Preserving a regional framework for cooperation on peace and security remains critical in West Africa and the Sahel, where military takeovers, undemocratic governance, terrorism, poverty and climate change continue to pose serious challenges, speakers told the Security Council today.
"Eighty years after its creation, the United Nations remains more critical than ever," said Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS), highlighting the need for collective efforts to address the region's persistent and multifaceted challenges.
Today's meeting, during which the Special Representative provided an overview of the situation in the region and the activities of his Office (document S/2025/187 ), comes as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - following military takeovers - withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and establish the Alliance of Sahel States as a collective defence mechanism.
Mr. Simão reported that their separation took effect on 29 January with a transition period set by ECOWAS until the end of July. While the Alliance of Sahel States is deepening internal cooperation, he said he was encouraged to see both sides aiming to maintain the benefits of regional integration, especially freedom of movement. "As ECOWAS celebrates its 50-year anniversary, it remains a key model for political and economic regional integration," he emphasized.
Turning to other pressing issues, he said that Côte d'Ivoire's presidential election in October 2025 raises concerns about inclusivity, given the memories of the 2010/11 electoral crisis and the violence encountered in the 2020 polls. In Guinea-Bissau, profound disagreements over the end of the current presidential term, the timing of the 2025 elections and the legitimacy of State institutions pose serious risks for a peaceful process.
Also concerning is the continued decline in resources for humanitarian assistance to populations affected by terrorism and climate change, with no signs of stabilizing or reversing. "Efforts to address the root causes of conflict and mitigate the impact of climate change should be supported," he insisted.
Today's meeting also focused on the rights of women amid those challenges. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founding Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center, said that West Africa, which accounts for 5.67 per cent of the world's population, "has suffered military rule, undemocratic Governments, wars and conflicts, putting the enjoyment of rights and women in contestation".
She said that women and girls in West Africa have a 58 per cent chance of not being enrolled in secondary school, a 20 per cent chance of starting childbearing as a teenager and can expect to earn less than their male counterparts, regardless of the sector in which they work. "Gender equality remains unfinished business," she pointed out, noting that many African traditional communities still conceive the duty of a woman to be primarily that of childbearing and rearing.
She therefore recommended, among other measures, that States amend or repeal discriminatory laws, particularly in areas of nationality, marriage and inheritance and implement programmes that address barriers to girls' education, such as child marriage and teenage pregnancy. States should also develop policies that enhance women's access to financial services, land ownership and employment opportunities, ensuring equal pay and safe working conditions.
She noted that all West African countries are signatories of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the African Youth Charter and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. These commitments provide more opportunities for women to participate in decision-making, peacebuilding and politics. "The time is now," she stressed.
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