The National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference concluded yesterday in Freetown with the adoption of the Freetown Declaration on National Unity and Social Cohesion 2026, a major outcome that reaffirms national commitments to peace, dialogue, and conflict prevention in Sierra Leone.
Convened by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) at the Bintumani Conference Centre on 26 and 27 October, the Conference marked the fifth anniversary of the Commission. It brought together national leaders, traditional and religious authorities, women, youth, persons with disabilities, civil society, and regional and international partners to turn existing commitments into practical, nationally owned action, including the implementation of the Agreement for National Unity signed in October 2023.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, took part in the Conference. In his statement on 26 October, he commended the ICPNC for its work and paid tribute to President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership in promoting peace, stability, and inclusion, including his gesture of reconciliation towards former President Ernest Bai Koroma. He also welcomed the commitment of the Government and the All-People’s Congress to implement the Agreement in full.
“Peace is not only the absence of conflict. It is the presence of trust,” said Mr. Simão, stressing that prevention is always less costly than crisis management and that dialogue remains the most effective way to resolve political disagreements. He also highlighted the role of women and young people in conflict prevention and social cohesion, as the country looks towards its next electoral cycle.
Welcoming the adoption of the Declaration, UNOWAS reaffirmed that, together with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the wider UN system and the International Moral Guarantors, including the African Union and the Commonwealth, it remains committed to supporting Sierra Leone in strengthening social cohesion, deepening democratic governance and consolidating peace.
“The task before all stakeholders now is to protect this peace, deepen it, and pass it on stronger to future generations,” Mr. Simão said.
During his visit to Freetown, the Special Representative was received in audience by the President of the Republic. He also met with the Chief Minister and with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to discuss the political process in Sierra Leone, as well as the security and political developments across West Africa and the Sahel.