On the invitation of H.E. Kimihiro ISHIKANE, Permanent Representative of Japan at the United Nations and President of the UN Security Council, ECOWAS briefed the Council on the on the political and security development in West Africa and the Sahel region as well as the work of ECOWAS and its cooperation with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
The briefing was made against the backdrop of the deliberations of the Council on the renewal of the mandate of UNOWAS based in Dakar, which is ending in this month of January.
Addressing the Council, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission highlighted some of the challenges confronting the region, such as terrorism, violent extrem-ism and unconstitutional changes of government and their impact on socioeconomic devel-opment of the region. Dr. Touray informed the Council of the commitment of the ECOWAS Au-thority of Heads of State and Government in tackling these challenges including its directives to the Commission to strengthen the zero-tolerance policy towards power obtained or main-tained by unconstitutional means and the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force to fight terrorism and address challenges to constitutional order in the region.
Furthermore, the Commission’s President highlighted efforts of ECOWAS to support transi-tions in the Member States affected by coup d’état and assistance provided to Member States going through elections in the region this year.
On cooperation with UNOWAS, Dr Touray indicated the excellent collaboration ECOWAS en-joys working with the UN through UNOWAS in tackling challenges in the region through inno-vative and creative joint interventions. He urged all partners stay engaged in the region as a whole and in the Sahel in particular.
