Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and Mr. Sidiki Diakité, Minister of the Interior and Security of Côte d'Ivoire, will chair, on Tuesday 05 December 2017 in Grand Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, a meeting of the High Political Committee of the West African Coast Initiative (WACI POLCOM). Organized by UNOWAS in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and INTERPOL, the main purpose of this meeting is to review the progress made in the implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Action Plan for the fight against illicit drug trafficking, organized crime and drug abuse in the region.

WACI is a joint project developed by the United Nations system and Interpol in support of ECOWAS efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in West Africa. The main objective is to promote an integrated response to organized crime, trafficking in human beings, and to support the implementation of the ECOWAS Political Declaration and Plan of Action to Combat Illicit Drug Trafficking. , organized crime and drug abuse renewed for the period 2016-2020.

The Initiative focuses on fragile and post-conflict countries in West Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone) to reduce their vulnerability to drug trafficking and organized crime. It also builds capacity and networks for a better anti-fraud cooperation at the national, regional and international levels. The cornerstone of the project is the establishment and operationalization of Transnational Crime Units (CTUs) in participating countries.