I wish to refer to an exchange of letters between my predecessor and the President of the Security Council in November 2001 (S/2001/1128 and S/2001/1129) relating to the establishment of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA). I also wish to refer to an exchange of letters between my predecessor and the President of the Security Council in October 2004 (S/2004/797 and S/2004/858) relating to the extension of the mandate of UNOWA for three years, from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007, subject to a mid-term review. In that connection, it would be recalled that on 18 May 2007, I transmitted to the Council a mid-term review of the activities and performance of UNOWA prepared by an independent consultant from September 2006 to November 2006 (S/2007/294, annex).
The importance of the work of UNOWA has been acknowledged on several occasions, including in the Security Council presidential statement adopted on 25 February 2005 (S/PRST/2005/9), following the Council's debate on the progress report of the Secretary-General on ways to combat subregional problems in West Africa (S/2005/86). The Council noted with appreciation the enhanced cooperation among the various United Nations political and peacekeeping missions in the subregion, and encouraged UNOWA to promote an integrated and joint subregional approach to conflict prevention. Furthermore, in its presidential statement of 9 August 2006 (S/PRST/2006/38), the Council emphasized the regional dimension of peace and security in West Africa, and encouraged the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the United Nations missions in the region to continue their efforts in coordinating United Nations activities to ensure their improved cohesion and maximum efficiency. On 13 March 2007, I submitted to the Security Council, at its request, a report on cross-border issues in West Africa (S/2007/143), with recommendations for enhancing United Nations interinstitutional cooperation in the region on these issues.
UNOWA has continued to increase awareness of and to facilitate concerted and integrated action on key subregional challenges, which the Security Council and the Secretariat consider to be among the root causes of instability in West Africa. The Office has helped formulate recommendations and strategies on how best to address those issues, notably through national and cross-border collaboration among United Nations entities in the subregion, including United Nations political and peacekeeping missions as well as governmental and non-governmental actors.
Concerning collaboration among United Nations peace missions in the subregion, as recommended by the Security Council in its presidential statement of 25 May 2004 (S/PRST/2004/17) and underscored in my predecessor's report of 2 March 2005 on inter-mission cooperation (S/2005/135), my Special Representative for West Africa continues to convene quarterly meetings between the heads of the various political and peacekeeping missions in West Africa. Those meetings have been instrumental for the sharing of information and perspectives on political developments in the respective mission areas and their regional impact on peace, security and stability. In addition, UNOWA continues to facilitate intermission cooperation at the military level through regular meetings of United Nations force commanders and military advisers, as well as at the expert level regular meetings of officers in charge of human rights, humanitarian, gender issues and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Furthermore, UNOWA seeks to enhance synergy and complementarity with United Nations missions in the sharing of assets, notably with a view to maximizing the use of United Nations resources. In this context, the Office shares air assets with other United Nations operations and agencies in the subregion and collaborates with United Nations specialized agencies on integrated cross-border strategies and joint activities, often with the involvement of civil society organizations, as appropriate.
During its current mandate, UNOWA has continued to strengthen its cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as defined in a joint workplan covering good offices and participation in joint highlevel missions (most recently during the January 2007 developments in Guinea); regular meetings between the focal points of both institutions; working group meetings; activities in the field; and cooperation through the UNOWA/ECOWAS/ European Union troika framework and the International Contact Groups for the Mano River Basin and on Guinea-Bissau. In the context of its work on integrated strategies for border areas, the Office contributed to the implementation of the ECOWAS initiative on borders as zones of peace and has helped raise awareness on the following four security challenges in West Africa, and the related international response: irregular migration; security threats and illicit trafficking and piracy; the use and effectiveness of sanctions; and the consequences of rapid urbanization.
As highlighted in the recent report on the mid-term review of the work of UNOWA (S/2007/294), efforts aimed at promoting an integrated subregional approach to the complex peace and security challenges facing West Africa require long-term sustained interaction between regional States and institutions and their international partners, including the United Nations system. Much progress has been made but even more remains to be done to build on the momentum and to make the progress irreversible.
In light of the foregoing, I would like to recommend that the mandate of UNOWA, whose functions and activities would be revised as reflected in the document annexed hereto, be extended for a further period of three years, from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2010, subject to a mid-term review to be conducted in 2009.
I should be grateful if you would bring the present letter to the attention of the members of the Security Council.
(Signed) Ban Ki-moon
Annex
Mandate and functions of the United Nations Office for West Africa from January 2008 to December 2010
I. Mandate
The United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) is entrusted with the overall mandate of enhancing the contribution of the United Nations towards the achievement of peace and security priorities in West Africa.
II. Objectives, functions and activities
In the performance of its mandate, UNOWA will pursue the following objectives and fulfil the functions and related activities as noted below:
Objective 1
Enhance capability within West Africa towards a harmonized subregional approach to peace and security
Function 1.1
Facilitate systematic and regular linkages in the work of the United Nations in the subregion for defining and harmonizing national and subregional policies and strategies, with due regard to specific mandates of United Nations organizations, as well as peacekeeping operations and peacebuilding support offices.
Activities
- Facilitate inter-mission and inter-agency cooperation among United Nations missions in the subregion at the political level (for example, holding quarterly meetings of the heads of peace missions in West Africa); at the military level (regular meetings of United Nations force commanders and military advisers assigned in the subregion); and at the expert level (regular meetings of officers in charge of human rights, humanitarian, security sector reform, economic governance and gender issues).
- Hold regular consultations of heads of United Nations regional agencies for West Africa to develop common strategies.
- Establish and conduct activities of subregional working groups aiming to foster greater interaction among the various planning and response tools being used by the United Nations system.
- Identify and raise awareness on emerging threats to peace and security (i.e. drug trafficking, human trafficking, irregular migration, unattended socioeconomic tensions and the impact of natural disasters on the livelihood of people). Particular attention will be given to the Sahelian band and fragile States.
- Identify positive trends and promote activities in consultation with and participation of the private sector, including civil society organizations, to raise awareness of subregional issues and United Nations approaches.
- Reinforce cooperation on cross-cutting issues, including the rule of law, economic issues, human rights and gender issues aimed at mainstreaming them in the deliberations/recommendations of joint initiatives with Governments, civil society, the academic and private sectors, and other partners in the region.
- Make use of UNOWA's leverage, political and strategic network to rally international support to subregional efforts and national commitments to tackle cross-cutting threats to human security and subregional peace.