Kenya and the African Union have renewed calls for countries in the Great Lakes Region to work more closely together in addressing rising security, humanitarian and governance challenges, while urging governments to give women and young people a stronger voice in peace and decision-making processes.
The appeal was made during the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Consultative Forum and Great Lakes Round Table Meeting in Nairobi, which has brought together policymakers, diplomats, parliamentarians, civil society groups, women and youth organisations, academics and development partners to discuss ways of advancing peace, governance and regional integration.
Speaking during the opening of the forum, Principal Secretary for Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action Anne Wang'ombe said the region continues to face multiple challenges that are closely linked and cannot be solved by individual countries acting on their own.
According to the State Department for Foreign Affairs, Wang'ombe pointed to armed conflict, violent extremism, forced displacement, humanitarian emergencies, climate-related insecurity, transnational organised crime and gender-based violence as some of the issues affecting countries across the region.
"These realities call for stronger collaboration, collective leadership and sustained regional action," Wang'ombe said, adding that no single country could effectively respond to the growing cross-border challenges.
She reaffirmed Kenya's support for the goals of the ICGLR, describing the regional body as a key platform for political engagement, conflict prevention, better governance and sustainable development within the Great Lakes Region.
Wang'ombe noted that achieving lasting peace requires more than security operations and military responses, saying durable stability can only be realised through accountable institutions, respect for human rights, inclusive governance and the active involvement of women and young people in peace and security efforts.
"The consultations provide an important opportunity for member states to evaluate emerging risks, exchange experiences and strengthen coordinated responses to increasingly complex cross-border challenges," she stressed.
She further highlighted Kenya's implementation of the Third Kenya National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (KNAP III), which aims to expand women's leadership in conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.
The plan brings together county governments, community peace structures, civil society organisations, youth groups and development partners to strengthen women's participation in peace and security initiatives.
African Union Representative on Women, Peace and Security Ambassador Liberata Mulamula also called on governments to move beyond symbolic inclusion and ensure women and young people play a meaningful role in shaping decisions that affect their communities and countries.
"The question is no longer whether women and young people should participate. That question was settled long ago. The real question is whether they can influence decisions," Mulamula said.
She observed that women and young people continue to suffer the greatest effects of conflict, including displacement, interrupted education, sexual and gender-based violence, economic exclusion and limited involvement in political processes.
At the same time, she said they remain at the centre of community resilience efforts, dialogue initiatives and reconciliation processes that help communities recover from conflict.
Quoting a Congolese proverb that "a single bracelet does not jingle," Mulamula stressed that sustainable peace required collective action.
"No government, institution, generation or community can build sustainable peace alone. Peace requires women and young people, communities and governments, and regional and international partners to work together with a shared sense of purpose," she said.
Delegates attending the Nairobi meeting are expected to develop recommendations aimed at strengthening conflict prevention, improving coordination among member states, enhancing accountability and increasing the participation of women and young people in peacebuilding and governance across the Great Lakes Region.