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This theme echoes, celebrates and accompanies the Year 2021 of the African Union: "Arts, culture and heritage: Levers for building the Africa we want." It also refers to Aspiration 5 of the Agenda 2063 and to the 2021 International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. This discussion explored recent knowledge on how artistic culture and heritage interact with conflict, reconciliation and efforts to build more peaceful societies. It also highlighted the ways in which artists, creators and heritage practitioners are helping to prevent, mitigate and support recovery from the effects of conflict, inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Forum intended to demonstrate that there is an alternative narrative to that which depicts young people as perpetrators or victims of violence; alternative story highlighting the lived experiences and daily efforts of young women and men engaged as actors of social transformations for conflict prevention and for sustainable development, through various activities and projects at community, national, regional and continental levels.

Despite enormous assets that can create positive conditions for a sustainable culture of peace and prosperity, Africa still maintains a persistent vicious cycle of insecurity, social inequality, and natural and human disasters. This Forum therefore aimed to explore and present the efforts and catalyst initiatives that can fight against inequalities and violence, reduce poverty and prevent conflicts by exploiting the strong strategic potential (in terms of demography and natural resources) of the Africa in building sustainable peace and development.

Africa's coastal and ocean waters occupy three times the land mass and are growing in importance as a potential source of economic growth and jobs for the region. In connection with the African Decade of Seas and Oceans (2015-2025) and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), this fourth Forum offered the opportunity to mobilize stakeholders in the ocean to ensure that Africa harnesses ocean science and research to make the best use of its blue economy potential and prevent potential conflicts.