Context

The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), with the governments of Ireland, the Republic of Ghana, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and in collaboration with ECOWAS Member States and the United Nations system, organize a Regional Conference on Climate Change, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel.

This regional conference is part of the activities undertaken by UNOWAS in coordination with its national, regional and international partners in response to the request of the UN Security Council, formulated on January 20, 2020 to "take into consideration the adverse consequences of the climate change, energy poverty, ecological change and natural disasters on peace and security by supporting the governments of the sub-region and the United Nations system to carry out assessments of risk management strategies related to these changes. »

The Regional Conference on Climate Change, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel will aim to:

• Define in a concrete way the harmful consequences of climate change, energy poverty, ecological changes and natural disasters on human security in West Africa and the Sahel.
• Take stock of current efforts at local, national and regional levels to address climate security risks.
• Identify options for strengthening current responses to climate security risks from a conflict prevention and peacebuilding perspective.

When/Where: Wednesday April 6 and Thursday April 7, 2022 at 9 a.m.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar -

Media and press agency representatives are invited to cover:

The opening session, Wednesday April 6 at 09:00,

The closing session, Thursday April 7 at 4:30 p.m.

The Regional Conference will bring together participants and representatives of the countries of the sub-region, as well as regional and international partners.

The Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Abdou Karim SALL, will chair the opening session of the Regional conference.

In the presence of:

Mahamat Saleh ANNADIF, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)

Kenneth Thompson, Special Envoy of the Republic of Ireland for Francophone Africa and the Sahel

Ambassador Kwabena Osei Danquah, Special Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ghana

General Francis Behanzin, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Under-Secretary-General, United Nations