Concept Note

Introduction

To support sustainable peace and advance implementation of the African Union’s Tripoli Declaration of August 2009, the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University convenes the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa (commonly known as the Tana Forum) annually. The Forum responds to the Declaration’s call for African-led solutions and frames peace and security as a shared intellectual challenge. Over the past decade, it has become a flagship annual platform that brings together eminent personalities, including policymakers, intellectuals, continental stakeholders, and representatives of regional and global organisations.

Since its inception, the Tana Forum has provided an informal, open, and candid space for political leaders and other stakeholders to examine Africa’s most pressing peace and security challenges. This tradition has continued across eleven editions. As the continent faces increasingly complex challenges, the Forum remains an important venue for frank, substantive dialogue on global issues in which Africa has a direct, strategic stake.

The 12th Edition of the Tana Forum, scheduled for 23–25 October 2026 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation”, aims to continue the tradition of candid discussions. High-level policy decision-makers, heads of regional, continental, and global organisations, and thought leaders from across the spectrum are expected to attend the event.

Download the full Tana 2026 Concept Note documents: Concept Note.