The Foundation for Peace Professionals, also known as PeacePro, has urged African governments to strengthen their economic, institutional and security capabilities if the continent is to have greater influence in international affairs.
The group made the call in a statement issued on Friday by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, as African leaders participate in the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
PeacePro said African countries should complement their positions on sovereignty, foreign interference and international law with practical measures that would give those positions greater weight in global negotiations.
The organisation argued that diplomatic statements would have limited impact without the economic resources, legal institutions, intelligence systems and security capabilities needed to support them.
It called for a shift from what it described as “Speech to Action Diplomacy,” under which commitments and positions announced by African leaders at international forums would be followed by measurable actions at national, regional and continental levels.
According to the foundation, African governments should invest more in industrialisation, energy security, technology, financial institutions and intra-African trade to reduce the continent’s dependence on external powers.
PeacePro also urged countries to improve their capacity to finance and sustain African-led security and peace operations, rather than relying heavily on support from outside the continent.
The group stressed that strengthening Africa’s position globally should not mean withdrawing from international partnerships. Instead, it said African countries should continue working with major global powers, including the United States, China, Russia, Europe and India, where such cooperation serves African interests.
It further pointed to the African Union’s Agenda 2063 as an existing framework for building a more integrated and resilient continent, while calling for stronger implementation and measurable outcomes.
PeacePro said African governments should prioritise areas including food and energy security, finance, technology, manufacturing, defence, maritime security, transport, education and intelligence.
The organisation said the effectiveness of Africa’s participation in global affairs should ultimately be reflected in the continent’s ability to implement its decisions and protect its interests, rather than in statements made at international summits.
