Abstract/Summary

Following its departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, the UK is focusing on strengthening its existing bilateral partnership with the African Union (AU). Assisting the AU in implementing its Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda provides one avenue to achieve this aim and supports implementation the UK’s own WPS agenda. Drawing on interviews with representatives from the AU, British diplomats and African in-country experts, Georgina Holmes assesses how the UK engages with the AU to facilitate gender-responsive, people-centred peacekeeping and reflects on how the AU could benefit from continued UK support.