The Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, UN Women and other partners facilitated a technical-level working group meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on 2 and 3 April 2025, to support the inclusion of gender and civil society perspectives in the ongoing regional dialogue process.

Participants included regional women and civil society networks, representatives of the African Union, the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), United Nations (UN) entities including the UN Mediation Support Unit of DPPA (Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs).

The working group, among others, considered the advocacy document prepared by the national taskforce in the DRC with local and regional perspectives. Building on the outcomes of the 2024 Bujumbura and Luanda Women’s Forum, the group agreed to develop a draft roadmap and engagement framework to guide upcoming women’s consultations in support of dialogue and mediation initiatives.

The appointment of a facilitation team for the African-led peace process, consisting of three men and two women leaders, (Her Excellency, Catherine Samba Panza, former President of Central African Republic; and Her Excellency, Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia), presents a strategic opportunity to strengthen the role of women in peace, security and dialogue processes in line with the objectives of the Common Agenda.