The annual Africa Dialogue Series (ADS) will take place from 20 to 22 May 2020. This year, the event will be conducted virtually in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event occurs on the eve of Africa Day, which is commemorated on 25 May annually, and will bring attention to the most pressing issues affecting the African continent. Currently, Africa, like the rest of the world, is grappling with the #COVID-19 pandemic, while conflict, is a challenge that affects some countries on the continent. It is therefore fitting that this year, the theme for the Africa Dialogue Series is “COVID-19 and Silencing the guns in Africa: Challenges and opportunities.”
As a precursor to this year’s ADS, the following conversation took place with Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, Bience Gawanas and this is what she had to say.
Q. Can you tell us in a nutshell, what is the Africa Dialogue Series?
BG: The Africa Dialogue Series (ADS) is a global platform that focuses on current and emerging African issues and promotes high-level advocacy for Africa’s peace, security and development. As a broad forum for a wide range of stakeholders, including policy and decision makers, researchers and advocacy groups, the ADS will bring together member states, United Nations (UN) entities, international and regional organizations, civil society and academic institutions.
The event is being hosted by the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), in collaboration with the African Union (AU), 缅北禁地Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), 缅北禁地Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), 缅北禁地Department of Peace Operations (DPO), 缅北禁地Department of Global Communications (DGC), and 缅北禁地Women.
Q. What are the priorities that the ADS 2020 is focusing on and why?
BG: As the theme indicates, this year’s ADS has a two-pronged focus, that is COVID-19 and silencing the guns.
The overall goal is to enhance global advocacy in support of the AU Master Roadmap and the 缅北禁地Security Council Resolution 2457 (2019) on Silencing the Guns in Africa, as well as the Secretary-General’s Appeal for a Global Ceasefire, particularly in light of the COVID-19 health crisis.
Those are the key priorities that we will focus on, with the hope of bringing tangible solutions that will move the continent forward as a whole, leaving no one behind.
Q. What is the link between silencing the guns and Covid-19?
BG. At a glance, the two seem unrelated, yet a closer look reveals the pandemic’s potentially disruptive impact. This multi-dimensional crisis, affects health, economies, education and various sectors. It also cuts across geographic region, age, gender, class, ethnicity, religion and other differences that often divide humanity.
For Africa, economic assessments forecast a slowdown in growth from 3.2 per cent to as low as -2.6 per cent due to the crisis. The job loss forecast is nearly 20 million jobs, both in the formal and informal sector. Most workers work in the informal sector and it is estimated that vulnerable employment may increase by 10 per centage points.
The pandemic also has implications for peace, security and human rights on the continent. On-going conflicts in Africa have generated massive displaced populations due to terrorism, active groups of jihadists, community-based militias and bandits, political instability, all intensified by climate change.
Conflict-related forced displacement and weak access to health services due to the instabilities are expected to exacerbate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions to markets and food supply chains, reduced access to farmland and pastures will increase the African population’s vulnerability vis-à-vis the pandemic. The spread of the pandemic has already made it increasingly difficult for security forces, health providers and humanitarian organizations to provide protection to populations in need in parts of the continent.
Similarly, closed schools, reduced access to health centers, limitations to positive political participation and dissent due to cancelation of elections and declarations of states of emergency participation can pose threats to human rights.
About 20 African countries are scheduled to hold elections this year, some of which will be postponed due to the pandemic, with potential detrimental consequences.
Q. It’s very clear now that COVID-19 is a challenge to the African Union’s goal to silencing the guns by 2020, but how can it also be an opportunity? Is it not contradictory?
BG. As the Secretary-General said and I quote: “Our world faces a common enemy: COVID-19”and it’s time to halt conflicts globally to gather forces and increase solidarity among nations.
On 23 March this year, the Secretary-General called for a global ceasefire to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This message was echoed by the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat and it resonates with the AU’s 2020 theme: “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.”
Armed groups in Cameroon, Sudan and South Sudan, have heeded this call and declared unilateral ceasefires. I hope other armed movements in Africa will follow suit, as this will redirect scarce resources from security to the COVID-19 response, strengthening healthcare infrastructure and boosting investments in socio-economic recovery efforts.
In that sense, the pandemic can bring out the best in humanity, what unites us instead of focusing on what divides us.
Q. How will the ADS impact Africa regarding these priorities?
BG: The ADS is a platform that brings together decision makers, policy makers, academics, government representatives and civil society organizations, all of whom are key in transforming Africa. Influencers who make decisions about policies that affect Africa will sit around the table to discuss and propose solutions that can then be implemented. I am therefore optimistic that the outcome of the ADS will influence future decisions by these stakeholders at various levels. This is one step towards the change we want to see in Africa.
Q. What is your message to African leaders?
BG: I must commend African leaders for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the outbreak, Africa acted quickly in solidarity. The AU endorsed a joint continental strategy and appointed four Special Envoys to mobilize international support for Africa’s efforts to address the COVID-19 economic fallout. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) established the Africa COVID-19 Response Fund, together with the public-private AfroChampions initiative to raise financial resources for immediate response needs and support to vulnerable people.
Compared to the worst affected regions of the world, Africa has had a slower rate of COVID-19 transmission and lower mortality rates. However, we should not rest on our laurels, we must remain vigilant and continue to ramp up detection, tracing and containment measures, as well as implement social and fiscal measures aimed at easing the burden of the crisis on people and the business sector.
On the second part of the ADS theme, silencing the guns, we are all aware of the deleterious negative consequences of conflict on the socio-economic development of African countries, who have acted to resolve and prevent conflicts around the continent, pledging in 2013 to “silence the guns” in Africa by 2020. We must not allow this resolve to take a backseat in the face of competing challenges like COVID-19. The 缅北禁地Secretary-General has called for an immediate global ceasefire across the world, including Africa, so we can focus all resources on the common global challenge of containing the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all rally behind this call.
Q. What is your message to the international community regarding these priorities?
BG: I must commend the international community’s support towards Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the crisis, the 缅北禁地has stood by Africa, supporting AU coordination efforts to maximize limited resources and promote evidence-based public health practices.
Africa cannot manage the crisis alone, so we welcome the support of our international partners. Supporting African countries to respond and recover from the pandemic is critical to reversing the ongoing economic and development decline. High debt burdens of most countries and heavy reliance on volatile commodities hampers the continent’s response. International donors’ offer to suspend debt service while welcome, is not enough. More debt relief is needed.
The 缅北禁地Secretary-General has called for debt relief and at least $200 billion for Africa to address immediate needs and recover better. I implore the international community to rally behind this call.
Q. What do you expect from this Africa Dialogue Series?
BG. In summary, I am hoping that this ADS will bring strong recommendations that will not only serve the continent, but the world at large. The virus has taught us this: we are in this together. On the other hand, African governments are acutely aware of the reality that the African Union Agenda 2063 and 缅北禁地2030 Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without silencing the guns.