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Activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel - Report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/490)

Attachments

I. Introduction

1. The present report covers the period from 31 December 2023 to 29 June 2023 and contains an overview of developments and trends in West Africa and the Sahel, and the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). It also highlights progress made in the implementation of the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel, and includes an update on the situation in the Lake Chad basin, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2349 (2017).

II. Developments and trends in West Africa and the Sahel

2. Some Member States in West Africa and the Sahel took steps to further consolidate the democratic process. Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania held legislative elections in January, June and May, respectively. Nigeria held presidential and federal parliamentary elections in February, as well as governorship and state legislative elections in March. The Gambia also held local elections in March. Preparations advanced for elections in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo. The implementation of new affirmative action legislation increased women’s parliamentary representation in Benin. In Liberia, the National Elections Commission and political parties signed a memorandum of understanding in May whereby political parties committed to having a minimum of 30 per cent women on their candidate lists. In several countries, concerns remained over persisting sociopolitical tensions and a shrinking civic and political space.

3. Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali, which were undergoing political transition, requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to lift the sanctions imposed on them following their respective unconstitutional changes of government. However, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government decided to maintain its existing sanctions and imposed new travel bans on members of Government and other senior officials of those States. ECOWAS also reiterated the need to open the political space and ensure inclusive political dialogue. The three States have proposed to establish a permanent coordination framework among themselves to facilitate trade and tackle insecurity.

4. Whereas a decline in terrorist attacks and insecurity-related fatalities in and around the Lake Chad basin regions of the Niger and Nigeria was reported, the security situation in the central Sahel continued to deteriorate and insecurity continued to expand southward to coastal countries. In response, coastal countries have sought to strengthen their bilateral security engagements while reinforcing their internal security capabilities.

5. The region’s humanitarian situation continued to worsen amid rising prices of food and other essential commodities. The humanitarian situation in the central Sahel remained particularly dire. While economic growth was sustained in certain Member States, slowing economic activity, greater challenges to accessing international capital markets and rising inflation had a negative impact on the region’s overall growth trajectory.

6. On 19 May, the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, took up his duties and travelled to New York for induction meetings with United Nations senior officials and representatives of Member States and regional and subregional organizations.