CEWARN in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation (GPF) and the Uganda Mission to the UN convened a UNGA73 side event on 2 October at the Uganda House in New York to report on the Kampala Peace Declaration adopted at the Global Peace Leadership Conference August 1-2, 2018 that contains strategies to advance promising peace and development models in Africa.

A key item on the meeting’s agenda was also a show case discussion on ongoing cross-border initiatives for peace and development in the Horn of Africa including cases along the Ethiopia-Kenya border and the Karamoja Cluster, which covers adjoining cross-border regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. The meeting further considered a case study of a GPF-led peace building initiative in Kaduna, Nigeria.

Senior Officials and Permanent Representatives of IGAD Member States including H.E. Eugene Wamalwa, Cabinet Secretary of Devolution and Arid and Semi Arid Lands of the Republic of Kenya as well as permanent Representatives of other African nations including Nigeria and South Africa were present. The meeting was also attended by IGAD Executive Secretary Amb. Mahboub Maalim, International Vice President of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Mr. David Caprara as well as senior officials of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (UNDPA).

CS Wamalwa spoke on the work that the government of Kenya is doing in building and strengthening cross-border collaboration with all its neighbours especially Ethiopia. He underlined the need for regional level planning and response to peace and development concerns of borderlands. He commended IGAD for its facilitation of strong cross-border collaboration in the Karamoja cluster with the opening of the facilitation office in Moroto.

IGAD Executive Secretary also highlighed IDDRSI’s work that encapsulates IGAD’s programmatic focus in building human security and resilience in borderlands. He also emphasized the need for partnerships and synergy across sectors in cross border cooperation.

Governor Nanok of Turkana County also related his experience at the county level of building local level structures and mechanisms on managing mobility of communities and resource sharing as well as conflict resolution. He indicated that the Kenyan government does budgetary allocations to support cross border initiatives. His remarks also emphasized the need to support and sustain local initiatives and customary governance structures.

CEWARN Director also had an opportunity to present CEWARN’s work highlighting our progressive shift and expansion of thematic focus. He gave a broad overview of our model and areas of delivery including supporting decision making and response action as well as having a bottom-up emphasis and thereby our focus in strengthening existing structures at local and national levels. #