The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) signed a Letter of Intent on Monday, September 21, establishing a partnership to address violent extremism in fragile and conflict-affected settings across Africa. This significant agreement formalizes a commitment to collaborative action against the drivers of instability. The signing occurred on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the African Union’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York. Ms. Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group, and Mr. Stefano Manservisi, Chair of the GCERF Governing Board, both signed the document, showing the high-level commitment from both organizations. The Letter of Intent establishes a framework for closer cooperation between the two entities, aiming to enhance their collective impact in critical regions.
Linking Prevention and Development
The partnership between the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) intends to connect local communities directly with development finance, investment, and economic opportunities. Both organizations share a perspective that fragility, exclusion, and limited socio-economic prospects can foster environments conducive to violent extremism. This understanding underpins their collaborative approach to addressing the root causes of instability. The initiative seeks to build resilience by integrating community-level prevention efforts with broader development strategies. By focusing on these underlying conditions, the partnership aims to create more stable and prosperous environments, thereby reducing the appeal of extremist ideologies. This strategic alignment of prevention and development is considered key for long-term success.
Organizational Roles and Missions
The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) operates as the sole global fund dedicated to preventing violent extremism. Its strategy involves investing directly in individuals and funding community-centric initiatives. These programs are implemented by civil society organizations, targeting local social, economic, and political factors that drive violent extremism. GCERF works to prevent violent extremism by investing in people, funding community-centric initiatives led by civil society organizations to address the local social, economic, and political drivers of violent extremism. The African Development Bank, meanwhile, functions as a regional multilateral development finance institution. It focuses on contributing to the sustainable economic development and social progress of countries across the African continent. The Bank is committed to strengthening resilience, addressing the drivers of fragility, and supporting sustainable peace and development in transition states and other fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Strategic Aims of Cooperation
The cooperation aims to align community-led prevention efforts directly with development investment. Connecting investment in the prevention of violent extremism with wider development efforts can mitigate the risk of instability. This approach is intended to protect existing development gains and strengthen the sustainability of future development investments. The partnership seeks to integrate these strategies to foster resilience at the community level. By doing so, it aims to create a virtuous cycle where development reduces fragility, and reduced fragility allows for more effective development. This integrated approach ensures that interventions are full and address the multifaceted nature of violent extremism.
Quotes on Partnership Impact
The Letter of Intent signed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) establishes a framework for closer cooperation between the two organizations. This collaboration supports the Bank's objective to strengthen resilience and address the drivers of fragility. The AfDB also supports sustainable peace and development efforts within transition states and other settings affected by fragility and conflict. The partnership represents a shared commitment to fostering stability and promoting sustainable development across Africa, particularly in regions most vulnerable to violent extremism.