Publication:

Peace Dividends: A Newsletter of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security

The July 2025 edition of the Peace Dividends Newsletter highlights progress under the Silencing the Guns initiative and the African Union’s Peace and Security agenda. The issue emphasizes the growing importance of sustainable financing for peace operations, celebrating a significant increase in Member States’ contributions to the AU Peace Fund, which has now reached over 70% of the annual target. The AU continues to advocate for predictable, flexible, and sustainable funding from international partners, including the UN, for AU-led peace support operations. The newsletter reports positive developments in AU Peace Support Operations (PSOs), with the African Standby Force (ASF) achieving 80% operational readiness and several successful joint operations with regional economic communities (RECs). The Early Warning System (CEWS) produced more than 50 reports this quarter, triggering preventive diplomacy actions that reduced response time between alerts and Peace and Security Council (PSC) decisions to an average of 14 days — a notable improvement. On Governance & Democracy, three Member States held elections assessed as free and fair, while two faced PSC sanctions for unconstitutional changes of government. Arms control efforts led to the destruction of over 50,000 illicit weapons and increased participation in Amnesty Month campaigns. The newsletter also highlights progress in counterterrorism, with a 10% decline in terrorist incidents year-on-year and new deradicalization programs in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. Efforts to curb illicit financial flows (IFFs) recovered $250M in stolen assets, and more states are aligning anti-money laundering laws with global standards. Socially, displacement numbers declined by 8%, with voluntary returns in several regions. The Women, Peace & Security agenda saw women’s participation in AU peace processes rise to 35%, and youth engagement platforms expanded across five RECs. Emerging threats such as climate-security risks, maritime crime, and cyber incidents remain priorities, with the AU operationalizing its climate change fund and tracking 120 reported cyber incidents in the first half of 2025. Overall, the newsletter portrays a cautiously optimistic trajectory — improved responsiveness, better funding, and strong collaboration among AU, RECs, and partners — but stresses that sustained political will and resources are crucial to achieving a gun-free Africa by 2030.