YouSaid · the spoken record

Djinnit

lines on the record: 401
first: 2003-03-18
most recent: 2019-03-26
sittings or episodes: 28
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

“The World Health Organization reports that since February there have been at least 759 infections and 467 deaths related to the disease. It is important that the international community pay due attention and provide support during this epidemic, which is one of many other challenges to stability in the region. Finally, I wish to thank the Council for its continued interest in and support to the efforts aimed at consolidating peace, security and democracy in the West Africa region.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“In that regard, I welcome the African Union's decision to consider the possibility of deploying a task force in the region to address the challenge posed by Boko Haram activities, building on the initial steps taken by the countries of the region. I would like to draw the Council's attention to the fact that West Africa is currently struggling to respond to a deadly pandemic caused by the Ebola virus. The outbreak identified in February in the south-eastern region of Guinea has rapidly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. While significant progress in efforts to contain the outbreak of the disease has been recorded, a relapse has been noted in the past few weeks, with the risk of further spread within the region.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“During my forthcoming visit to Nigeria, as the high-level Representative of the Secretary-General, I and the United Nations country team will review the implementation status of the integrated support package adopted by the United Nations in consultation with the Nigerian authorities, aimed at complementing the efforts to address the Chibok abduction and its related challenges. I will also continue to encourage the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to cooperate and work together as they have undertaken to do within the framework of the implementation of the decisions reached at the Paris Summit and the follow- up ministerial meeting in London.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“As the Chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Commission, I am particularly disturbed by the adverse effects that the insecurity has had on the border demarcation process, which would otherwise have been close to completion. With the growing insecurity in Nigeria's north- east, coupled with increasing political tensions and divisions in the run-up to the 2015 general election, the country is at a crossroads. In my View, therefore, it is critical that Council members continue to lend their support to efforts and initiatives aimed at preserving stability in Nigeria, which in the past few decades has played a prominent role in maintaining regional and global peace and security. The present situation also underscores how vital it is that the Nigerian political class take a unified stand in confronting the persistent insecurity in the country.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“In the context ofthe growing insecurity in the Sahel, the situation in Nigeria remains very worrying. Despite the Nigerian Government's efforts, the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok remain in captivity. I would like to commend the countries that are supporting Nigeria's efforts to locate the girls and obtain their safe release. In the meantime, the level of violence against civilians in Nigeria continues to escalate. That has resulted in significant displacement in the north. It is disheartening to note that within the last two weeks there have been at least 18 attacks attributed to Boko Haram, which have resulted in innocent civilians' tragic deaths and in people's displacement. The Boko Haram crisis is now affecting security in the subregion.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“In that regard, the continued support of the United Nations, through UNOWA and the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, to ECOWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Commission of the Gulf of Guinea in their implementation of the strategic framework adopted at the Yaounde Summit of 25 June 2013 will remain critical in addressing this serious problem. The situation in the Sahel remains alarming, due to a combination of various vulnerabilities related to governance, security, the environment and socioeconomic development. In the wake of the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel, several initiatives have emerged, highlighting the need for coordination and complementarity of effort so that all external actors can work together to help the Sahel.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“The Office has been supporting integrated regional initiatives in West Africa, owing to the fact that the crises occurring there are increasingly regional in nature. In that regard, we have continued to support the implementation of the cross-border security strategy for the Mano River Union, which we helped develop. In working closely with ECOWAS and the Union in implementing that initiative, we are guided by our strong belief that the Mano River Union has the potential to become a beacon of prosperity and stability in West Africa. As outlined in the Secretary-General's report, piracy and criminality at sea in the Gulf of Guinea poses another significant challenge to stability, peace, security and economic development in the region.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“No fewer than five crucial elections will be held in 2015, in Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Guinea, the Niger and Nigeria. The societies they will be held in are often highly polarized, with deep political divides and controversies related to ongoing or potential initiatives aimed at amending constitutional provisions on presidential term limits. The United Nations Office for West Africa will continue to work closely with ECOWAS and other stakeholders to help in efforts to prevent political differences from developing into violent crises and to provide electoral assistance aimed at consolidating democracy in the region. In view of the fragility prevailing there, every effort should be made to ensure that democracy and stability are pursued with equal commitment, since they are mutually reinforcing.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“We at the United Nations Office for West Africa have been devoting considerable energy to sensitizing regional leaders to the need for decisive concerted efforts to fight those serious threats to regional security and stability. The potential for organized criminal networks in the region to recruit unemployed young people is very worrying. It is essential that the countries of West Africa close ranks and establish effective strategic and operational cooperation mechanisms to address the threat, which runs the risk of destabilizing the entire Sahelo-Saharan region, from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans. Their efforts should be strongly backed by the rest of the international community and the United Nations. The region is embarking on a new electoral cycle similar to what was experienced between 2008 and 2010.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“The crisis in Mali, on the other hand, revealed the limits of the region and the continent in responding rapidly to crisis. ECOWAS and the African Union have learned from that experience and are now working to establish mechanisms adequate to a rapid response to such crises. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the resumption of the dialogue process among the parties in Mali, which is the path that can lead to the lasting peace so fervently desired for this important African country. (spoke in English) While the region has been working to promote development and consolidate democracy, it also continues to face the daunting scourge of transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, piracy and criminality at sea, as well as increasing terrorist activity.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“Moreover, in some countries, increased insecurity has resulted in resources being redirected to security priorities, to the detriment of development. With regard to the security situation in particular, ECOWAS and its leaders have continued to play a leading role in resolving crises in the region. Thanks to the commitment of its member States, ECOWAS's efforts in Guinea-Bissau, including the deployment of a stabilization mission, have enabled the transition process to succeed. I commend its successful conclusion and the election of new and legitimate authorities in Guinea-Bissau, which has opened a new chapter in the troubled history of the country, which is working towards a State based on the rule of law and enjoying stable democratic institutions.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“However, the countries of West Africa continue to experience great difficulties in responding to expectations in the social sphere. The encouraging economic growth figures have not necessarily had an impact on the living conditions of the people, who have not always benefited from the dividends of economic progress. There have therefore been delays in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. While progress has been made in reducing extreme poverty in the countries of the region as a whole, the results in terms of access to primary education and reducing hunger have been mixed at best. Women and young people are still the most vulnerable groups and the most severely affected by States' inadequate responses to the many social challenges.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“I have the honour to present the thirteenth report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA), covering the period from 1 January to 30 June 2014 (S/2014/442). Commendable efforts continued during that period to promote development and economic growth and to strengthen peace and democracy at the national and regional levels. On the economic front, with an average of 7 per cent, West Africa continues to record the highest growth on the continent. Moreover, since the last quarter of 2013, following the remarkable progress seen in the stabilization process of Mali and Guinea-Bissau, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has refocused its efforts on promoting the socioeconomic development and integration of the region by underscoring infrastructure, energy and agriculture.”
2014-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7213 (2014) · source
“In that regard, I want to encourage efforts aimed at promoting effective cooperation among the countries of West Africa and the Sahel and between them and international partners, as well as at improving coordination among donors supporting those efforts, and I would like to acknowledge the work of the Group of Eight Plus Group of Experts in that area. (spoke in French) I would like to reiterate the commitment of the United Nations Office for West Africa to contributing to the collective efforts to prevent and combat organized crime and drug trafficking.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage West African civil society to take an active part in efforts aimed at preventing and combating drug trafficking and organized crime, taking a cue from the West African Drugs Commission, established by the Kofi Annan Foundation in January. UNOWA will continue to work closely with UNODC and ECOWAS to advocate for effective regional initiatives and focus the attention of West African leaders and civil society on the threat posed by drug trafficking and organized crime.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“In that regard, I would like to commend the ECOWAS leadership, especially President Alassane Ouattara and Ambassador Kadre Ouedraogo, President of the ECOWAS Commission, for their commitment to enhancing the regional organization's contribution to efforts aimed at preventing and fighting drug trafficking and organized crime, including through the activation of the ECOWAS plan of action on organized crime and illicit drug trafficking and abuse. I also want to commend the European Union and other bilateral donor partners for their support for the implementation process of the plan of action.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“In addition, and in line with its mandate, UNOWA has worked closely with other United Nations entities to provide support to the development of subregional strategies to combat cross-border security threats, including illicit drug trafficking. One example is the mobilization of the Gulf of Guinea countries to work towards a regional strategy on piracy and crime at sea, leading in June to the Yaounde Summit of Central and West African Heads of State and Government. Drug trafficking, as was stressed earlier today, is also the focus of the second goal, that of security, of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“In 2009, in order to support the plan of action's swift implementation, and jointly with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and INTERPOL, we also launched the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI), which so far is responsible for establishing three transnational crime units in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea-Bissau, with concrete results at various levels. The most recent meeting of the WACI policy committee, which I co-chaired with ECOWAS in Abidjan on 29 October, with the participation of Under- Secretary-General Fedotov, showed renewed resolve on the part of Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea to establish their own transnational crime units.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“(spoke in English) Against that background, I am pleased to note that in recent years, mobilization against the threat posed by drug trafficking and organized crime has increased, thanks to the combined efforts of all stakeholders. The United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA), together with UNODC, has supported the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leading to the adoption by ECOWAS in 2008 of a regional plan of action on organized crime and illicit drug rrafficking and abuse, recently extended to the end of 2014.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“For several years now, thanks to its technical expertise, UNODC has tabulated the continued gains that drug trafficking has made in West Africa and the Sahel. When I started my job, in 2008, I discovered the extent of the problem and at the same time realized how poor the level of awareness of it was at the levels both of Government and civil society. At the time, we were concerned about the fact that West Africa was one of the principal transit routes for cocaine travelling from Latin America to Europe. But UNODC was already worried about the risk of increased drug consumption in West Africa. That prediction has unfortunately come true, since, as the Secretary-General just emphasized, drug consumption is now a genuine threat in West Africa.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“I would like to join the Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in welcoming the initiative of the French presidency to hold this meeting devoted to the fight against drug trafficking in the Sahel and West Africa. West Africa, which has made remarkable progress on the road to stabilization since the fratricidal conflicts of the 19905 and the crises that followed, is now dealing with a combination of growing security threats. The various types of transnational organized crime, particularly drug trafficking, maritime piracy and terrorism, are scourges that reinforce one another in an environment of fragile State institutions and splintered societies. In the Sahel, and Mali in particular, the consequences have already been felt.”
2013-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7090 (2013) · source
“Organized crime feeds on weak institutions, widespread corruption and on the impunity that in turn exacerbates the situation. Moreover, West Africa has to confront the risks of instability during electoral procedures. In that regard, West Africa is preparing to cope with a wave of crucial and sensitive elections in the upcoming period. I remain confident that the Council will be well disposed to renewing the UNOWA mandate, particularly given its important role in supporting efforts at conflict- prevention and peacebuilding and thereby promoting an environment conducive to sustainable development in the West African region. Ithank Council members for the sustained attention The President (spoke in French): I now invite they are according to the situation in West Africa.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“In that spirit, at every opportunity we make use of the services of women who have benefited from mediation training organized by our Office in collaboration with UN Women. Despite the praiseworthy efforts made by leaders of West African countries and their people, the region remains fragile and continues to require ongoing support from the international community, especially the United Nations. Many countries in West Africa, including the most powerful, notably Nigeria, have experienced shocks that pose risks and threats to peace, stability and sustainable development. The growing power of organized crime in different forms, which benefits from porous borders and weak national institutions, is, in my view, the most serious menace.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“In that regard, it is important to ensure that the many security initiatives adopted by the various national, regional and international stakeholders are coordinated in order to ensure practical, effective and coordinated action to address this growing threat. The United Nations Office for West Africa has actively pursued its work to involve women in conflict prevention and resolution. In that regard, I am pleased to inform the Council that, in the context of the follow-up to the conclusions of the ministerial meeting organized by the Office in 2010 with the relevant United Nations entities, 12 out of 16 countries of West Africa have adopted action plans on implementing resolution 1325 (2000).”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“I welcome the initiative of the French presidency to devote a meeting ofthe Council to considering the issue of drug trafficking and organized crime in West Africa, thereby demonstrating the Council's unwavering interest in these issues, which pose a genuine threat to stability in the region. With respect to the threat of terrorism, I note that, at a brainstorming session organized by the Office in Dakar in September, United Nations bodies, ECOWAS, the African Union and centres for research and studies associated with that initiative emphasized the need to help the countries of the region and their regional institutions to better understand the causes of terrorism and their vulnerability to it, as well as the factors that are fueling this growing threat.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“I am pleased that the review of the relevant document is now in its final stages. In addition, countries of the region are pursuing their efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime. The updating of the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan to Address the Growing Problem of Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, and Drug Abuse in West Africa has been launched with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, among others. Likewise, the political committee of the West Africa Coast Initiative has endorsed the revised concept focusing its activities on entities fighting transnational crime, which will contribute to strengthening the institutional network combating drug trafficking in West Africa.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“The United Nations Offices in West and Central Africa are working with ECOWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Gulf of Guinea Commission and other partners, including the Group of Eight Plus Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, to ensure follow-up to decisions made at the Yaounde summit. Since the previous report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/384), the Office has pursued its support for the development of regional capacities in security sector reform and national initiatives, in cooperation with such partners as the Department for Peacekeeping Operations, the Peacebuilding Support Office and the United Nations Development Programme. In that respect, we have continued to support the process of developing the ECOWAS Regional Framework on Security Sector Reform and Governance.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“We launched the implemention ofthe strategy by organizing in-depth consultations with civil society organizations from countries of the region in Freetown from 11 to 13 December. Over the next few weeks, I will use my stay in New York to intitiate in-depth consultations with partners on providing support for the implementation process of the strategy, together with ECOWAS and the Mano River Union. Finally, in an attempt to eliminate the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, efforts have been undertaken to implement the strategic framework adopted at the Yaounde summit on 24 and 25 June, particularly by establishing an interregional coordinating centre, which will be based in Cameroon.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“Following a process initiated by the Office, in close cooperation with ECOWAS and the Mano River Union and with the support of United Nations peacekeeping missions in the region, the Heads of State of the Union adopted a strategy for cross-border security in the Mano River Union at an extraordinary session in Dakar on 25 October. I am pleased to pay tribute to the leaders of the region, as well as their ministers and respective experts, for the enthusiasm they have shown and the interest they have brought to bear on that initiative, which is now fully owned by their institutions, namely, ECOWAS and the Mano River Union. I also wish to thank the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs and Security and the Secretary General of the Mano River Union for their commitment and cooperation.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“In the coming weeks, we must strive, under the authority of the Malian presidency and together with the African Union and other organizations, to implement the coordination platform established during the ministerial meeting in Bamako on 5 November. The second area of tension that has required sustained efforts is the Mano River basin. Once again, I am pleased to inform the Council that significant progress has been made in implementing resolutions 2000 (2011), 2062 (2012) and 2066 (2012), calling for the development of a cross-border security strategy in the Mano River area.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“In following up on the Council's request, the Office has established a coordinating mechanism in Dakar for the various United Nations entities implementing the strategy, including the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, and the African Office of the United Nations Development Programme. I am happy to inform the Council that there is now positive momentum within the United Nations system in Dakar, in coordination with all entities concerned, for the coordinated and integrated implementation of the United Nations strategy for the Sahel in the framework of the steering committee led by the Special Representative.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“In order to illustrate that positive development for those pivotal States of West Africa and Central Africa, I note that over the past few years Nigeria has become Cameroon's most important trading partner. The Office has also supported initiatives to address the challenges of regional security in the three fragile zones that have been identified in West Africa. With respect to the Sahel, the recent tour of the Secretary-General to some Sahel countries, accompanied by officials ofthe World Bank, the African Union, the African Development Bank and the European Union, helped to establish greater mobilization for the Sahel and to strengthen the partnerships between States of the region and the international community in the search for sustainable solutions to the multidimensional challenges ofthe Sahel.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“Moreover, significant progress was made in demarcating the border, including placing the markers. In addition, efforts are under way, in cooperation with the United Nations country teams in Cameroon and Nigeria, to promote local development projects that will be benefit the people ofboth countries on either side of their common border and help them reaffirm their long-standing links of solidarity. Above and beyond that significant success for United Nations preventive diplomacy, I welcome the climate of trust and cooperation that gradually emerged between the two States as part of the process of implementing the judgment of the International Court of Justice under the auspices of the United Nations.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“The border demarcation process between Cameroon and Nigeria has continued to benefit from the good offices of the Secretary-General through his Special Representative. In that respect, it is my pleasure to inform the Council that the follow-up process to the Greentree Agreement, signed in June 2006 by Cameroon and Nigeria with the Secretary-General and marked by the ceremony transferring authority over the Bakassi area on 14 August 2008, was successfully concluded. In fact, at the end of the five-year transition period, characterized by a gradual return of trust between the two countries, the heads of delegations of the two parties, Cameroon and Nigeria, and myself signed ajoint declaration on 22 October stating that, as of 14 August 2013, Cameroon exercised its sovereign rights over the entire Bakassi zone.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“I took the opportunity to encourage the Guinean parties to pursue dialogue on the reforms necessary to consolidate their democratic institutions and to work to entrench them in the country's political life, including in the National Assembly. I assured all parties of the ongoing support of the United Nations. I take this opportunity to reiterate my appreciation to the Guinean parties and to the other members of the follow-up committee for their cooperation and support for my role as international facilitator. I also thank the Council, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Department for Political Affairs and the Peacebuilding Support Office for their support for my efforts, in particular through their contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“During the period under review, in addition to initial efforts to support the dialogue that led to the Ouagadougou Agreement between the Government of Mali and rebel groups in the north ofthe country, as well as to support the electoral process in Togo, the Office helped the parties in Guinea to implement the political agreement of 3 July concerning the preparations for the holding ofthe 2013 legislative elections. Those elections were held peacefully on 23 September in conditions deemed suitable in the Guinean context. During my recent visit to Conakry, from 9 to 11 December, the leader of the opposition reiterated to me the decision to have those elected take their seats in the National Assembly. The country's President also informed me of his intention to convene the National Assembly before the holidays at the end of the year.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“West African leaders took advantage of that period of calm in the subregion to relaunch structural development projects and to expand regional integration, in particular on the ocassion of the ECOWAS ordinary summit held in Abuja in July and, especially, during the extrarodary summit held in Dakar on 25 October, which was devoted to economic issues and regional integration. As in the past, the United Nations Office for West Africa focused on carrying out its mandate through actions aimed at preventing conflicts and crises by supporting good offices, mediation and facilitation efforts.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“Having drawn the lessons from the crisis in Mali, West African leaders are determined to establish a regional and continent-wide rapid- reaction force to equip the region with the necessary capacity to respond effectively to regional crises and other common threats. Following long and complicated electoral processes, legislative elections were ultimately held in Togo, Guinea and Mauritania. The decision of the Supreme Court in Ghana to confirm the victory of President John Dramani Mahama brought to an end the post-electoral challenge in that country.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“The efforts to mobilize and the initial actions by ECOWAS to address the crisis in Mali, with the support of the African Union, the United Nations and the entire international community, were followed up by the Organization through the deployment of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. Mali's territorial integrity and constitutional order were restored and, following the election of President Boubacar Keita, the process of dialogue and national reconciliation is now under way - even if major challenges persist with regard to security and stability.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“I have the honour to introduce the twelfth report (S/2013/732) of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa, which covers the period 1 July to 31 December 2013. I have the pleasure to inform the Security Council that, during that period, the region continued to move forward along the path of stability, thanks to the ongoing commitment of the leaders and peoples of the region, especially in the context of the Economic Community of West Arican States (ECOWAS) and other subregional bodies such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Mano River Union.”
2013-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7087 (2013) · source
“In that context, we will continue to encourage the dialogue process as the best way to settle conflicts and differences. We will also continue our efforts to mobilize international partnerships to tackle, through their support of regional and national stakeholders, the underlying causes of instability in the region, and to address the recent transnational threats in a concerted way. West African leaders and their regional institutions, particularly ECOWAS, know that they can continue to rely on the continued attention and support of the United Nations and its Security Council for their efforts to promote lasting peace, stability and development in the subregion.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“In that regard, I am encouraged by the commitment shown by ECOWAS, under the leadership of its Chairman, President Alassane Outtara of Cote d'Ivoire, and the Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, to strengthening their architecture for peace and security, drawing lessons from the challenges that have been encountered in the regional response to the crisis in Mali. My colleagues of the United Nations Office for West Africa and I remain committed to building on the valuable partnership we have created with the other United Nations entities in the subregion, ECOWAS and other continental and regional organizations, including the African Union and the Mano River Union, with the aim of promoting and consolidating peace and stability in West Africa.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“Before concluding, I would like to call the Security Council's attention to the promising confidence-building process that the United Nations has been leading on the issue of demarcating the boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria. Significant progress has been made in the boundary demarcation between the two countries and the follow-up process of the Greentree Agreement on the Bakassi peninsula will soon come to an end. In fact, in September the Greentree Agreement Follow-up Committee should hold its final meeting on the margins of the General Assembly right here in New York, where the Secretary-General and the Presidents of Cameroon and Nigeria launched the process in 2006. West Africa, which more than ever stands at a crossroads in its quest for peace and security, deserves greater attention from the United Nations.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“Moreover, the United Nations Office for West Africa continues to work closely with ECOWAS and the Mano River Union by supporting their efforts to develop regional frameworks aimed at supporting security sector reforms at the regional and national levels. In that regard, I should note that the process of security sector reform in Guinea has been making significant progress, supported by the United Nations and the personal involvement of President Alpha Conde'. I should emphasize here that several other countries in the subregion are also working on security sector reform, particularly Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“The challenge posed by tensions related to elections and the negative impact arising from the lack of governance and regulation of security forces in some countries remain a source of concern in West Africa. Regarding electoral tensions, the United Nations Office for West Africa, together with the relevant country teams, continues to provide assistance through its good offices, aimed at creating conditions conducive to holding calm elections, as in the case of Guinea. In that regard, I should commend the efforts led by Bishop Barrigah in Togo, with the support of the Group of Five, aimed at facilitating a dialogue between the Togolese Government and the opposition in the run-up to the forthcoming legislature elections at the end of the month; in fact, I believe the date has been fixed for 25 July.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“During my visit to Abuja on 10 and 11 June, I stressed how strongly the United Nations condemns the terrorist acts that have been perpetrated in Nigeria and our solidarity with its people and Government. I assured the authorities of the firm commitment and support of the United Nations for Nigeria's unity, stability and sovereignty, and expressed our willingness to increase our support for capacity-building in the areas of counter-terrorism, human rights and the management of disasters and humanitarian emergencies. I also encouraged them to continue to promote regional cooperation in addressing such transnational threats within the framework of existing regional and international counter-terrorism mechanisms.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“The widely condemned terrorist attack of 6 July on a school in Yobe state in Nigeria, which resulted in the deaths of 42 innocent people, including students, at a time when the state of emergency in that region is still in force, clearly demonstrates the terrorist groups' determination to spread terror and despair, and at the same time underscores the complexity of the problem. The avowed synergy between the terrorist groups operating in the subregion calls for concerted, region-wide action in order to deal with this threat. Such action should also address the underlying causes of instability, while, of course, taking into account the human rights aspects.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“In that regard, the ECOWAS summit's recent adoption of a counter-terrorism strategy and renewal of its regional plan of action against drug trafficking and organized crime are unquestionably encouraging developments that must now be translated into concrete action, with the support of the international community. The attacks on several places in Niger on 23 May made by the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, along with the continued activity of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Ansaru, emphasized yet again the complexity of the trans-border challenges posed by extremist groups and terrorist organizations in the subregion. Such groups take advantage of porous borders and the inadequate means and capacities of States in the subregion.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“The United Nations Regional Office for West Africa, which very early on launched efforts to promote a concerted United Nations approach to the Sahel, and which has subsequently played an important part, along with the other United Nations entities, in preparing the Sahel strategy, will naturally assume a share of the responsibility for implementing it. Despite the commendable efforts of the ECOWAS leadership to respond to the challenges posed by transnational threats to peace and security, as manifested in the crises in Mali and Guinea-Bissau, those threats have nonetheless continued to spread through West Africa.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source
“The region has a significant number of vulnerability indicators, including environmental degradation, desertification, food insecurity, arms and drug trafficking and terrorism. That fragility underscores the urgency of the need for an integrated United Nations strategy for the Sahel aimed at complementing the efforts of the countries of the region and regional organizations to address the root causes of instability along the Sahel- Sahara belt and their consequences. That vision emerged clearly in the discussions with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sahel, Mr. Prodi, whom I accompanied on joint visits to various countries in the subregion.”
2013-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6995 (2013) · source