Within the framework of their partnership, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have developed the Desk-to-Desk (D2D) mechanism through which they convene regular technical meetings alternatingly hosted by ECOWAS in Abuja, Nigeria and by UNOWAS in Dakar, Senegal.

The D2D provides the platform of collaboration on issues relating to peace and security as well as good governance in the ECOWAS sub-region. The recommendations of these meetings feed into the larger cooperation both at the strategic and technical level.

In view of enhancing coordination of joint initiatives between the two institutions, and ensuring concerted efforts in addressing the various challenges to peace and security in the sub region, UNOWAS and ECOWAS concluded yesterday, in Dakar, their 2022 D2D meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to assess the status of implementation of the 2021 joint work plan and identify priority areas, and develop joint activities for 2022.

During the two-day D2D meeting, the participants discussed various themes and issues pertaining to peace and security, and agreed to conduct a set of key activities. As part of the joint workplan for 2022, the two institutions will conduct a mapping and validation workshop about Security Sector Reform in the sub-region, organize an Annual High Level Political Forum on organized crime; and ECOWAS will continue to lead the process to establish the Forum for Ministers of Justice in the region, among others.

The next D2D meeting, the second for 2022, is scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria in the second half of the year.