Over 7 million children crossing borders in West and Central Africa: UN

More than 7 million children are crossing borders in West and Central Africa in search of safety or a better life, a new report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has found. The vast majority of child migrants are uprooted by violence, poverty and climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa, the report underscores. However, the region lacks sufficient protection systems – both within and across borders - to ensure the safety and wellbeing of refugee and migrant children. Patrick Rose, UNICEF’s Crisis Communications Specialist for West and Central Africa, spoke to Jocelyne Sambira on the line from Dakar. He began by sharing some of the highlights of the report.

Tourism is key to African development if it is nurtured, says UN expert

Tourism in Africa can reduce poverty but the industry needs help to resist challenges from conflict, climate change and health emergencies, the UN said on Wednesday. In a new report from the UN trade agency UNCTAD, latest data indicates that the sector accounts for one in 14 jobs on the continent – with women and young adults playing a key role. The number of international tourists has also more than doubled in the last 20 years, to 56 million, while Africans themselves are increasingly driving demand, as UNCTAD economist Junior Davis explains to Daniel Johnson.

Côte d’Ivoire forces “fully ready to take over” from UN peacekeepers

Security forces in Côte d'Ivoire are “fully ready to take over” when the UN completes the peacekeeping phase of its engagement with the country, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative has said. Aïchatou Mindaoudou made the remarks ahead of the closing of UNOCI, the UN Operation in the West African nation, on Friday. UNOCI, which started in 2004 when the country was divided in half by a civil war, successfully restored peace and security in Côte d'Ivoire. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General issued a statement commending the people of Côte d'Ivoire “for their determination and efforts in turning the page of crisis and conflict.” He also expressed “profound respect” for the 150 peacekeepers or so-called “blue helmets” who lost their life in the service of peace during the 13 years of deployment of the Mission. Ms Mindaoudou, who heads the UN operation in the country, explained to Cristina Silveiro, the steps taken to ensure the hard-won gains are not lost.

Presenter: Jocelyne Sambira

Production Assistant: Ana Carmo

Duration: 10'00″