YouSaid · the spoken record

Annadif

lines on the record: 160
first: 2013-09-12
most recent: 2022-07-07
sittings or episodes: 12
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“In accordance with our mandate and by constantly putting our good offices and other specific comparative advantages at the service of the subregion, we will continue to work together with our regional and international partners for the consolidation of peace, security and democracy in West Africa and the Sahel.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“I regret that some national Parliaments have even rejected bills aimed at ensuring a more equitable representation of women. More than 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), that is not only an injustice to women, but a threat to our common future. I therefore call on national and international actors to redouble their efforts to ensure that similar laws under deliberation in the Parliaments of the subregion are adopted as a matter of priority, and I urge Governments, citizens and partners to unite in making national and regional action plans a budgetary and strategic priority. On behalf of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, I would like to thank the Council for its continued support and guidance.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“This Council meeting is being held in the wake of the 3 July ECOWAS summit, which reached agreements to end the crisis with the transitional regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso and the relaunching of a promising dialogue with the transitional authorities in Guinea. At this point, I want to express the wish that we seize these opportunities together, building on the efforts made by the peoples and the leaders of West Africa and the Sahel, working with them to make a significant impact that lays the foundations for change towards sustainable development. However, I deplore the fact that women, who make up more than half of the West African population, continue to be grossly underrepresented in governance structures and decision-making processes.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“As part of that process, Nigeria and Cameroon have completed the transfer of sovereignty over the Bakassi peninsula and have finalized agreements for the demarcation of the entire length of their maritime borders and over 2,050 kilometres of their 2,100-kilometre land border, leaving, only 50 kilometres under dispute. The Security Council would do well to solemnly congratulate Nigeria and Cameroon for their commitment, which led to this success. The Mixed Commission will forever remain a concrete model of effective United Nations support for peaceful conflict resolution and peacebuilding.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“The process has benefited from the contributions of more than 10 separate agencies involved in the Sahel, thereby materializing the humanitarian-development- peace nexus. This concept of co-creation has the dual advantage of strengthening the coherence of projects and operationalizing joint programme modalities that reflect the spirit of delivering as One United Nations. We are now preparing to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the creation of UNOWAS in a few weeks, which coincides with that of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, set up in 2002 to implement the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the border dispute between those two great neighbouring and brotherly countries. In that regard, allow me to underscore the colossal work accomplished by the Mixed Commission.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“We are currently finalizing discussions on helping to set up the secretariat of that regional framework and to contribute to capacity-building through the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism. Furthermore, I continue to seek the commitment of international partners to fund the implementation of the 2020-2024 ECOWAS action plan for the eradication of terrorism. UNOWAS will continue to use all its resources to promote cross-cutting and holistic solutions, of which the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel is a key vehicle. Under the active leadership of my colleague Mar Dieye, Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, the Strategy now has a project bank that includes 15 projects from the United Nations country teams of Mali, the Niger, Senegal, the Gambia, Mauritania and Guinea.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“Exacerbated by the international geopolitical context, food prices have risen by between 40 and 60 per cent, putting them out of reach for many poor and displaced households. At the same time, the announced withdrawal of the G-5 Sahel from Mali and the ongoing military redeployments are jeopardizing the security arrangements in the subregion. Meanwhile, some countries, such as the Niger and Burkina Faso, are redefining their respective counter-terrorism strategies, setting up dialogue and reconciliation mechanisms at the national and local levels. At the regional level, together with ECOWAS and other partners, I continue to advocate for the Accra Initiative to forestall and prevent the much-feared spread of instability to coastal countries.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“Civilians are caught in the crossfire of armed groups fighting for supremacy in their respective areas, as well as in the counter-terrorism actions of national defence and security forces. The reports that we are all receiving of massacres of innocent and unarmed civilians, including women and children, reflect the tragedy that is currently unfolding in that part of the world. As we know, the impact on the humanitarian situation is very marked. Recent expert reports indicate that West Africa is facing an unprecedented nutrition crisis. In the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) countries, 12.7 million people are food insecure, that is, 45 per cent more than at the same time last year. Last year’s lack of rainfall reduced food production by an average of 11 per cent in the Sahel.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“According to recent reports, press freedom has declined significantly in many countries, while there are increasing concerns about a shrinking civic and political space. The allegations of human rights violations and the manipulation of the judicial system have an undermining effect on trust in institutions and the credibility of electoral processes. Despite their stated priorities, the military authorities seem to be reluctant to reverse the deteriorating security situation. Recent statistics reveal that the number of civilian casualties from extremist violence in the central Sahel at the end of May already exceeded the number of deaths in the whole of last year.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“At the subregional level, we are assisting partners to adapt mechanisms and normative frameworks to the current requirements. In that regard, I am pleased to report on the progress made in establishing a regional platform of Ministers of Justice of ECOWAS members, which is in the process of being formally adopted by the ECOWAS Heads of State. Similarly, through those various channels of engagement, UNOWAS continues to encourage the ongoing process of revising the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, initiated by the Heads of State of the Community. Such initiatives, among others, provide encouragement to address the relevant governance concerns.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“In Burkina Faso, our ongoing dialogue has contributed greatly to maintaining bridges between the authorities in Ouagadougou and ECOWAS. In that regard, we should welcome the agreement reached between the transitional Government of Burkina Faso and President Mahamadou Issoufou, ECOWAS Mediator, which was endorsed by the ECOWAS summit on 3 July, setting the transition period at 24 months from 1 July 2022. I am also pleased that the transitional authorities in Guinea, with whom I met last week during a visit to Conakry, have reaffirmed their willingness to maintain the talks with ECOWAS and to hold an inclusive dialogue. I hope that the ECOWAS appointment of a new mediator for Guinea will allow a consensus to be reached that is acceptable to all stakeholders.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“I have just returned from Nigeria, where I particularly had discussions with the leaders of the two main coalitions in the presidential election race, as well as the officials of the Electoral Commission. In Sierra Leone, in close consultation with ECOWAS, our joint involvement has helped to reduce political tensions ahead of the June 2023 presidential election. I have personally maintained contact with the leaders of the military transitions, particularly in Burkina Faso and Guinea, based on the clear principle of a return to constitutional order within the most acceptable time frame possible and in the context of specific actions to be undertaken to achieve that in the best possible conditions for the people.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“In Nigeria, where the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is completing his second and final term in office, the various stages of the electoral process for the 2023 polls are proceeding in accordance with the timetable set and agreed by all national stakeholders. I am also very encouraged by the contents of the Gambian Government’s white paper, which endorsed almost all the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. If the trend continues, as we are mindful of the stagnation of similar processes elsewhere in the region, that will go a long way towards national harmony, thereby allowing the Gambia to focus effectively on development challenges. UNOWAS, as well as the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in the subregion, continue to support those important processes.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“In exemplary polls, organized by electoral management bodies trusted by the citizens, Gambian voters sent a message to strengthen the opposition in Parliament after unambiguously giving President Adama Barrow a second term four months earlier. In many cities and towns in Senegal, in the first direct local elections, young candidates were easily elected as mayors, in some cases even replacing the candidates of the ruling coalition. In addition, dialogue processes are under way in several countries, thereby building political consensuses, which provide opportunities to strengthen social cohesion.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“That necessarily requires democratic and accountable governance, including the establishment of decentralized Administrations that deliver solutions to the daily lives of the population, while respecting a social contract of participation and mutual obligations between the Government and the citizens. In fact, several West African countries are successfully strengthening the foundations of democratic governance. In the recent local and legislative elections in Senegal and the Gambia, citizens maturely took the opportunity in what they considered to be fair processes to hold their representatives in power to account.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“As in other parts of the globe, climate change amplifies and exacerbates the existing conflicts, in an environment already vulnerable to other shocks. It is no longer a secret to anyone that, in many parts of the Sahel in particular, extremist and criminal groups exploit such weaknesses, exacerbated by State structures that are often inadequate. Their promises to be providers of protection and social justice often find fertile ground among vulnerable populations. Today the southward spread of extremist violence has grown from isolated incidents to a genuine threat in coastal countries, leading countries such as Togo to declare a state of emergency in the north of its territory. There is no magic formula for effectively combating insecurity.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“My message today is hopeful, but it also reflects the concerns and the urgency of the moment. At the beginning of April in Dakar, along with the Governments of Ireland and Ghana and in cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), UNOWAS organized a regional conference on the various effects of climate change on peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel, a conference that brought together representatives of several Governments, regional organizations, experts and technical and financial partners. On that occasion, representatives of rural communities shared daily experiences about the devastation caused to agriculture by the increasing irregularity of the rains, affecting transhumance routes and triggering conflicts over dwindling resources.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“I am honoured to be here today to present the latest report (S/2022/521) of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). I would first like to extend my congratulations to you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. The subregion of West Africa and Sahel continues to evolve at different rhythms: on the one hand, there are citizens who freely exercise their right to choose their leaders and, on the other, there are military who increasingly seek to dominate the political space. National dialogues are under way in many countries to consolidate democratic governance, at a time when, in large parts of the Sahel, men and women are fleeing their land because of insecurity and to ensure the education of their children.”
2022-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9086 (2022) · source
“Although more than 50 per cent of voters in the subregion are women, their meaningful presence in decision-making bodies has been slow to materialize, while, however, it must be acknowledged that several countries have adopted anti-discrimination legislation for elected positions, including through quota and parity laws. In the same regard, most countries in the region currently have national action plans for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). However, members will agree with me that, 21 years after the Council’s adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), greater political will, reflected among other things in the financing of those action plans from national budgets, is needed more than ever.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“As part of our new vision for UNOWAS, I intend to work much more closely with the United Nations system country teams in the 16 countries covered by UNOWAS to align our respective actions with the key priorities on which the United Nations interests are centred. Together by applying our comparative advantages, while at the same time being guided by the same goal, we must act to strengthen the virtuous circle of good governance, security, peace and development. In that regard, I commend the vital work of the Peacebuilding Commission, which is effectively helping many countries in post-conflict situations in the subregion. We must be even more determined in the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda and the youth, peace and security agenda.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Once it is put in place and operational, the regional ministerial platform should contribute significantly to garnering the needed political will to, inter alia, strengthen the capacity of judicial systems. Nowhere is the need for a long-term approach more evident than with regard to climate change. Let me commend the leadership of the Secretary-General concerning what is an issue of the utmost importance. At UNOWAS, we have established a regional inter-agency working group that has produced a joint analysis in response to the recommendations of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. In addition, in a few weeks’ time, together with the Government of Ireland, we will hold a major conference to launch concrete initiatives, with the participation of experts and institutions actively engaged in this increasingly crucial area.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“The United Nations-initiated social cohesion projects to facilitate peaceful and inclusive transitions in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and the Niger are in keeping with that goal. The projects are geared towards promoting reconciliation processes at the national and community levels, based on points of view and strengthening local infrastructure to foster peace, human rights and coexistence. Another example of the initiatives that UNOWAS intends to pursue with resolve in 2022 is our collaboration with regional partners to facilitate the establishment of a forum of Ministers of Justice and judicial experts in West Africa as the appropriate mechanism to address the perennial challenges that have so far undermined the rule of law and respect for human rights in the region.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“The resurgence of coups d’état, particularly in West Africa, is frequently due to political practices that are completely out of step with the aspirations of the people. In that context, ECOWAS is to be commended for its active engagement in the crises in Mali and Guinea. UNOWAS firmly supports those efforts to enable a return to constitutional order as soon as possible. We also welcome the decision by the ECOWAS Heads of State to revise Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance Supplementary to the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security in order to arrive at constitutional modifications that address term limits and other governance matters.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Furthermore, in order to strengthen coherence and coordination, UNOWAS is supporting efforts to revitalize the Ministerial Coordination Platform of the Sahel Strategy to improve participation by Member States, regional institutions and civil society organizations. In addition, the 2022-2023 road map of the Strategy, which is in the process of being finalized, should encompass actions adapting our interventions in the Sahel in the post-COVID-19 era. A few weeks ago, in collaboration with UNODC — whose participation here I commend — UNOWAS brought together the defence attachés and ambassadors based in Dakar to further explore the operational links between the crime hotbeds in the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea coast.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Emphasis is now being placed on the centrality of the Strategy and its Support Plan as a common chapter of the United Nations system to guide the various strategic frameworks. In that regard, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators of the United Nations system should commit to making the Strategy a guiding strategic platform for United Nations cooperation frameworks and humanitarian response programmes in the Sahel, integrating the Nexus Plus approach into all their interventions. Efforts to align Strategy with national and regional policies in the Sahel will be pursued in close collaboration with our partners in the G-5 Sahel, the Liptako-Gourma Authority and the Lake Chad Basin Commission, while making greater use of prospective analyses.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Four weeks ago in Dakar, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) organized a conference of traditional and religious leaders from across the region, including women elders from Liptako-Gourma and north-eastern Nigeria. During two days of exchanges, in-depth discussions examined how best to leverage their influence at local, national and regional levels in order to enhance the contribution of communities to the resolution of these crises, which hamper their development. The operationalization of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel continues in collaboration with Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, and his Office.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“We also commend the courage and determination of the uniformed men and women facing this complex situation, characterized by an asymmetric war that has not yet revealed all its secrets and whose main victims are the civilian populations, who must be part of the solution. Discussion platforms such as the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development and the Governors’ Forum of the Liptako-Gourma border regions have proven effective in bringing together directly affected stakeholders at Government, civil society and community levels in order to exchange views and find solutions to their specific needs.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“The result is that millions of children are growing up in difficult conditions, traumatized, malnourished, poorly cared for and uneducated. I urge the international community to recognize the urgency of this situation, which undermines the future of the populations and whose consequences could be felt well beyond the subregion. We welcome the latest joint operations between Burkina Faso and the Niger, on the one hand, and among Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin, on the other, as well as the work of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad basin and of the Joint Force of the G-5 Sahel.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“One of the major consequences of these security developments is that our region is experiencing a multifaceted humanitarian crisis, characterized by rising food prices, increased poverty due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and crop losses due to drought. More than 38 million people are at risk of food shortages by the next lean season, an increase of 23 per cent compared to last year. Growing insecurity has led to massive population displacement and abandonment of agricultural land by millions of displaced people. By November 2021, there were more than 8 million refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees and stateless people in West Africa, and 4.1 million in the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) countries.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“In Burkina Faso, incessant attacks by terrorist groups have led to growing public disenchantment with the State’s difficulty in reversing the deadly trend and have undermined the country’s legendary consensus. Large-scale attacks on military and civilian targets continued in Mali, Burkina Faso and the Niger. In Nigeria, increased criminality and farmer- herder conflicts diverted attention from the extremist violence in the north-east, which has not subsided. Other incidents, albeit small, in northern Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Togo demonstrate that the much-publicized threat of terrorist acts moving from the Sahel towards the coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea is a reality.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Dialogue is also productive in the Niger, where the opposition and the majority continue to discuss issues, thereby contributing to political calm in a very volatile context. In Guinea-Bissau, in coordination with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), we are in constant contact with the political actors in order to facilitate agreement on much-needed reforms. In Sierra Leone and elsewhere, I am engaged with stakeholders in order to help them bridge differences and move forward on issues of national interest. While there is reason to celebrate this political progress, the security environment has also become more concerning.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“A few weeks earlier, in an exemplary presidential election in Cabo Verde, Cabo Verdeans chose an opposition candidate who pledged to cooperate constructively with the Government majority in Parliament. Despite all the justified concerns about the current turbulence in democratic governance, these examples confirm the appeal of democracy as the most reliable vehicle for shaping the future of communities within a republic. The forthcoming local elections in Senegal in some 10 days are of great interest, as mayors will be elected by direct universal suffrage for the first time, as a result of the consensual amendment of the electoral code after a broad political dialogue.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Those achievements are examples of successful conflict resolution, demonstrating in concrete terms how the peaceful resolution of border disputes can build trust and bilateral cooperation between two neighbouring countries. We commend Nigeria and Cameroon and proudly acknowledge that our common determination has brought us closer to fulfilling our mandate. On 4 December, together with five former African Heads of State leading election observation missions, I witnessed first-hand the enthusiasm and discipline with which a record 89 per cent of Gambian voters cast their ballots freely in the presidential elections, overseen by an electoral commission that built trust with political parties, candidates and voters, making the elections a resounding success.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“However, the subregion is struggling with a generalized insecurity, which risks reversing hard-won advances. Last November, I had the privilege of chairing a session of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission in charge of the implementation of the International Court of Justice ruling on the border dispute between the two countries, after a seven-year hiatus. This was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made since the Commission was created 19 years ago. As of today, the two countries have agreed on nearly 2,050 kilometres of the estimated 2,100-kilometre border, leaving very few points of disagreement. The construction of boundary pillars, physical symbols of the demarcation, has also continued despite the prevailing insecurity. To date, 1,673 boundary pillars have been built, which represents more than 60 per cent of the project.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“Madam President, allow me first of all to congratulate you on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of January. At the same time, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to congratulate the new members of the Council, namely, Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates, as well as to welcome the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to today’s meeting. It is a pleasure and an honour for me to present the latest report of the Secretary-General on the situation in West Africa and the Sahel (S/2021/1091) to the Security Council today. Since our meeting last July (see S/PV.8814), the subregion has experienced developments that require the attention of the Council. It is certain that West Africa and the Sahel continue to make progress in many areas.”
2022-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8944 (2022) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to commend the constant support of the members of the Security Council for the implementation of the UNOWAS mandate, as well as to reiterate our commitment to continuing to support national and regional actors in strengthening peace and stability in West Africa and the Sahel.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“With the objective to promote United Nations synergy and a harmonized approach to working with ECOWAS, the working group will contribute to linkage of local efforts with national and regional policy development. (spoke in French) On another topic, we note that on the whole, West Africa and the Sahel have resisted the coronavirus disease pandemic rather well, thanks to concerted efforts at the national and regional levels. The United Nations and bilateral and multilateral partners must continue to encourage and support countries and not relax their efforts, as the pandemic continues to affect the security and socioeconomic situation of populations.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“In the face of persistent farmer-herder conflicts across the region, UNOWAS continues to co-chair a United Nations regional working group on farmer- herder issues and conflict prevention. As follow-up to the decision of the executive committee of the Secretary- General on farmer-herder dynamics in West Africa and Central Africa, UNOWAS is collaborating with the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa and the Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, my brother Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, to identify priority areas for scaled-up United Nations action this year. Considering the importance and urgency of addressing climate insecurity, UNOWAS, together with some United Nations agencies, launched a United Nations regional working group on climate change, security, environment and development.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“With regard to the issue of women, we note with satisfaction the positive dynamics under way with regard to the representation of women and young people in decision-making bodies, and hope that these efforts will continue. In this regard, progress in national legislation, such as laws on quotas or on parity, is encouraging. (spoke in English) The United Nations system is fully mobilized to ensure that development aid efficiently reaches the people of the Sahel through inclusive, sustainable and people-centred responses. We have increased the empowerment of women and girls and the promotion of gender equality, notably through the recently established Group of Friends of Women in the Sahel. We have also transformed our approach to engaging with young people as agents of change and transformation, and not only as beneficiaries.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“The challenges linked to the electoral processes are mainly the consequence of a lack of political dialogue and above all the lack of consensus on the fundamental principles of the various elections. In this regard, and in coordination with the ECOWAS Commission, UNOWAS is striving to improve exchanges between ministers of justice, judicial cooperation and the sharing of experiences among the main actors responsible for promoting the rule of law in the region, in accordance with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. In this regard, the prospects for the forthcoming elections in Cabo Verde and in The Gambia are looking more auspicious.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“The security challenges created by terrorist acts in the Liptako-Gourma region and the Lake Chad basin, as well as by crime along the coasts of the Gulf of Guinea, must be addressed from a regional perspective because the risks of a confluence between the threat coming from the sea and that coming from the Sahel are real, and the main victims are the civilian populations. The Accra initiative, which brings together Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo, is a laudable example of anticipation of the regional approach. In addition, there has been a marked improvement in the coordination between the ECOWAS action plan, the regional stabilization strategy for the Lake Chad basin and the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, in order to consolidate this comprehensive approach and long-term stabilization.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“That tour, which I am about to conclude, allowed me to collect their candid opinions and suggestions on how we should work together to contribute to peace and development in the subregion. Throughout these visits, I also met a range of national interlocutors, as well as international partners and United Nations country teams, to discuss the same challenges. All interlocutors reaffirmed their continued commitment to working closely with UNOWAS, which is ready to coordinate its activities with regional and subregional organizations, in particular the African Union, ECOWAS, the Group of Five for the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea Commission.”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“It is an honour and a pleasure for me to be here before the Council today to present the latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2021/612), on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), whose activities I have been leading for almost two months. The report is structured around the main challenges facing the countries of the subregion, in particular security challenges, challenges related to electoral processes, challenges linked to the representation of women and young people in decision-making bodies, and challenges linked to climate change. As soon as I took office, I undertook a regional tour during which I have been able to meet with most of the Heads of State of country members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).”
2021-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8814 (2021) · source
“Indeed, the holding credible elections that can lead to a return to constitutional order depends on political, institutional, electoral and administrative reforms as set out in the transition charter. From this point of view, the transition constitutes an opportunity for Malian women and men to bring their country from this infernal cycle punctuated by a regular succession of coups d’état. The United Nations must also seize this opportunity to continue supporting and assisting throughout this important phase for a way out of the crisis in Mali, in coordination with the entire international community, in particular the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. The success of the transition is therefore within reach. The ball remains in the court of Malian women and men. They must mount a surge at the national level.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source
“However, MINUSMA, as well as the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations, remained committed throughout this period and continued their activities, including support for the strategy for the stabilization of central Mali. Similarly, as part of its adaptation plan, MINUSMA has continued its patrols and the installation of its temporary bases in the interest of protecting civilians and supporting the Malian security and defence forces. This is how Operation Seka facilitated the return of Malian armed forces to Labbezanga, in the Gao region bordering the Republic of the Niger. With the formation of the new Government and the lifting of sanctions, we can now hope for the swift establishment of the national transitional council, which will serve as the legislative body throughout the 18-month transitional period.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source
“Thanks to this trust, the Peace Agreement is included in the preamble to the charter, and its implementation is enshrined as one of the Government’s tasks. Therefore, it is with genuine relief that the people of Mali and neighbouring countries, including ourselves, have welcomed the lifting of the ECOWAS sanctions following the statement of the interim President on 5 October. As members will have noted, the year 2020 in Mali has been marked by much tumult and political uncertainties. The country was without a Government for more than four months, and the challenges have multiplied, particularly with the coronavirus disease pandemic and its socioeconomic impact. This situation has also led to a considerable delay in the implementation of the Peace Agreement and has aggravated the humanitarian crisis, which was already latent.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source
“The Government, which was formed on 5 October, is made up of 25 members, in accordance with the recommendations of the inclusive national dialogue, of which four are women — equivalent to 16 per cent of the Government, unfortunately far below the 30 per cent quota required by law — and 21 are men, including four members of the military. I am pleased to report to the Council that it is the first time since the signing of the Agreement, in June 2015, that the signatory movements have officially entered the Government in Mali. This progress is highly symbolic and significant. It is the result of the openness of the new authorities and signatory movements, who were encouraged by our good offices in order to build trust.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source
“Those priorities include, first, strengthening the capacities of the Malian Defence and Security Forces in terms of equipment and training. The second priority is the fight against impunity, which he expressed with the now famous phrase: “I cannot guarantee that there will be zero corruption, but I commit to ensuring that there is zero impunity.” The third priority is to organize free and transparent elections, which will be key to the return to constitutional order in the country. The fourth priority is the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, which resulted from the Algiers process.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source
“As provided for in the charter, a President of the Transition has been appointed in the person of Bah N’Daou, a retired Colonel Major and former Minister of Defence. The head of the junta, Colonel Assimi Goïta, has was appointed Vice-President of the Transition in charge of defence and security. Both were sworn in on 25 August before the Supreme Court. A Prime Minister was appointed on 27 September by the President of the Transition in the person of Moctar Ouane, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, in accordance with the transition charter. (spoke in French) In his speech on the occasion of his swearing in, on 25 September, President Bah N’Daw listed a number of priorities that he hoped to would be achieved during the transition, which he hopes will be smooth.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source
“It was in this context of deadlock that the mutiny of 18 August led to the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The coup de force was condemned by the entire international community, including the Secretary-General and the Security Council. In addition to condemning this unconstitutional change, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided to suspend Mali from all of its institutions and declared sanctions, including the closure of borders, an air embargo and the suspension of financial transactions until a civil transition were put in place. Since then, days of national consultations were organized from 10 to 12 September and led to the adoption of a transition charter, which complements the current Constitution.”
2020-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8765 (2020) · source