Contact Group of International Partners for the Sahel
In November 2013, the UN Secretary-General led undertook a high level visit to the Sahel, jointly with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, the President of the African Development Bank, the President of the World Bank, and the Commissioner for Development of the European Union. The participants in this high level visit pledge to reinforce their support to the Sahel and to work in synergy in the region. In November 2014, on the occasion of the commemoration of the first anniversary of this visit, the Representatives and Envoys for the Sahel of the participating created, in Bamako, Mali, a Contact Group of international partners for the Sahel. The Contact Group of international partners for the Sahel serves as a forum for ensuring common messaging and concerted advocacy efforts among international partners on the Sahel, with the aim to ” support the efforts and initiatives of the countries of the region, to improve living conditions and ensure a better future for the people of the Sahel.”
Ministerial Coordination Platform
The Ministerial Coordination Platform was established during the high level meeting of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, the President of the African Development Bank, the President of the World Bank, and the Commissioner for Development of the European Union, to the Sahel in November 2013. The Ministerial Coordination Platforms, brings together countries of the region and regional and international partners of the Sahel (both bilateral and multilateral), with overall the objective to ensure coherence between the various initiatives and strategies for the Sahel and enhance coordination and synergy of actions in their implementation for better efficacy and efficiency. The Ministerial Coordination Platforms, holds biannual ordinary plenary meetings under the leadership of a Sahel country, and comprises four Thematic Working Groups (Governance, Security, Resilience and Development) also chaired by Sahel countries with the technical support of regional and international partner organizations. The Ministerial Coordination Platform and its Thematic Working Groups are supported by a Technical Secretariat Co-chair by the African Union and the United Nations.
Steering Committee of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS)
This is the United Nations internal coordination and oversight mechanism for the implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS). The Steering Committee is chaired by the Special of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahel its membership includes Dakar-based regional directors/representatives of UN entities and UN Resident Coordinators in Sahel countries. The Steering Committee provides strategic guidance for the implementation of the UNISS, ensures coherence across the three pillars of the UNISS and between regional and national implementation efforts, and promotes strategic partnerships and engagement with key regional and international stakeholders. The Steering Committee oversees the activities of the three Regional Inter-Agency Working Groups (one on each pillar of the UNISS: Governance, Security and Governance). The Regional Inter-Agency Working Groups are tasked with formulating and monitoring the implementation of regional projects under their respective pillars of the UNISS. They also serve as a platform for information sharing among UN entities participating in the implementation of the UNISS.
Priorities
GOVERNANCE
- Burkina Faso - www.bf.undp.org
- Mali - www.ml.undp.org
- Mauritania - www.mr.undp.org
- Niger - www.ne.undp.org
- Chad - www.td.undp.org
SECURITY
- Breaking the Corruption Chain: Students, Civil Society and Government together for 9 December
- Launch of the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for West Africa "ARIN-WA"
- Investigative Journalism in the Sahel: a critical role in tackling corruption and organized crime
- UNODC and its partners facilitate the process of marking and registration of small arms and light weapons in Niger
- Legal aid key in strengthening rule of law in the Sahel region
- Action against drugs and crime supports Mali's peace and development efforts: UNODC Chief Yury Fedotov
- Drugs and crime threat mobilizes international support for West Africa Coast Initiative
- UNODC chief briefs Security Council on drug and crime vulnerability in West Africa, Sahel
- Sahel region countries agree to cooperate in response to illicit trafficking, organized crime and terrorism
- Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa: A Threat Assessment
- UNODC continues to support Mali anti-trafficking efforts by launching a Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force
- Enhancing trans-border cooperation to tackle illicit trafficking