The Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), in close cooperation with Congolese authorities, successfully conducted a training titled “Enhancing Congolese capacities in responding to peace, security and development risks associated with climate change in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)”. The five-day training program was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from 9 to 13 December 2024.

The training brought together 24 participants from Congolese ministries, it was focused on both the conceptual and practical implications of the climate, peace and development nexus in the DRC. 

Opening the ceremony, Ambassador Seif Kandeel, CCCPA’s Director General (Designate), highlighted the training’s objective of equipping participants with the necessary “skills, tools, and knowledge to understand the multifaceted dimensions of climate change and its impacts on peace and security.” He also emphasized the critical role of partnerships and international cooperation in advancing the climate, peace and security agenda.

Meanwhile, DRC’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gracia Yamba Kazadi, expressed her appreciation for Egypt’s continued support, noting that the training not only reflects the “richness of the partnership” between the two nations but also embodies their bold and shared ambition to develop comprehensive and forward-thinking responses to the challenges posed by climate change on peace and security.  

Ambassador El Mekwad, Egypt’s Ambassador to the DRC, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the training is a testament to the “close and special relations between Egypt and the DRC”, while also an expansion of the bilateral cooperation into areas of mutual interest, such as climate resilience and peacebuilding.

The training program featured in-depth discussions on the different aspects of the climate-security nexus. In addition, the program included a practical, on-the-ground perspective, with expert contributions featuring the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).  A key highlight was an insightful session led by Ambassador Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, the DRC’s chief climate negotiator to the UNFCCC, who outlined the security risks posed by climate change in the DRC and their implications for peace and development. 

This training aligns with ongoing efforts to deepen bilateral relations between Egypt and the DRC. It follows two significant milestones: the visit of DRC’s Foreign Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, to CCCPA during her participation in the Fourth Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development (2-3 July 2024), and the visit of Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration, Dr. Badr Abdelatty to the DRC in November 2024, aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two nations.  

This initiative underscores the critical role of capacity-building programs in addressing global challenges at the intersection of climate resilience, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. By fostering dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, Egypt and the DRC reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing regional stability and prosperity in an era of increased climate impacts.

This training comes as an implementation of the COP27 presidency’s Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CRSP) initiative and the Conclusions of the Fourth Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development. The training course was conducted with the general support of the European Union through the United Nations Development Program.