Cairo is hosting the African Union's 5th Awareness Week on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), on 17-23 November to address the complex challenges facing post-conflict nations. Under the theme Rebuilding Lives after Conflict through Reparative Justice, the event will bring together leaders and experts from across the continent. In a statement on Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi highlighted the intertwined security and development challenges confronting Africa, including internal conflicts, terrorism, transnational crime, humanitarian crises, poverty, and declining education, alongside emerging threats such as climate change and advanced technologies. Despite these hurdles, Sisi said, Africa is endowed with "vast potential, resources, and human capital, and has made significant strides in harnessing these assets to support peace, security, and development across its nations." He stressed the need for solidarity and comprehensive approaches that address the root causes of conflict, stating that "at the heart of these efforts lies post-conflict reconstruction and development, including rehabilitating institutions, supporting national ownership of solutions, building citizen capacities, and ensuring justice for victims of conflicts." The president also praised the African Union Centre for Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development (AUC-PCRD) in Cairo for its work in supporting African nations to recover from conflict, build national capacities, and raise public awareness. He reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to coordinate with AU leaders, the AU Commission, regional stakeholders, and international partners "to respond to the legitimate aspirations of our continent's peoples and achieve the objectives of Africa Agenda 2063." The week's events aim to strengthen policies and initiatives for post-conflict reconstruction, sustainable development, and inclusive growth across the continent. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
