United Nations Office for West Africa

The United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) was established by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2001 to enhance linkages between the United Nations and other partners in the region. United Nations Office for West Africa is an organization that focuses on the humanitarian problems in the region, such as maintaining peace and helping people cope after long conflicts and civil wars in the region. It is the first United Nation’s office that specifies on solving human rights issues in West Africa.Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah was the first head of the office. who was replaced Lamine Cissé which was in the office 2007-2008. Before that Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah who was also in the office from 2002 to 2007.The current head of UNOWA is Mohamed Ibn Chambas. The Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has just announced the appointment of Said Djinnit as his Special Envoy fort the Great Lakes region.

UNOWA remains a relatively small political mission focussing on cross-cutting and cross-border developments which actively works with ECOWAS. The organization reports its concerns to the Security Council of the United Nations;Since 2007 it has been called on to report on its activities to the United Nations Security Council every six months. For example, they raised the issue in 2011 that the situation in Libya risked to have a negative impact on peace and stability in Mali and the wider Sahelian region. They also raised awareness of the threat of Islamist groups in Mali and called for international and regional engagement. Additionally, it discussed the issue of drug business in the region. During the organization’s monthly report in July 2012, it reported that 100 tons of cocaine was shipped from the Sahel which 40 percent of it went to Europe.