In his report, the Secretary-General captures a mixed picture of West Africa. He notes that despite the appreciable progress towards democratic and peace consolidation in some countries, the sub-region remains vulnerable to the recurrence of violence and instability. He says: "Some conflicts show little sign of abating, and child combatants and mercenaries are still used, small arms and light weapons continue to proliferate, impunity is prevalent for the perpetrators of human rights abuses, including against women, youth unemployment is soaring, corruption is pervasive, rural exodus and demographic trends, in particular the explosive growth of the largest cities, undermine prospects for per capita growth, and HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases continue to spread in many countries."