Spotlight: Timely analysis at the AU summit informs peace and security decisions

The ISS helps resolve African human security challenges through cutting-edge research for policy makers.

Published on 17 February 2016 in Impact

The 26th African Union (AU) summit took place Addis Ababa last month amid growing crises on the continent. Behind closed doors, members of the AU and its Peace and Security Council (PSC) deliberated on tough issues and made difficult decisions. 

The Institute Security Studies (ISS) was at the summit, providing authoritative analysis on key issues on the AU’s agenda. ‘Our aim at this year’s summit was to give our stakeholders, including AU policy makers, the information they needed to support informed decisions’, says Stephanie Wolters, Head of the Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis division at the ISS. 

‘From briefing high-level envoys on the latest situation in the Great Lakes region, to hosting a side event on developments in Burundi and the PSC elections, ISS was able to identify trends and communicate these in an accessible way’. In support of this year’s AU summit theme, two cutting-edge reports on army wives and women on the frontline in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were launched on the margins of the summit.

The ISS' coordinated engagement at the AU summit reflects its new strategy

ISS country experts shared on-the-ground experiences to inform state representatives, donor partners, the media and international organisations of developments in Africa’s crisis hotspots, notably Burundi. This engagement included three side events, several one-on-one briefings, over 20 media interviews and more than a dozen topical articles published daily during the summit by ISS Today and the ISS’ PSC Report. Run from the ISS Addis Ababa office, the PSC Report is the only initiative of its kind that provides in-depth analysis of the PSC’s work on a weekly basis.

ISS analysis on peace and security issues discussed at the AU summit is in demand. In addition to briefings provided in Addis Ababa, the social media campaign run during the summit resulted in a 45% higher growth in ISS Twitter followers than the average monthly growth rate. ISS analysis distributed via Twitter recorded more than 111 000 views, with dynamic social media features like infographics and social cards contributing to this success. Articles published by PSC Report recorded above average views during the summit.

The timely research and credible analysis provided by ISS experts informs decision makers and encourages better policy development. The ISS’ coordinated engagement at the AU summit reflects its new strategy – to be at the forefront of efforts to understand and resolve African and global human security challenges.

For more information, contact:

Amelia Broodryk, ISS: +27 82 855 5407, [email protected]