I have the honour to inform you that your letter dated 14 January 2016 (S/2016/88) concerning your intention to proceed with the implementation of the recommendations of the strategic review of the Office of your Special Envoy for the Sahel, including initiating a light merger of the Office and the United Nations Office for West Africa, has been brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council.

They request you to proceed with the merger, with a view to maximizing synergies by ensuring a unified management and structure of the new United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

Recalling the statement by the President of the Security Council of 8 December 2015 (S/PRST/2015/24), they encourage UNOWAS to make further progress towards the implementation of the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel and to continue to work closely with the States of the region, including the Group of Five for the Sahel, to tackle the threats to peace, security and development in the Sahel, as well as their root causes.

In this regard, they request you to provide an update on the fulfilment by UNOWAS of its mandate in your next report and briefing to the Security Council, in July 2016.

(Signed) Elbio Rosselli
President of the Security Council