Annan asks Security Council for three-year renewal of UN West Africa Office

Requesting a three-year extension of the mandate of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA), Secretary-General Kofi Annan says it has proved a useful instrument in raising public awareness about cross-border problems and promoting conflict prevention in the region.

In a letter to the Security Council, he recommends that UNOWA’s mandate be extended through 2007, subject to a mid-term review in July 2006.

If the Security Council agrees, he says he would strengthen the Dakar-based Office, as a Security Council mission recommended after its fact-finding travels across West Africa last June.

In its mission report, the Council said it welcomed the initiative of UNOWA and the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS) to identify ways of preventing coups d'état and other unconstitutional means of seizing or holding power, as well as to lessen those abuses of power that are usually the root causes of attempts to overthrow governments.

In an annex accompanying the letter, Mr. Annan said his Special Representative, UNOWA chief Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, had taken part in high-level negotiations relating to the turmoil in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia and, as part of conflict prevention, he had visited Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

UNOWA is to develop a regional disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme for the peace-keeping missions in the area, according to the letter.

In addition, “work has started on the preparation of a study on youth unemployment and peace, with the assistance of ILO (the UN International Labour Organization) and a consultant, and in collaboration with ECOWAS.” The study is expected to be submitted to the Security Council by the end of 2004.