A Joint Secretariat of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, (UNECA), recently selected Rwanda to host the first ever African Conference on Peace and State Building owing to its success story on post conflict peace and reconciliation.

A delegation was recently in the country to meet authorities and finalise preparation for the August 20-24 conference.

Diko Jacob Mukete, the AfDB Resident Representative who was also part of the delegation, said that choosing Rwanda as a host was a general thinking among the delegation.

"Rwanda is a not only very good example in terms of post-conflict peace and reconciliation, but also a good example in social economic reconstruction,” Mukete said on phone Wednesday.

"But more importantly, the building of strong institutions to ensure no backsliding,” he added referring to institutions like the judiciary, as well as including "social reforms to empower women.”

The objective of conference is to promote an African-led discourse on peace and state building in Africa within the context of post-conflict reconstruction and development and to inform African policy makers and development practitioners.

Expected outcomes include the development of an African perspective on peace and state building through knowledge generation and experience sharing, assisting in shaping policies and practices of peace and state building processes. The summit also hopes to contribute to various international initiatives on aid effectiveness for Africa, especially in post-conflict situations.

"People are coming here to learn lessons – remember, this is also the AU’s year of peace,” Mukete said.

Earlier this year, the AU declared the Year 2010 the African Year of Peace, reiterating its commitment to further push the peace process in the continent. The month of January marked the beginning of the Year of Peace and Security in Africa.

The AU Commission is committed towards intensifying its efforts in the area of peace and security. It appealed to Governments, people, media and civil society or organizations to re-dedicate to the realization of a conflict-free continent.

The plan of action includes launching new initiatives for the promotion of peace and security in Africa.

Ends