is the strengthening of women’s leadership in peace and security. Under this outcome, the signatories to the Declaration commit to confronting the backlash and pushing forward, head-on, against the rise of anti-gender rhetoric and the repression of women’s rights. They further commit to enhancing multilateral cooperation and strengthening the regional Women, Peace and Security (WPS) architecture through sustained partnerships that ensure long-term financing and political support. The signatories also commit to expanding women’s leadership, mediation, and negotiation roles at all levels, including through FemWise-Africa, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), and sub-regional women mediator networks. In addition, they commit to enhancing intergenerational leadership by strengthening mentorship pathways and supporting the Africa Facility for Women in Political Leadership and the AWLN Youth Caucus.
The second outcome is leveraging multilateral diplomacy to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Under this outcome, the signatories to the Declaration commit to strengthening Africa-driven multilateral diplomacy within the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and global fora in order to safeguard and advance the WPS agenda. They commit to promoting intra-African solidarity, South–South cooperation, and cross-regional partnerships to reinforce shared priorities and protect normative gains. The signatories further commit to utilizing diplomatic coalitions to accelerate the ratification and implementation of the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG) and the Maputo Protocol, as well as to support the preparation and implementation of National Action Plans.
The third outcome is securing sustainable financing for the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Under this outcome, the signatories to the Declaration call for predictable and long-term financing for National Action Plans, conflict-related financing reporting, and national gender machineries. They commit to the adoption of gender-responsive budgeting and domestic resource mobilization strategies, and to strengthening financing for women-led organizations, grassroots networks, and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. The signatories further emphasize the integration of the WPS Media Network into accountability mechanisms to monitor financing trends and to identify and highlight gaps in WPS financing and implementation.
The Tunis Declaration also identifies strategic priorities for the decade 2026–2035, including the protection and expansion of normative gains such as the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG), the Maputo Protocol, and the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA) obligations. The signatories commit to strengthening partnerships among Member States, civil society, youth, the private sector, and regional institutions, adopting a whole-of-society approach to promoting inclusive peace and security. They further commit to strengthening and institutionalizing robust accountability mechanisms to transparently identify and address gaps, shortcomings, and instances of impunity, while resourcing and strengthening efforts to respond to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, including the provision of psychosocial support.
The strategic priorities for 2026–2035 also emphasize strengthening accountability through the adoption, resourcing, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of National Action Plans, alongside enhanced conflict-related financing reporting and monitoring. The signatories commit to localizing WPS commitments by deepening partnerships with AWLN chapters, local governments, and community women’s movements, and to integrating and addressing emerging threats and risks—including climate–security linkages, humanitarian action, violent extremism, digital and cybersecurity, online violence, conflicts over natural resources, and displacement—within WPS policy and programming.
