The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) has participated in a high-level technical workshop aimed at validating the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Early Warning Reporting Guidelines and the Conflict Prevention and Response Mechanism (CPRM) Framework, while also retraining the Economic Community Network (ECONET) and the Southern Africa Partnership for Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention (SAPPC) on Early Warning and Organizational Development Index (ODI) portals.
The workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 5 to 11 July 2026, bringing together representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), WANEP, SAPPC, ECONET, technical experts and Amband IT.
The meeting sought to validate the CSO Early Warning Reporting Guidelines and the CPRM Framework, improve interoperability among civil society, regional and continental early warning systems, assess the effectiveness of CSO-led Regional Early Warning Systems (REWS), and strengthen the technical capacity of partner organisations engaged in conflict prevention across Africa.
Participants highlighted the importance of regional civil society early warning systems in complementing, rather than duplicating, the African Union’s Continental Early Warning System (CEWS). They noted that nationally and regionally generated analyses provide valuable context-specific information that enhances continental early warning efforts and supports timely, coordinated responses to emerging conflicts.
During the week-long technical sessions, WANEP led several practical capacity-building activities, including presentations on the WANEP National Early Warning System (NEWS) and the responsibilities of NEWS Managers in conflict monitoring, data collection, analysis, reporting and preventive response. The sessions showcased WANEP’s experience in building effective civil society-led early warning mechanisms and demonstrated the organization’s contribution to regional peace and security initiatives.
WANEP also facilitated practical training on the Organizational Development Index (ODI) portals, enabling participants to effectively manage and utilize the newly developed digital platforms following their transfer to SAPPC and ECONET. The hands-on sessions were designed to enhance institutional efficiency and strengthen the use of technology in conflict prevention and organizational development.
The organization’s participation forms part of its broader engagement under the GIZ-funded Strengthening Multistakeholder Conflict Prevention Architectures in Africa Project, through which WANEP continues to support joint early warning analysis, system development and capacity building across Eastern, Southern and Central Africa.
The workshop concluded with renewed commitments from participating institutions to deepen collaboration, strengthen early warning systems and enhance conflict prevention mechanisms to promote sustainable peace and security across the African continent.
