By Damilola Abiola
The African Union (AU) on Thursday opened a major humanitarian law and policy training programme in Zambia, seeking to strengthen the capacity of African governments and aid agencies as the continent grapples with growing displacement, conflict and climate-related crises.
The 9th African Union Humanitarian Architecture Law and Policy Training Programme, known as the Livingstone Syllabus, was launched in Lusaka under the theme “Strengthening Humanitarian Governance and Advancing Protection and Solutions in Africa.”
Organised by the African Union Commission’s Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, the programme brings together policymakers, humanitarian practitioners and representatives from AU member states to improve understanding of continental and international humanitarian frameworks.
The session comes as Africa faces increasingly complex humanitarian emergencies driven by armed conflicts, natural disasters, food insecurity and climate shocks that have displaced millions of people across the continent.
Since its establishment in 2016, the Livingstone Syllabus has served as one of the AU’s flagship capacity-building initiatives, helping governments and humanitarian actors strengthen responses to forced displacement and protection challenges.
Participants will examine key AU legal instruments, including the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the 2009 Kampala Convention, which provides a framework for the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons.
Discussions are expected to focus on humanitarian governance, refugee protection, statelessness, internal displacement, climate-related migration, humanitarian financing and efforts to operationalise the proposed African Humanitarian Agency.
The programme will also explore ways to strengthen links between humanitarian assistance, development planning and peacebuilding efforts, while promoting the inclusion of displaced populations in national systems and development strategies.
The African Union Commission said the initiative aims to help member states translate continental legal and policy commitments into practical action and improve the effectiveness and predictability of humanitarian responses.
Officials said the forum would also provide an opportunity for peer learning and the exchange of experiences among governments and humanitarian organisations working to address displacement and protection needs across Africa.
The Commission thanked the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for supporting the programme and acknowledged the longstanding partnership of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, in advancing humanitarian protection and durable solutions on the continent.
The AU said strengthening collaboration among governments, regional institutions and humanitarian partners would be critical to building resilient institutions capable of responding to emerging humanitarian challenges and advancing the goals of Agenda 2063, the bloc’s long-term development blueprint.