A series of meetings related to the implementation of the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) recently took place in Bamako and Dakar to further reinforce coordination efforts between the United Nations and its regional and international partners as well as to speed up the launch of projects in terms of governance, security and resilience in the Sahel.

The Capital of Mali, Bamako, hosted from 9 to 10 March the fifth meeting of the Technical Secretariat of the ministerial platform for the coordination of Sahel strategies and the se-cond meeting of the international contact group of partners for the Sahel...Read More P.2

The United Nations and its partners coordinate their actions for the Sahel

For 2015, FAO works to strengthen populations’ resilience (Page 4)

Ending insecurity in the Sahel requires a regional approach, says the UNDP (Page 5)

Enhancing trans-border cooperation to tackle illicit trafficking (Page 5)

Interview with Mr. Fodé Ndiaye, Resident Coordinator for the United Nations in Niger (Page 6)

Editorial: «The Sahel, a threatening and threatened space»

Summary

On 12 February, humanitarian partners launched the 2015 Sahel humanitarian appeal, calling for USD $1.96 billion to assist people affected by crises in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. The Appeal was presented successively to Donors in New York...Read more P.4

From 2 to 6 February, the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and Executive Director of the Counter- Terrorism committee Executive Directorate (CTED) led a mission in Mali and Niger. The UN Special Envoy for the Sahel, Guebre Hiroute Sellassie, participated to this mission aiming at promoting regional cooperation and reaffirming the Committee’s continued support for the Counter-Terrorism acti-vities of Sahel countries...Read more P.3

Quarterly E-Magazine of the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel

“The Sahel confronts the world with a profound, ongoing, moral challenge”

High-Level counter-terrorism mission in Mali and Niger

OSES Website: www.oses.unmissions.org

Steering Committee Meeting, Dakar, March 12 2015

The Sahel is not a region like any other.

Long regarded as one of the poorest in the world, the Sahel is

now simultaneously faced with the adverse effects of climate change, terrorism, the rise of cross-border organized crime, and the proliferation of weapons and militias, affecting countries lacking the required administrative, economic, military, police and customs capacity to deal with these multiple perils.

These increasingly complex and recurring challenges make the Sahel a threatening and threatened space.

Within this framework, only the will of the countries of the region to take control of their destiny, with the coordinated and coherent support of the international community, could resolve the situation in the Sahel.

The United Nations, having become aware of the current security issues in the Sahel, are working through the implementation of its integrated strategy for the Sahel, together with their regional and international partners to support the

States of the region to improve security, governance, livelihood and sustainable development.

The United Nations and its partners recognize the urgency and imperative of regional stability which dictates a concerted and cohesive action. It is in this context that I have the pleasure to share with you the first issue of Sahel FOCUS which intends to be a source of information and a space for dialogue on the activities of the United Nations, as well as its national, regional and international partners, in the Sahel.

I wish that Sahel FOCUS contributes to better information sharing, awareness of challenges, as well as efforts being undertaken to address the many problems facing the region. I therefore encourage you to contribute to its development and enrich its content.

Hiroute Guebre Sellassie

Special Envoy of the United Nations for the Sahel

SAHEL FOCUS№ 001 - A P R I L 2015 - Page 2

A series of meetings related to the implementation of the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) recently took

place in Bamako and Dakar to further reinforce coordination efforts between the United Nations and its regional and international partners as well as to speed up the launch of projects in terms of governance, security and resilience in the Sahel.

The Capital of Mali, Bamako, hosted from 9 to 10 March the fifth meeting of the Technical Secretariat of the ministerial platform for the coordination of Sahel strategies and the second meeting of the international contact group of partners for the Sahel.

A coherent program

The Technical Secretariat meeting was marked by the opening remarks of the African Union Representative for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), Mr. Pierre Buyoya, of the UN Special Envoy for the Sahel, Mrs. Guibre Hiroute Sellassie and of the General Secretary of the Mali foreign Affairs, African Integration and international cooperation Ministry, Mr. Mamadou Macki Traore, who also acts as current chairman of the ministerial platform for the coordination of Sahel strategies. During the meeting all speakers emphasized the importance of coordination and highlighted the urgency to launch the thematic groups based on the setting up of a coherent program for each group.

On the margins of the technical secretariat, the five member organizations of the Informal Contact Group on the Sahel, namely the UN, AU, WB, ADB and EU, held a meeting to discuss a number of issues, including ways of financially supporting the activities of the thematic

groups and the mapping exercises, the rotational presidency of the Ministerial Coordination Platform, as well as the opportunity to extend the membership of the contact group to other Sahel special envoys, including those of Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the UK.

Better understand political and security challenges in the region

Concluding this series of meetings, the UN special Envoy for the Sahel, Hiroute Guibre Selassie, chaired on 12 March, in Dakar, the third meeting of the steering committee on the UNISS.

To allow UN agencies in the Sahel region and Resident Coordinators, all members of the steering committee, to better understand political and security challenges in the region, Mrs. Sellassie organized a brainstorming and information sharing session on the

political and security situation in Libya and their impacts on the Sahel region. Presentations on the peace process in Mali and on the UN Mission in Libya efforts to support to help Libyan actors to engage in constructive dialogue were respectively given by Arnold Akoudjenou, DSRSG in Mali (MINUSMA) and Claudio Cordone (UN Support Mission in Libya – UNSMIL). Both presentations gave to UN partners a better overview of risks and threats the Sahel is facing, especially in the implementation of the UNISS. During the meeting, participants expressed their wish to reinforce information sharing between UN missions and agencies for a coordinated and effective regional response.

On the margins of the technical secretariat, the five member organizations of the Informal Contact Group on the Sahel, namely the UN, AU, WB, ADB and EU, held a meeting to discuss a number of issues, including ways of financially supporting the activities of the thematic groups and the mapping exercises, the rotational presidency of the Ministerial Coordination Platform, as well as the opportunity to extend the membership of the contact group to other Sahel special envoys, including those of Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the UK.

The United Nations and its partners coordinate their actions for the Sahel

Meeting of the Steering Committee. : March 12 2015 - Dakar

Fifth meeting of the Technical Secretariat of the ministerial platform for the coordination of Sahel strategies. : March 09 2015 - Bamako

the international contact group of partners for the Sahel, Bamako November 17, 2014

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High-Level counter-terrorism mission in Mali and Niger

From 2 to 6 February, the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism

committee Executive Directorate (CTED) led a mission in Mali and Niger. The UN Special Envoy for the Sahel, Guebre Hiroute Sellassie, participated to this

mission aiming at promoting regional cooperation and reaffirming the Committee’s continued support for the Counter-Terrorism activities of Sahel countries.

The mission held meetings with the President of Niger, high-level state

authorities and Representatives of specialized counter-terrorism units for Mali and Niger as well as UN Representatives in both countries.

During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the current terrorism threat and recent terrorism trends in the region. It also raised awareness of the role of the Committee and CTED to identify shortcomings in counter-terrorism legal, institutional and operational frameworks, recommend solutions, gather good practices, and facilitate the provision of technical assistance.

The threat of terrorism to the Sahel remains high. Some countries, including Niger, face potential terrorist threats at almost all borders. States of the region and the international community must continue to strengthen their cooperation in combating the terrorist, insurgent and militant groups that threaten to destabilize the region as a whole.

The delegation met with President Issoufou

This project, one of the activities related to the resilience pillar of the UNISS is aligned with other regional initiatives

such as AGIR which underlines the management of population dynamics as a critical trigger to build long lasting resilience. It also lined up with the World Bank Strategy for Africa, the AU and ECOWAS development agenda targeting maternal health matters, adolescent and youth related issued as well as gender inequality.

Funded for a four-year period by the Group of the World Bank, this US$ 200 million project will improve the level of empowerment of women and girls and allow them greater access to quality health reproductive, maternal

and child services.

Implemented at first in six countries, namely Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad, the project has three components: i) the demand creation for products and reproductive health, maternal, newborn, child and infant nutrition services and the empowerment of women and girls; ii) strengthening regional capacity to improve the supply of reproductive health commodities, maternal, newborn, infant and child nutrition. This includes strengthening the availability of health workers, particularly midwives; iii) political commitment and capacity strengthening of policy related to the demographic dividend.

Harnessing the future of Sahel through Demographic DividendAs part of the implementation of the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), the United Nations and its partners have initiated several projects aligned with priorities of the three UNISS pillars: Governance, Security and Resilience. Thus, UNFPA will launch in May 2015 a project aiming at creating conditions for Sahel countries realize the demographic dividend by accelerating the demographic transition.

Outreach to young ambassadors of UNFPA in Chad. Crédit : UNFPA

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In 2015 and in the framework of the United Nations Strategic Response Plan for the Sahel, FAO needs a total of USD 116 mil-lion to assist more than 5.4 million people.

In order to prevent a further deterioration and respond efficiently to the growing food insecu-rity in the region, an immediate support to the livelihoods of communities relying on agricul-ture is needed.

Strengthening populations’ agriculture capa-cities

The proposed activities are designed to ena-ble the most vulnerable people, including IDPs and their host communities to continue pro-duce their food and maintain their income. The most urgent priority is to ensure that far-mers are provided with time-critical inputs for cereal production during the next planting season due to start in May. The provision of veterinary care and animal feed will also be crucial to prevent animal losses during the pastoral lean season.

FAO also aims to address the underlying cau-ses of vulnerability to enhance the resilience of populations in the region, with activities such as the production of varieties of seeds adap-ted to climate change, or the rehabilitation of degraded land. Support to food security ana-lysis and early warning will also be crucial to help countries and communities prepare to risk and future shocks, and improve the resi-lience of food and agricultural systems in the Sahel.

In 2014, FAO provided immediate assistance to more than 3 million farmers and herders in the Sahel to strengthen their food security and nutrition.

Chronic vulnerability remains high

Early 2015, over twenty million people across the region are short of food and 2.6 million of them already depend on life-saving food assistance, with the most difficult months of the lean season still ahead. Nearly six million children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2015. “Climate and economic shocks used to hit this region around once every decade. People had time to rebuild their resources. But rapid impact of economic degradation and demographic growth means that the cycle is shorter,” warned Valerie Amos, UN Humanitarian Chief whilst calling on renewed support from the international community and closer partnerships between emergency and development actors.

Conflicts and displacements on the rise

Of particular concern is a surge in conflicts and insecurity in the past months uprooted 2.8 million people from their homes, over one million more than this time last year. “In addition to humanitarian and development challenges we have a multitude of security problems which hamper and hinder an urgent development needed by Sahel countries,” said the UN Secretary General Special Envoy for the Sahel, Mrs. Hiroute Guebre Sellassie.

In addition to the volatile situation in Mali, escalating violence in northeast Nigeria has displaced more than one million people internally and over 150 000 into neighbouring countries. “As the fate of the Sahel countries is inevitably intertwined, conflict and violence often bear serious regional implications,” warned Piper. “Insecurity is creating more human suffering for communities that are already amongst the poorest of the world, reducing access of humanitarian teams to the people who need help, and increasing the costs of assistance,” said Piper.

A Multi Year strategy to both save lives today and reduce needs tomorrow

For 2015, humanitarian agencies in the Sahel are appealing for USD$2 billion to assist 9.3 million food-insecure people, 2.8 displaced persons, 9 million people at risk of epidemics, treat 3.2 million acutely malnourished children, and provide safe water and sanitation to over 4 million people across nine countries. The strategy emphasises on early intervention and closer partnerships with Governments and development actors and plans for each of the nine countries and involves more than a hundred organizations to both save lives and protect the assets of the most vulnerable.

The Sahel confronts the world with a profound, ongoing, moral challenge

Hadja, 13, had to flee her village Damassack, north-eastern Nigeria, which was attacked by the armed group Boko Haram. OCHA Niger

In action for the Sahel For 2015, FAO works to strengthen populations’ resilience

On 12 February, humanitarian partners launched the 2015 Sahel humanitarian appeal, calling for USD $1.96 billion to assist people affected by crises in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. The Appeal was presented successively to Donors in New York and Dakar.

The destabilizing effect of illicit traffic flows and their impact on development and security in the Sahel and its surroundings are

extremely serious. Criminal networks have stepped up their transborder operations in the Sahel and expanded their illicit business activities throughout the region. Improving national and cross-border coordination between law enforcement agencies is essential to ensure an integrated approach in the fight against illicit trafficking and organized crime.

To contribute to these efforts, UNODC organized on 28-29 January 2015 a workshop on border control, with a special focus on land borders. With the objective of bringing together the leaders of different relevant institutions, the workshop aimed at enabling the drafting of recommendations conducive to improvements in border control, with particular focus on the main entry points of the Sahel region.

The workshop reunited 35 representatives of 20 institutions (such

as the Police, Immigration, Customs, and Drug Enforcement agencies) from four countries (Senegal, Mali, Ghana and Togo), along with UNODC experts. It featured thematic presentations on specific issues related to drugs, firearms and human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and corruption.

Strategic and operational recommendations agreed-upon during the workshop include, among others: the need to enhance interagency coordination and collaboration; enhancing trans-border cooperation;

engaging civil society and border communities; improving technical skills of available human resources and equipment; and strengthening the ability to process and develop criminal operational intelligence.

In the scope of the continuation of the UNODC Contribution to the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, UNODC is developing several activities to enhance border control in order to assist member states in addressing the different types and forms of illicit trafficking affecting the region.

Enhancing trans-border cooperation to tackle illicit trafficking

SAHEL FOCUS SAHEL FOCUS№ 001 - A P R I L 2015 - Page 5

Ending insecurity in the Sahel requires a regional approach, says the UNDP

Photo: UNICEF/Olivier Asselin

“The Sahel faces complex challenges to peace, stability and development,” said Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, the Deputy Regional Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, as France launched the Sahel Cross-Border Cooperation Assistance Programme (ACTS). “To end insecurity, the region requires a regional approach and a coalition of the willing.”

“With chronic poverty, food insecurity worsened by climate shocks and conflicts, cross-border criminal activity and the heightened threat of terrorism, we need a new approach,” Ms. Sandhu-Rojon continued, speaking in Paris to the ministers of the interior and of security of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. “We must combine national and transnational interventions to address the situations of extreme vulnerability that the Sahelian populations confront,”

Addressing more than the security aspect

“In an area the size of the European Union, with a population comparable to that of France, the countries of the Sahel face huge challenges beyond the permeability of borders alone. Our response must address more than the security aspect. It must be based

on human security and development to ensure that safe borders allow the circulation of goods and persons.”

Strengthening human security

As part of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, and in synergy with the activities conducted by the ACTS project in the border regions, the UNDP is developing a project to strengthen human security and involve the populations in developing policies to manage cross-border areas.

With support from the Government of Japan, the UNDP began implementation of a $20 million programme two years ago, emphasizing peace consolidation, strengthened governance and resilience in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad.

Mme Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, Envoyée Spéciale au SahelM. Pierre Lapaque, Représentant Régional de l’ONUDC en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre

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What is the role of the United Nations System in the implementation of the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel in Niger?

TFirst of all, I would like to commend the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Sahel for this initiative and her efforts for an effective and efficient implementation of the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS). As you know, the UNISS has three pillars including (i) Security (ii) Governance and (iii) Resilience. These pillars are perfectly aligned with the two of the three areas of intervention of the Niger 2014-2018 United Nations

Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) including on the one hand peace and security and on the other hand resilience. These areas of intervention highlight national priorities as defined in the 2012-2015 Economic and social Development plan.

In this respect, the United Nations System (UNS) in Niger, based on individual competencies of agencies, specialized institutions and programs, contribute to the implementation of these national priorities.

What are the major challenges Niger is facing regarding governance, security and resilience?

In the governance area, the main challenge for Niger is the reinforcement of institutions credibility. Despite progress towards the democracy development and the respect of freedoms, we still need to strengthen the basics of democracy based on the legal and institutional arsenal owned by the country through the constitution of 25 November 2010. The challenge is to further the dialogue between actors on national interest issues.

Interview with Mr. Fodé Ndiaye, Resident Coordinator for the United Nations in Niger

Interview

Niger was ranked in the last position of the 2014 Human Development Index (HDI). The GDP per capita in 2013 is estimated at USD 778 (PPP), almost two times lower than that of Mali, and six times lower compared to Nigeria.

The fertility rate remains high with 7.6 children per woman of childbearing age in 2013. Niger has an annual population growth rate of 3.9% (compared to 3% in Mali and Chad, and 1.9% in Algeria). 75% of the population lives below the poverty line. The poverty rate is even higher in rural areas where 82% of the population lives. The oil exploitation since 2011 offers some hope.

Link: http://bit.ly/1Na6JgB

Sources : OCDE (2014), “Un atlas du Sahara-Sahel : Géographie, économie et insécurité”, Cahiers de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, éditions OCDE, Paris et OCDE, BAD, PNUD, CEA (2014), “Perspectives économiques en Afrique”.

Dossier: Niger

Internal fragilities and regional threats

Photography

SAHEL FOCUS

Challenges in terms of security are mainly linked to the exogenous factors related to the vastness of the country and its geopolitical situation with 7 borders. The security situation is characterized by the presence of residual insecurity in Mali, the continuing Libyan crisis and the war that the country and its allies are conducting against terrorist groups, particularly at the Nigerian border. These challenges are worsened by the important permeability of borders and by the continuous movements of populations (refugees, displaced people, forcibly repatriated people), which are additional triggers to insecurity and conflicts.

For the resilience, Niger is frequently facing events linked to successive droughts and periods flooding. Food and fodder deficits are recurrent. The limited capacity of adjustment and resilience of populations lead to the fact that a prominent deficit usually results in food, nutritional and pastoral crises increasing the chronic vulnerability of a large part of the population especially in rural areas.

More specifically, how the UN is helping Niger to cope with all these challenges?

I think that with the linkage between

the UNISS and our action at the national level, we are already doing a lot through the contribution of the UNS to the implementation of the UNISS.

For the governance area, the UNS support focuses on capacity reinforcement of state and non-state actors, including vulnerable communities, women, youths and civil society organizations with the aim to improve democratic, administrative and local governance as well as peace and security.

Regarding peace and security, all agencies are, on a daily basis, contributing to create an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence and social cohesion between communities in Niger.

Regarding the resilience of communities and institutions, the UNS is involved by initiating coherent and synergistic programs taking into account specific identified needs especially in communal development plans. For the resilience action plan of the UNDAF in 35 communes targeted based on their vulnerability, intervention programs focus on food and nutritional security, prevention and risk and disaster management, natural resources management, social

protection, governance consolidation and access and use of basic social services including population growth control.

How Niger is facing these challenges?

Let me just remind you that Niger is facing complex and numerous challenges. The government of Niger is really investing in this regard. It has approved an economic and social development plan for 2012-2015. This plan includes the initiative 3N and the development and security strategy in Sahel-Saharan areas of Nige and aims at accelerating the inclusive growth and promoting sustainable development in an environment of good governance.

What are the challenges the country team is facing in its effort to support Niger?

The Niger country team is made of thirteen (13) resident agencies whose spirit of cooperation, reflection, strategic positioning and synergetic actions for the well-being of Nigerien populations is frequently lauded. The country team initiates its activities with the objective of subsidiarity and support to the Niger Government. Additionally, the country team has adopted a visionary, innovative and integrated approach of joint programming which translates our “Acting together” through convergence communes. This approach reduces our transaction expenses and increases our visibility and impact on the field at the decentralized level.

But, the country team is facing huge challenges and deadlines including the security challenge which not only hinders our development activities but also makes access to some areas difficult and expensive due to escort charges.

Read more on: http://bit.ly/1LuVQKB

Fodé Ndiaye, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Niger

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Sahel populations are facing huge difficulties. It is estimated that:

More than 20 million people are food insecure and without an immediate assistance, 2.6 million of them will face hunger

5.8 million children under 5 across the Sahel will suffer from malnutrition including 1.4 million from acute affection.

2.8 million people are displaced across the Sahel because of insecurity and violence in the region.

Did you know ?

OSES FOCUS SAHEL FOCUS№ 001 - A P R I L 2015 - Page 8

US$1.7 million to strengthen peace and security in Niger

The Government of Japan signed in December 2014 an US$ 1.7 million agreement with the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) to help Niger bolster peace and security within the country and in the Sahel. UNDP and the European Union civilian mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger) will work with the Nigerien authorities to provide training and equipment to police and other institutions to strengthen the regions’ ability to respond to civilian and security crises. They will also support dialogue efforts at the community level to help prevent conflict, build social cohesion and strengthen confidence between communities and the uniformed personnel.

Niger straddles the Sahara desert and the Sahel, covering large expanses of territory in a region where organized crime and terrorist organizations have become increasingly active.

Capacities reinforcement to better face crises

“Peace and security are absolutely essential for development. Without them, communities are basically unable to plan for the longer term,” said Fodé Ndiaye, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations

and Representative of UNDP in Niger, adding that “Niger is a vast country and its security challenges are considerable. Our support for regional and community security in Niger aims to lay the foundations of a more sustainable, grassroots development process.” “Peace, security and development are essentially intertwined,” he said.

The project Strengthening community and regional capacities for security enhancement in Niger will be implemented over 18 months. Through the project, the decentralized Joint Command Centres in seven regions, where they are placed under the authority of the Governor, will be equipped and trained to better anticipate potential crisis and intervene more quickly.

To discover

An Atlas of the Sahara-SahelGeography, Economics and Security

This book explains the structure and geographical and organisational mobility of criminal and migratory movements in the Sahara and the Sahel with a view to helping establish better development strategies for the region.Link: http://bit.ly/1FsoF5E

Please visit our new website:

www.oses.unmissions.org

Bureau de l’Envoyée Spéciale pour le Sahel (OSES)

BP: 23851, Dakar Ponty, Senegal

www.oses.unmissions.org

www.twitter.com/UnSahel

www.facebook.com/UnSahel

Kablewa village, N’Guigmi department, Diffa region, Niger. ICRC / Grema Ari ZarmaCC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Grema Ari Zarma