Twenty- eighth High-Level Meeting of Heads of UN Peace Missions in West Africa
Final communiqué
1. At the
invitation of Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General for West Africa and Head of the United Nations Office for West
Africa (UNOWA), the Heads of the United Nations Peace Missions in West Africa
held their Twenty- eighth high- level consultation meeting on 11 December 2015
in Abidjan.
2. In
attendance were the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General and
Heads of UN Missions in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Ms. Aïchatou Mindaoudou; in
Liberia (UNMIL), Mr. Farid Zarif; in Mali (MINUSMA), Mr. Mongi Hamdi; in
Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), Mr. Miguel Trovoada; in West Africa (UNOWA), Mr.
Mohamed Ibn Chambas.
3. The
objective of this bi- annual meeting is to review progress in the implementation
of the respective UN mandates in the region, to strengthen coordination in order
to address common challenges in the areas of elections, security, organized
crime and violent extremism, and to examine the prospects for democratic
transitions in the West Africa region.
4. The Heads
of peace missions welcomed the peaceful and transparent electoral processes in
Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea, and expressed the hope
that the upcoming elections in Niger, Benin, Cabo Verde, Ghana and the Gambia
will consolidate democratic processes in these countries. In addition,
participants noted the need for inclusive dialogue in several countries in the
region.
5. The Heads
of peace missions welcomed the maturity of the people of Burkina Faso as
demonstrated during the recent elections, and called upon stakeholders to
persevere with a process of security sector reform and a national reconciliation
process.
6. The Heads
of peace missions welcomed reconciliation initiatives in Cote d'Ivoire and
encouraged ongoing efforts related to social cohesion, the reform of the
security sector, and transitional justice.
7.
Participants noted with concern the continued activities of terrorist groups in
Mali and called for the full and sustained engagement of the signatories and
other stakeholders in support of the implementation of the key provisions of the
Malian Peace Accord.
8. The Heads
of peace missions also noted the continuing need to address root causes of
exclusion and deprivation which contribute to the rise of violent extremism.
9.
Participants welcomed national efforts in the area of decentralization in
Liberia, and expressed hope for greater progress in national reconciliation,
constitutional reform, and resourcing of the ongoing security transition from
UNMIL to the Government of Liberia.
10. The Heads of
mission expressed concern about the absence of a climate of lasting stability in
Guinea- Bissau despite the high expectations that followed the restoration of
constitutional order, and urged political and institutional stakeholders to
engage in dialogue in order to create an enabling environment for the
implementation of the country's development programme.
11. Participants
recognized with satisfaction the success in the fight against the Ebola Virus
Disease and urged for the further strengthening of early warning mechanisms.
Participants also called for the timely implementation of a transparent and
accountable recovery process, and welcomed the commitment of national, regional
and international partners towards this end.
12. The Heads of
peace missions strongly condemned recurring terrorist attacks in the region, in
particular in Mali and around the Lake Chad Basin area. They deplored the
humanitarian consequences of the attacks, and welcomed the increased
collaboration of regional and international actors to effectively address the
security, humanitarian and development challenges of these crises.
13. The Heads of
peace missions agreed to increased cooperation in the area of information
sharing in order to reduce the threat of extremism and terrorism in the region.
14. The Heads of
peace missions expressed their gratitude to SRSG Mindaoudou of UNOCI for the
warm welcome and excellent organization of the meeting.