The Deputy General Secretary of g7+, Mr. Habib Mayar attended the 5th African Resilience Forum held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 3-6 October 2023. Speaking at a plenary session on “Strategic partnerships and effective financing in support of peace transition processes”, he shared a g7+ perspective on countries transitioning from war to peace and the type of international support that can prove effective in accelerating the transition to peace and stability.
The first step and a milestone that countries in war have to achieve is the process of truth and reconciliation to heal the societal, social, and political wounds that often become a source of future conflict if unaddressed. Countries that pursue national processes of dialogue, reconciliation, and inclusive political settlement are comparatively experiencing more stability and peace today.
The international community and in particular donors need to affix their vision on long-term stability and self-reliance rather than project-driven goals while financing transition. They need to help unleash the inheritors potential for resilience that countries have gotten.
He also stressed the need for greater humility on the part of donors. This will enable them to be more context-specific and sensitive to countries’ needs. In addition, this will strengthen national ownership by countries in transition. The g7+ has collective knowledge and experience that can help in reforming the international aid systems to become more agile and adaptable to the contexts.
Using this opportunity, Mr. Mayar held bilateral meetings with partners who were in attendance. H.E. Kenyeh Barlay, Minister of Planning and Economy Development of Sierra Leone and the Chair of g7+ also spoke at a session on Investing in Youth for Peace and Development in the same forum. END