The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced a new regional initiative aimed at strengthening trade, investment, livelihoods and economic cooperation across Africa’s Great Lakes region.

The announcement was published on 9 September 2026, ahead of a regional intergovernmental experts’ meeting scheduled for September 10–11 in Nairobi, Kenya. Representatives from Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia are expected to participate.

The initiative, known as Resilient Trade and Socio-Economic Integration as a Pathway to Peace in the Great Lakes Region (REST-GLR), seeks to use economic integration and cross-border trade as tools for strengthening peace, resilience and inclusive development.

UNDP says the programme has been informed by community ground-truthing dialogues conducted along seven regional economic corridors. These consultations are intended to help identify development priorities and challenges affecting communities and businesses operating around major cross-border routes.

The programme will examine several areas, including the development of strategic economic corridors, strengthening local value chains, supporting women and young people, and improving conditions for informal cross-border traders.

Investment and enterprise development are also central to the initiative. Officials and regional partners will consider financing options and opportunities for both public and private investment as part of the upcoming meeting.

The programme brings together several regional organisations, including the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, alongside UNDP.

Another important objective is to improve coordination between national, regional and continental economic frameworks, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Better alignment could help reduce barriers to trade and strengthen economic links between countries.

UNDP says the initiative places particular attention on borderland economies and cross-border systems, where improvements in trade and investment can potentially generate employment and strengthen local livelihoods.

The organisation’s latest announcement reflects a broader development approach in which trade, economic opportunity and regional cooperation are being linked with peacebuilding and resilience.

The Nairobi meeting will focus on reviewing and validating the REST-GLR programme document, including its governance arrangements, financing approaches and investment opportunities.