Integrated Nations Strategy for the Sahel At the Center of a High-Level Event - Com 2018

13 May 2018
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)

Addis Ababa — The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Group Regional Team in Central and West Africa (UNDG) and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), organized this Sunday in Addis Ababa, 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).

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Planning of Niger, President-in-Office of the G5 Sahel Council of Ministers, Ms. KANE Aichatou BOULAMA. Were present at the event, ECA Executive Secretary Vera Songwe, Minister of Economy and Finance of Mauritania, Moctar Ould Diay, Ambassadors of the Sahel member countries accredited to Ethiopia, Special Adviser from the United Nations Secretary-General for the Sahel, Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General for Africa Ms. Bience Gawanas and several other guests.

According to the Minister of Planning of Niger, President-in-Office of the G5 Sahel Council of Ministers, "We have seen in the draft support plan of the United Nations Strategy for the Sahel very positive trends such as the will of the United Nations to respond to the priorities of Sahel and Sahelian countries and to ensure coherence between this support plan and the Priority Investment Program."

For KANE Aichatou Boulama, in fact, "the objectives of the new support plan are in line with the G5 Sahel's strategic objectives, particularly with regard to security, resilience and development."

For his part, the Minister of Economy and Finance of Mauritania, Mr. Moctar Ould Diay affirmed that "the development of this strategy confirms that the international community is understanding the importance of supporting the Sahel to translate its enormous potential into concrete actions of development."

As for the Executive Secretary of ECA, Vera Songwe, after giving an overview of the region and its socio-economic situation, stressed that "Beyond the challenges facing the Sahel, it is important to recognize the strengths of this region on which its future will be built."

"We are here to see how to make this region the engine of economic growth in Africa" she continued before concluding that this event was also aimed at "informing the participants about the work in progress to define with peoples a vision for the Sahel."

According to the Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Sahel, Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, "the United Nations have convened this meeting to listen to States with a view to providing them, in a concerted manner, with the necessary support for the development of the said region."

For Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, "the United Nations aim to support the States in their approach to develop the Sahel by federating the actions of all the actors of development."

For his part, the Director of the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of ECA, Mr. Dimitri Sanga gave a presentation on the socio-economic prospects for the Sahel.

According to Mr. Dimitri Sanga, it will be "to support ongoing efforts in the Sahel for sustainable development and reaching the 2030 and 2063 agendas".

This high-level event, which took place in parallel with the 2018 Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, was aimed primarily at sensitizing government officials and partners on new directions for support in the region from the United Nations.

For more information, please contact: Ochozias Gbaguidi, Economic Commission for Africa

Tél.: +22792 19 57 62

Email: ochozias@un.org or

Tahirou Gouro, Communication Officer, ECA- SRO/WA,

Mob: +227 90 99 99 39, Email: gouro2@un.org

Read the original article on UNECA.

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