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Zawya
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Special Representative, Leonardo Santos Simão, concludes a two-day working visit to Ghana, reaffirmed United Nations's support
As part of his continued engagement, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel(UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, yesterday concluded a two-day working visit to Accra, Ghana. During his visit, the Special Representative was received in audience by the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama. The Special Representative praised Ghana for promoting home grown effective peace building mechanisms and its commitment to preserve the gains of regional integration. He also met with the Minister of Interior, the National Security Advisor, National Security Coordinator, Special Envoy for the Sahel, acting Executive Secretary of the Accra Initiative, Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, the West African Ambassadors, and the United Nations Country Team. With his interlocutors, M. Simão discussed various issues pertaining to peace and security and exchanged on ways to strengthen regional mechanisms to address the challenges facing the countries of the sub-region, in particular terrorism. He also stressed the importance of continued cooperation and reaffirmed the United Nations's commitment to strengthen its partnership with Ghana. The Special Representative commended Ghana's leadership role in regional affairs, and reiterated UNOWAS engagement to continue working closely with the authorities and people of Ghana to promote peace, security, and development. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
Zawya
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and United Nations Political and Peacebuilding Departments Consult Ahead of the Security Council Briefing
Western Africa Division (DPPA-DPO WAD), co -convene consultative session between Permanent Representatives of West African Countries at the UN and Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), in New York on the 2nd of April 2025. The session preceded the SRSG's briefing, on the 3rd of April 2025, to the Security Council where he presented the UN Secretary General's report on Peace consolidation in West Africa and the activities of UNOWAS. The report to the UN Security Council highlighted the evolving challenges to regional security, integration and the unity of West Africa and underscored the critical need for the region's leaders and stakeholders to continue efforts towards preserving and building on the gains of decades of cooperation, including within the framework of ECOWAS. The report further identified regional security cooperation as a priority and recommended continued support for the Multinational Joint Task Force operating in the Lake Chad basin, the Accra Initiative and the ECOWAS Standby Force as critical components to combat terrorism and organized crime in the region. In her intervention at the consultative session, Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai, ECOWAS Permanent Observer to the United Nations, provided an overview of ECOWAS' initiatives and ongoing collaboration with UNOWAS while emphasizing the Commission's unrelentless efforts towards strengthening integration for sustainable development, peace and stability in the region. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
