Conversations on the UN Secretary-General's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.

On 27 and 28 June 2016 in Dakar, UNOWAS, in partnership with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Switzerland and International Peace Institute (IPI) organized a conference on: “Investing in Peace and Violence Prevention in West Africa and the Sahel. Conversations on the UN Secretary-General's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.” The conference brought together about fifty participants from the sub-region and its neighbors, including political leaders (men, women, and youth), religious and traditional authorities, representatives of the media (in their capacity as experts), the private sector, governments and regional and international organizations. During two days, the discussions combined plenary sessions and thematic working groups.

The first plenary session sought to better understand how states, individuals and organizations in the region perceive and define the issue of violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel-Sahara. The second plenary session focused on the dynamics in the region and impact of global trends on violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel-Sahara region. Three separate working groups discussed the prevention of violent extremism by addressing the factors that are associated with peaceful and resilient societies and offer alternatives to violence (rather than focus only on the factors fueling and support acts of violence) and identify examples of how States and/or communities and organizations can seek to prevent violence through 1) political participation, improved state-citizen relations and dialogue inclusive; 2) an independent and responsible media coverage in a world where premium competition for information; and 3) sub-regional approaches to prevention beyond the borders.

Based on the findings of the three working groups, participants discussed the capacity of the UN and its partners and how it could more effectively address the prevention of violent extremism through coordinated action at the sub-regional level in Africa West and the Sahel-Sahara, in support of national governments and authorities and local communities. In response to the call of the UN Secretary General for "new regional plans or sub-regional action for the prevention of violent extremism, facilitated by regional or sub-regional organizations and the United Nations, to complement and strengthen national plans“, participants examined the possibility to develop a regional perspective that takes into account the challenges and opportunities in implementing the Action Plan. The intention of the conference was to make recommendations for actions to be implemented by practitioners in the region, with support from the UN and its partners, including support for the mechanisms, processes and initiatives, new and existing, to the local, national and regional level.