UNOAU 2019-2020 Advancing the WPS Agenda within the UN-AU Partnership UNOAU 2019-2020 Advancing the WPS Agenda within the UN-AU Partnership The United Nations Office to the African Union(UNOAU) has applied to Sida for funding of SEK 3,000,000 to carry out the ‘'Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda within the UN-AU partnership ’ project focusing on Staff, Capacity building and Outreach in UNOAU and the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan (OSESSS). 

The intervention aims at institutionalizing gender-responsive policy making and programming in UN-AU efforts and OSESS by putting in place a designated gender advisor who provides strategic support for integration of gender in all areas of work within UNOAU, AU and OSESSS; This will be accomplished through 1)Providing advisory support and technical assistance to the AU in assessing and strengthening their approach to gender mainstreaming across the conflict management cycle and in the framework of the UN-AU partnership in peace and security 2)Ensuring effective implementation of existing mandates and policies for the promotion of gender equality, women’s rights and prevention of sexual violence in all UNOAU and OSESSS mandated tasks. 

The total budget for the intervention is 3 000 000 SEK  and will be covered exclusively by Sida. Förenta Nationernas representation vid Afrikanska Unionen (United Nations Office to the African Union, hädanefter UNOAU) har ansökt till Sida om finansiering med 3000000 SEK för att genomföra projektet 'Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda within the UN-AU partnership' med fokus på personalresurser dels för kapacitetsuppbyggnad av UNOAU och dels för jämställdhetsintegrering på UNOAU samt Särskilda sändebudets för Sudan och Sydsudan kontor (Office of the Special Envoy to the Sudan and South Sudan, OSESS).

Insatsen syftar till att institutionalisera medvetenhet om jämställdhet i politiskt beslutsfattande och programmering i FN-AU-insatser och OSESS, genom att tillsätta en jämställdhetsrådgivare som tillhandahåller strategiskt stöd för integration av genus på alla arbetsområden inom UNOAU, AU och OSESS. Detta kommer att uppnås genom 

1) Tillhandahållande av rådgivning, stöd och teknisk kapacitet till AU vid bedömning och förstärkning av organisationens metod för jämställdhetsintegrering över konflikthanteringscykeln, och i FN-AU-partnerskapets ramverk för fred och säkerhet 

2) Säkerställa effektiv implementering av befintliga insatser och policy för främjande av jämställdhet, kvinnors rättigheter och förhindrandet av sexuellt våld i alla UNOAU och OSESS insatser.

Den totala budgeten för interventionen är 3 000 000 SEK och kommer uteslutande  att finansieras av Sida. Interventions objectives
The complex and interconnected conflict situations in Africa have necessitated a coordinated engagement of the United Nations and African Union in conflict prevention, management and resolution. The two organizations have signed the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security on 19 April 2017 and the Joint Framework for Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in January 2018 creating an opportunity for more strategic and forward-looking collaborative efforts in conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and peace building.

The United Nations Office to the African Union is considered as a key conduit for facilitating the partnership providing substantive and technical advice to the AU on both long-term capacity-building and short-term operational support and streamline the United Nations Presence in Addis Ababa to be more cost- effective and efficient.

Supporting the AU's efforts to develop policy, guidance and training in the filed of women, peace and security and the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflicts and post-conflict situations, is one area of engagement where UNOAU could play its interlocutory role. However, UNOAU lacks the capacity to fulfill this responsibility due to the absence of a dedicated portfolio in the approved organizational structure for a gender expertise. It has been relying on already committed staff to assume additional tasks as Gender Focal Points.

In the intervention, UNOAU planned to institute a Gender Advisor who will support the integration of gender in all areas of work within UNOAU and OSESSS; help harmonize and streamline UN and AU efforts to institutionalize gender-responsive policy making and programming; increase the equal participation, representation and full involvement of women in preventive diplomacy, mediation and sustaining peace.
Particularly, the Gender Advisor will be focusing on providing advisory and technical support to AU on strategies for gender mainstreaming across the conflict management cycle and in the framework of the UN-AU partnership in peace and security, sharing best practices and lessons learned from the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and other polices and strategies from the Departments of Peace Keeping Operations, Field Support and Department of Political Affairs.

The Gender Advisor will also be working with OSESSS team including expanding the capacity for gender analysis; designing gender-sensitive strategies and action plans; and providing substantive and technical support on the women, peace and security related aspects of the mediation processes supported by OSESSS.

In addition to the strategic advice support to the AU through regular consultations and meetings, the Gender Advisor will be mandated to undertake specific activities aimed at enhancing the capacity of AU to institutionalize gender/responsive programming and policy formulation in peace and security. This includes Assessment of capacity-building needs within the Peace and Security Division embedded in the AU Commission, Development of a mapping of existing UN support to the AU on gender policy making and programming, Develop and implement gender markers and running workshop on gender-related knowledge management.

The initiative is assessed to be in line with the Regional Strategy support area 4 Human Security and Freedom from Violence specifically with result area 4.4 that refers to increased influence and participation by women and young people in processes for peace and reconciliation. It also complements the ongoing support to AU Women, Gender and Development Directorate on gender equality and women empowerment under result area 2.1 which focuses on enhanced capacity of regional actors to work towards strengthened gender equality and increased respect for human rights, with a focus on the rights of women and children.

Hence, some of the specific objective of this intervention are as follows. the general 
(i) Provide advisory support and technical assistance to the AU in assessing and strengthening their approach to gender mainstreaming across the conflict management  cycle and in the framework of the UN-AU partnership in peace and security;

(ii) Ensure effective implementation of existing mandates and policies for the promotion of gender equality, womens rights and prevention of sexual violence in all UNOAU and OSESSS mandated tasks.

 (iii)Collaborate with AU & IGAD to promote Gender, Women, Peace and Security Agenda

(iV) Promote documentation and sharing of Good practices