Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) — Within the framework of the 2018 Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in collaboration with United Nations agencies, is organizing a high-level side event on the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel and the United Nations Support Plan for the Sahel (2018-2022). This shall take place in Addis Ababa on May 13, 2018 and will serve as a Joint United Nations intervention to improve security, governance and resilience in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Chad).
This meeting shall be held against the backdrop of a Sahel that has become a geostrategic issue for countries affected by complex cross-border security threats, political and governance crises and climate setbacks, with their impacts on human safety and sustainable development and development partners.
This meeting has as main purpose to raise awareness with government officials and partners on new pathways for United Nations support to the Region. This high-level event will also provide policymakers and other partners with up-to-date information on the Support Plan and other activities to be carried out by the United Nations to support the Sahel. This will also be an unprecedented opportunity to get involved together in reflecting on the economic and social prospects in the Sahel.
According to the Director of the ECA Sub Regional Office for West Africa, Mr. Dimitri Sanga, "Through the organization of this high-level event, we would like to secure the commitment of the ten Sahel member-countries to develop and implement this United Nations Sahel Support Plan".
The high-level event on the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel and the United Nations Support Plan for the Sahel (2018-2022), which is a joint United Nations intervention to improve security, governance and resilience in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Chad) will be attended by the Ministers of Finance, Economic Planning and Industry of Sahel countries; the officials in charge of finance, economic planning and industry; investors; development partners; and representatives from the civil society and the private sector.
For more information, please contact:
Ochozias Gbaguidi, Economic Commission for Africa
Tel.: +22792 19 57 62
Email: ochozias@un.org
ou Tahirou Gouro, Communication Officer, ECA-SRO/WA,
Mob: +227 90 99 99 39,
Email: gouro2@un.org