UN OFFICE FOR WEST AFRICA BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL,

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000682 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY SUBJECT: UN OFFICE FOR WEST AFRICA BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL, ANNOUNCES NEW JOINT INITIATIVE AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ORGANIZED CRIME ¶1. (SBU) UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) SRSG Djinnit briefed the Security Council on July 7 on the biggest challenges facing the region, namely unconstitutional changes of government, security sector reform, and drug trafficking. He warned of the slow pace of reform in Guinea. Djinnit said UNOWA would continue to partner with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address regional concerns, and introduced the new "West Africa Coast Initiative," (WACI) a joint program intended to improve local police capacity in addressing drug trafficking and organized crime. WACI was officially launched on July 8. UN Office of Drugs and Crime Executive Director Costa told the Council some gains had been made to combat drug trafficQrough the West African region, but traffickers were now using different routes through the north and south of the continent to get to Europe. Costa warned of the growing problem of fake medicines, electronic waste dumping, and oil bunkering that plagued West Africa. Ambassador Rice encouraged UNOWA to help strengthen the UN's integrated efforts. Rice also noted the threats terrorism, sexual violence, drug trafficking and youth unemployment posed to the region. Burkina Faso introduced a draft Presidential Statement (PRST) which, inter alia, commend UNOWA's role in consolidating peace and security in the region. Negotiations of the text continue, and the UK and Russia expressed reservations about the need to issue it. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) Said Djinnit summarized current developments in West Africa during an open meeting with the UN Security Council on July 7. He said the success of numerous governments' determination for peace was evident in the absence of any current armed conflicts. Djinnit also explained that the prospects for peace and security was fragile due to the existing root causes of conflict as well as the destabilizing impact of the global financial crisis. ¶3. (SBU) SRSG Djinnit cited West Africa's three biggest challenges as: 1) the resurgence of violent and/or unconstitutional changes in government, 2) the need for security sector reform, and 3) drug trafficking. Djinnit stated that all recent examples of unconstitutional changes in government in Africa, except for Madagascar, occurred in West Africa. On the other hand, he said collaborative efforts of UN agencies including UNOWA and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),with regional governments, have resulted in establishing peaceful elections in Togo, as well as cooperative efforts to return Mauritania to constitutional rule. Djinnit warned of the slow pace and of Guinea's progress in returning to its constitutional order, and said the July 16-17 International Contact Group meeting should provide the opportunity for a critical review as well as offer ways to revamp the process. In regards to security sector reform, Djinnit stated that UNOWA will focus attention in countries where critical elections are scheduled for 2009 and 2010. ¶4. (SBU) Finally, Djinnit explained that West Africa has long been an important route for drug trafficking, especially of cocaine, originating in Latin America and destined for Europe. He introduced the "West Africa Coast Initiative" (WACI),(officially launched on July 8, see para. 12) cosponsored by UNOWA, ECOWAS, and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). The initiative focuses initially on improving the police force in four important drug trafficking countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Djinnit ended by stating that UNOWA will continue to work closely with agencies, especially ECOWAS, for the prevention, management, and termination of conflicts. ¶5. (SBU) Executive Director for UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Antonio Costa said the efforts the international community has made in addressing drug trafficking in West Africa seem to have had a positive effect, citing a significant diminishment of drug trafficking through the region in 2009. He added that so far this year, there have been no drug seizures, a positive indication decrease in drug trafficking. Yet, he explained the situation remains volatile as he believes there is about 20 tons of cocaine flowing through West Africa every year. Costa stated that drug traffickers are diversifying the routes, including throughout the Sahel and North Africa and down the south-west coast towards Southern Africa, and illicit drugs will continue to destabilize the region. Costa explained that the UNODC and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) both supported ECOWAS' action plan against crime. Costa urged Security Council members to help regional presidents protect their borders by supplying hardware and helicopters. ¶6. (SBU) Moreover, Costa asked developed countries to stop using West Africa as a dump for waste and fake medicines. He added that up to 60 percent of medicine in West Africa was counterfeit, 80 percent of its cigarettes were of illicit origin, and that the region was a major destination for European electronic waste, totaling about 8.7 million tons from Europe alone. He also said oil bunkering derives from the theft of ten percent of the region's oil output. ¶7. (SBU) Continuing the meeting in closed consultations, Ambassador Rice encouraged UNOWA to strengthen its efforts to coordinate a more coherent and integrated UN effort across the sub-region. She said the U.S. remained gravely concerned by the threat of terrorism and the cycle of kidnappings and ransoms that continued to help finance al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, and called on UNOWA to continue to focus on security and development in the region. Ambassador Rice said drug trafficking through West Africa put the region in serious peril. She also encouraged UNOWA to help build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones to ensure human rights, especially the rights of women and children, are fully protected. Finally, she supported UNOWA's hosting of the Youth Employment Network and noted youth unemployment was a major potential cause for unrest. ¶8. (SBU) French PermRep Ripert stressed the need for improved maritime security along West Africa's coastline. Ripert also said democracy was being threatened in Niger and called on UNOWA to use its good offices in conjunction with ECOWAS to ensure Niger does not have an unconstitutional change of government. ¶9. (SBU) Burkina Faso introduced a draft Presidential Statement (PRST) that would, inter alia, commend UNOWA's role in consolidating peace and security in the region. Experts continue to negotiate the text. Both the UK and Russia noted during the closed meeting that a PRST might not be the most preferred product to show Council support for UNOWA. Russia said a press statement would send all the necessary signals, but it would not block consensus. China, Viet Nam, Libya, Croatia and Uganda welcomed the draft PRST. ¶10. (SBU) Russia asked the Secretariat for more details on UNOWA's request for an additional police component. The UK asked for more information on how UNOWA can assist with regional security sector reform in its next report (due in six months). ¶11. (SBU) Austria, Libya and Japan echoed the U.S. concern for youth unemployment. Austria and Costa Rica urged Guinea-Bissau to create a "hybrid" (national with international logistic and technical support) commission to investigate its recent politically-motivated violence. 12 (SBU) UNODC Executive Director Costa said the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) would be launched on July 8, 2009. NOTE: USUN witnessed its launch on July 8, presided over by Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS. WACI's purpose is to build national and regional capacities to combat illicit drug trafficking and organized crime in West Africa. The Initiative is a led by ECOWAS Qeration with the UN Department of Political Affairs, UNODC, UN DPKO, and INTERPOL. The Initiative will initially target Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia-nations in which there is already a United Nations police presence-but will eventually be expanded to other ECOWAS states. It seeks to combat illicit drug trafficking and organized crime in the region by creating a comprehensive, coordinated, approach to building national and regional capacities in the areas of law enforcement, forensics, intelligence, border management, money-laundering, and strengthening criminal justice systems. END NOTE. RICE