STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 13, 2024 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the 2024 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development. The agreement aims to deepen the understanding of drivers of fragility and insecurity and promote actions that prevent conflicts and build resilience in Africa.
Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, African Development Bank Vice President, Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, stated, “Our MoU with SIPRI reflects the Bank’s continued strong commitment to enhance its operational effectiveness in fragile settings. We aim to build resilience at scale on the continent and advance the prevention agenda through innovative partnerships across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus.”
The partnership will focus on three main objectives over the next five years:
- Knowledge and capacity building: Deepen knowledge and understanding of the drivers of fragility, conflict, and resilience; channel such knowledge, including best practices and innovations, into policy dialogues and capacity enhancement for the Bank, African member countries, and other humanitarian, development, and peace actors.
- Operational effectiveness: Enhance the Bank’s programming and project design in fragile contexts and conflict-affected states by strengthening the evidence base of the Bank’s interventions.
- Partnerships and resource mobilization: Expand and deepen existing partnerships in line with the strategic objectives of the Bank and SIPRI; mobilize resources through collaboration, including at important international forums.
Dan Smith, Director of SIPRI, said, “With this new MoU, we will be leveraging our respective expertise and resources to contribute to system-wide approaches to tackle the interconnected issues of fragility, conflict, and climate change.”
Yero Baldeh, Director, Transition States Coordination Office at the African Development Bank, added, “The partnership will strengthen the knowledge base, build capacities, inform policy dialogues and mobilize resources.”
The ceremony was prepared by the designated partnership focal points from both organizations, including Sepideh Soltaninia, Head of the Director’s Office & Partnerships Manager at SIPRI, Frederik Teufel, Lead Coordinator, and Jerome Berndt, Principal Fragility and Resilience Officer, of the Transition States Coordination Office at the African Development Bank.
Established in 1966, SIPRI is an independent foundation dedicated to research and activities on security, conflict, and peace. The African Development Bank Group, Africa’s premier development finance institution, comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF), and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).
