Cairo, Egypt – CCCPA hosted the signing ceremony of a new phase of cooperation with the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 14 April 2019. The new agreement marks the fifth phase of the project, “Consolidating Peace, Security and Stability in Africa”, initially launched in 2009. 
 
The ceremony was attended by H.E. Masaki Noke, Ambassador of Japan to the Arab Republic of Egypt; H.E. Ambassador Soha Gendi, Director of the Department of International Cooperation for Development of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms. Randa Aboul-Hosn, UNDP Country Director; and CCCPA Director General Ashraf Swelam.
 
In line with the priorities of the Egyptian Chairmanship of the African Union (AU) and those of the Tokyo International Conference of Africa’s Development (TICAD), the project aims at enhancing African capacities in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as peacekeeping and peacebuilding. It will also contribute to developing and advancing new approaches to combating human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, preventing radicalization and extremism leading to terrorism, and conducting disarmament demobilization and reintegration in asymmetric environments.
 
Ambassador Noke reaffirmed that Japan has been supporting peacekeeping operations centers in 15 African countries through the TICAD process (launched in 1993), and especially CCCPA, by contributing funding and technical expertise since 2008. He stressed that Egypt will play an important role as AU chair at the TICAD 7 (to be held in Japan from 28-30 August 2019), where peace and security will be a key theme, together with economic transformation and improvements through private investment and innovation, and promotion of resilient and sustainable society for human security.
 
In her remarks, Ambassador Gendi expressed her pride in CCCPA's role: “For my first mission as the Director of the Department of International Cooperation for Development of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am happy to start on such a positive note and I am proud of CCCPA’s contribution to peace and security in Africa.”
 
Ms. Aboul-Hosn expressed UNDP’s appreciation of the valuable and longstanding partnership with the Governments of Egypt and Japan, and confirmed UNDP’s "commitment to continue to expand this successful cooperation." She also recognized Egypt’s leading role and commitment to peace and security in Africa, as well as CCCPA's remarkable efforts.
 
On his side, CCCPA Director General Ashraf Swelam conveyed CCCPA’s gratitude and appreciation of the Government of Japan’s continuous cooperation on addressing peace and security challenges in Africa: “Our partnership with the Government of Japan, and the UNDP, since 2008, has been instrumental to advancing the Egyptian-Japanese bilateral relationship and to the advancement of our mutual cooperation in Africa.”
 
CCCPA is an AU Center of excellence in training, capacity building, and research, under the suzerainty of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.