The sixth meeting of the Heads of United Nations Peace Missions in West Africa was held in Monrovia, Liberia, on 27 October 2005 under the chairmanship of Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa (UNOWA). It was attended by Alan Doss, (UNMIL), Daudi Mwakawago (UNAMSIL) and Pierre Schori (ONUCI), who provided updates on their respective missions.

After observing a minute's silence, the SRSGs expressed their great sorrow over the deaths of ECOWAS officials, including the Deputy Executive Secretary for Peace and Security, General Cheik Oumar Diarra, and others in the recent plane accident in Nigeria.

The SRSGs welcomed the recent holding of free and fair elections in Liberia and hoped that the second round would be held with a similar absence of violence, intimidation and incitement. They stressed the importance of election winners using their legitimacy to ensure accountability to the people of Liberia for the proper use of the country's natural and financial resources.

The SRSGs underlined the need for UN peace missions not to be withdrawn prematurely from countries emerging from crisis. The SRSGs hoped that the progress that has been demonstrated in Sierra Leone and Liberia would soon be emulated in Cote d'Ivoire. They urged the Ivorian parties to implement Security Council Resolution 1633 in order to create the conditions that would permit the holding of free, fair and transparent elections within the coming months. This would help the sub-region, that has been so affected by the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, to make real progress towards security and development.

On Sierra Leone, colleagues praised the exceptionally smooth drawdown of UNAMSIL under the able leadership of Daudi Mwakawago. The SRSGs thanked those states, organizations and individuals who have contributed to the clear success of the mission, and called on the international community to provide steady support to the future UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone, as well as to the Government and people of that country in their continuing peace-building efforts.

Further to recommendations made to them by the Inter-mission Cooperation Working Group which had met the previous day, the SRSGs agreed that contingency planning - incorporating military, political and humanitarian components - should continue for each mission regarding various eventualities that could occur on the borders of their respective

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