The Togolese capital, recently consecrated “Capital of Peace, Mediation, Dialogue and Tolerance”, hosts on October 21 and 22, 2023, the first edition of the “Lomé Peace and Security Forum” at the initiative of E.M. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Republic.
The establishment of the “Lome Peace and Security Forum” by Togo is part of the dynamics of African initiatives which meet the need for the continent to work more for the consolidation of peace and the construction of collective security in an environment marked by the emergence of new areas of tension and the complexity of security challenges due to the expansion of the threat of terrorism and current developments of transnational organized crime.
It comes one month after the launch of the African Political Alliance (APA) by the government and the holding of its first ministerial conference on May 3 in Lome during which issues relating, among other things, to the exercise of African leadership on the continent’s problems and in global governance, peace, security and the strengthening of endogenous capacities in the counter-terrorism response were mentioned.
The creation initiative reinforces Togo’s commitment to work, together with the other States of the continent, the regional integration organizations, the African Union, the United Nations and all the other partners, to the preservation of continental peace and stability in a world which is becoming increasingly violent, multipolarized, characterized by antagonisms and unstable.
The first edition of “Lome Peace and Security Forum”, on the theme “How to strengthen transitions towards democratic governance in Africa?” will bring together representatives of African and non-African governments, high-level experts, stakeholders from civil society organizations, academia, the media, international organizations, the business community and professional organizations.
It aims to develop a new prism for understanding and reading political transitions, taking into account the contexts and dynamics of their emergence, as well as the crucial issues and challenges relating to the strengthening of democratic governance in Africa.
The first edition of the Forum will provide an opportunity to discuss, among others, the factors of institutional fragility in Africa, the challenges of building strong institutions, building and strengthening the rule of law, role of regional and international organizations in supporting political transitions, political challenges related to the consolidation of democratic governance in times of transition and those of a security nature faced by the political transitions underway on the continent.
All the work of the Forum of October 21 and 22 will lead to a series of relevant proposals and recommendations geared towards the consolidation of peace, the strengthening of the African security system and democratic governance, the building of institutions and the rule of law and a better understanding of the role of multilateral organizations in monitoring transitions.
For more information on the first edition of “Lome Peace and Security Forum”, please visit the website: www.lpsf.tg .
Issued in Lome, June 15, 2023
