As part of the UNOWAS engagement to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chaired on Friday 23 June the Steering Committee of the UNISS.

Heads and representatives of regional UN agencies met at UNOWAS to discuss ways to improve the UN support to the Sahel region, and to ensure coherence in the UN interventions.

” We should have a clear division of labor among UN actors in the Sahel to tackle the challenging multiplicity strategies in the region, and streamline the UN’s interventions towards an effective effort to improve the situation in the Sahel”, said M. Ibn Chambas in his opening remarks.

In order to streamline the UN support and improve its coordination, the participants agreed to transform the UNISS Steering Committee into a consultative platform which will improve coherence and synergies across sahelian countries; increase the documentation and sharing of best practices across countries; enhance the coordination between relevant strategies and funding for the Sahel; and finally facilitate access to additional resources, once supplementary UNISS-dedicated pledges are redeemed.

UNISS was launched in 2013 by the United Nations Secretary-general to provide a framework for UN interventions in the Sahel region.