The African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS), on 3 June 2026, convened the 9^th African Union Humanitarian Architecture: Law and Policy Training Programme (Livingstone Syllabus) in Lusaka, Zambia, under the theme: “Strengthening Humanitarian Governance and Advancing Protection and Solutions in Africa.”

The Livingstone Syllabus remains one of the African Union’s flagship capacity-building initiatives, designed to strengthen Member States’ understanding and implementation of African and international humanitarian law and policy frameworks. Since its establishment in 2016, the programme has played a significant role in enhancing the capacity of policymakers, practitioners, and humanitarian actors to address forced displacement, protection challenges, and humanitarian crises across the continent.

The 9th Session is being held at a time when Africa continues to face complex and evolving humanitarian challenges driven by conflict, disasters, climate-related shocks, food insecurity, and large-scale displacement. These realities underscore the need for strengthened institutional capacity, effective humanitarian governance, and durable solutions that place affected populations at the centre of humanitarian action. Read more