Overview

The collection, analysis and distribution of reliable weather, water and climate information— collectively referred to as climate and weather services—has the potential to greatly benefit efforts by African nations to reduce poverty, build resilience and adapt to a changing climate. For over 30 years, the international development community has made substantial investments in the procurement of weather, water and climate technologies, with the goal of improving weather and climate services for Africa. Nevertheless, today, according to the World Bank, “most hydromet services in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to meet current needs for weather and climate information, and offer only limited areas of transboundary cooperation.” In this report a new vision is explored to address sub-Saharan Africa’s weather, water and climate monitoring and forecasting needs. The presentation of this new vision begins with a review of challenges with traditional approaches for improving the delivery of weather and climate services. A new approach is proposed that provides Africa's least-developed countries with end-to-end systems that can produce and deliver early warnings and climate information that can save lives, boost productivity and protect the environment.

This new vision includes the deployment of advanced hydrometeorological observing and forecasting technologies, capacity-building and enabling policies that fortify the position of Africa’s National HydroMeteorological Services (NHMS) as well as the formulation of new partnerships between the public and private sectors. Creating a sustainable model for the delivery of effective weather and climate services across sub-Saharan Africa will require policymakers to critically examine the status quo and adopt this new vision for the implementation of this essential public service. This goes beyond the simple procurement and installation of new technologies, to an end-to-end systems approach. There is no silver bullet, but with effectively structured public-private partnerships, new technology and services, strengthened institutions, increased regional cooperation and continued capacity-building, sustainable solutions to providing climate and weather services are a realistic and attainable goal. Reaching this target will have a significant impact on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, protecting lives and building powerful resilience for Africa and beyond.

À PROPOS DU PRÉSENT RAPPORT

Le présent rapport est un produit d'apprentissage préparé par le programme de Renforcement de l’information climatique pour le développement de la résilience en Afrique (CIRDA), un programme quadriennal destiné à soutenir les travaux entrepris dans 11 pays moins avancés d’Afrique au moyen d’une enveloppe de 50 millions de dollars US fournie par le Fonds pour les pays les moins avancés (FPMA) relevant du Fonds pour l’environnement mondial (FEM). À ce titre, ce rapport s’appuie sur les connaissances de l’équipe technique du programme CIRDA, ainsi que sur les résultats des ateliers et des consultations initiales menées par les experts du programme CIRDA auprès des représentants des secteurs public et privé dans les pays bénéficiaires du programme. La vision décrite dans le présent rapport est étroitement liée au plan de travail et aux activités du programme CIRDA.
Pour de plus amples informations sur le programme CIRDA, veuillez consulter le site Internet à l’adresse suivante : www.undp-alm.org/projects/cirda ou voir la page 28.

Le Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement (PNUD) aide les pays à s’adapter au changement climatique dans le cadre du Programme de développement durable à l’horizon 2030. Pour cela, le PNUD cherche à promouvoir des modes d’adaptation favorables aux pauvres et à la croissance susceptibles de favoriser un développement économique résilient face au changement climatique ainsi que des moyens de subsistance durables dans un tel contexte.
Les projets et programmes nationaux soutenus par le PNUD s’articulent autour des six programmes phares suivants :

Appui aux stratégies intégrées en matière de changement climatique ; Moyens de subsistance intersectoriels résilients face au changement climatique ; Adaptation écosystémique (EbA) ; Renforcement de la résilience pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire ; Gestion des ressources en eau et du littoral intégrée et résiliente face au changement climatique ; et Promotion des infrastructures et des énergies à l’épreuve du changement climatique.

Le programme CIRDA s’inscrit dans le cadre du programme phare intitulé « Moyens de subsistance intersectoriels résilients face au changement climatique ». En soutenant le développement des systèmes d’alerte précoce en Afrique et dans la région de l'Asie et du Pacifique, le programme aide les pays à se protéger contre les risques climatiques à court terme ou à évolution rapide (p. ex. cyclones, inondations et tempêtes) et à long terme ou à évolution lente (p. ex. sécheresses et changement climatique durable).

Le PNUD aide les pays en développement à financer l’adaptation au changement climatique en faisant appel à diverses sources internationales de financement des projets environnementaux, notamment les fonds administrés par le Fonds pour l’environnement mondial, à savoir le Fonds pour les pays les moins avancés (FPMA), le Fonds spécial pour les changements climatiques (FSCC) et le Fonds pour l'adaptation relevant du Protocole de Kyoto (AF), ainsi que le Fonds vert pour le climat et les donateurs bilatéraux et multilatéraux. Ces projets touchent de nombreux secteurs et impliquent les gouvernements, les organisations communautaires (CBO) et les organisations non gouvernementales (ONG), qui travaillent de concert pour diffuser les informations et proposer des solutions pour l’adaptation à la variabilité du climat et au changement climatique. Bon nombre de ces projets oeuvrent à fournirdes informations météorologiques et climatologiques accessibles, crédibles et appropriées qui peuvent être exploitées à diverses échelles spatiales et temporelles afin d’éclairer la prise de décisions dans les secteurs et les zones de projet concernés.

Pour ce faire, les investissements sont nécessaires à toutes les étapes de la chaîne de valeur de l’information allant de la création et du renforcement des réseaux d’observation à la mise en place de services permettant aux communautés, aux décisionnaires et aux entreprises de comprendre et d’exploiter les informations météorologiques et climatologiques, en passant par la conception de produits sur mesure adaptés aux risques et par l’amélioration de la communication et du partage d’informations. Dans les pays les moins avancés (PMA) où les moyens humains, techniques et financiers sont souvent limités, cette démarche implique de repartir les ressources de manière à combler les principales lacunes, par exemple, en assurant l’exploitation et la maintenance d’une infrastructure informatique dédiée à l’observation, le développement de la modélisation des risques et des capacités de prévision, la promotion de la coopération institutionnelle, l’introduction des technologies basées sur les téléphones portables et l’implication des communautés dans la collecte des données et l’élaboration des alertes et des conseils à la population.

Pour se moderniser tout en respectant les principes du développement durable, les pays les moins avancés doivent exploiter les capacités existantes, créer des liens entre les projets et les institutions, mais aussi adopter les dernières technologies à bas coût et favoriser les flux de revenus tant dans le secteur public que privé

On 10 November 2016, as a side event to the 8th Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapon Convention (BWTC), the GCSP co-organised a panel discussion jointly with VERTIC and the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment (GET) Consortium with the support of the UK Government and the International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI).

The topic was "Adressing the Biosecurity Governance: Challenges Posed by the Ebola Epidemic". The event was chaired by Dr Lorna Miller (UK Delegation).

Dr Akin Abayomi, Professor in the Department of Pathology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, explained how the Ebola-stricken region was previously affected by poverty, insufficient infrastructure, failing governance and conflict, which contributed to the rapid spread of the disease. As part of the response, largely by international actors, some 300,000 samples were collected, some of which are still not accounted for. This major risk required the introduction of guidelines and accountability, especially in view of attempts by non-state armed groups to seek access to pathogens for use as weapons. The Bio-banking and Biosecurity Gap Project, supported by the GET Consortium, helped secure samples, develop adequate legislation, and establish national repositories.

Mr Scott Spence, Programme Director, VERTIC, London (also GCSP Associate Fellow), recalled the activities carried out by his organization to strengthen global capacity to implement the International Health Regulations and the BWTC, introduce biosecurity and biosafety legislation and regulations, and contribute to the prevention of unauthorized use of biological agents. In the Ebola-stricken region, in particular in Sierra Leone, this included analysis of legislative gaps, the drafting of a model law, including detailed provisions on storage, transport, transfer controls, brokering, and disposal of dangerous pathogens and toxins.

Mr Marc Finaud, Senior Programme Advisor, GCSP, recalled the book published by GCSP in 2008: “Global Biosecurity: Towards a New Governance Paradigm”. He outlined the recommendations then proposed but still relevant, in particular on the need for a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary, and multilateral approach of biosecurity, taking into account the whole spectrum of the biorisk (from natural outbreaks to accidental release and deliberate, hostile use of pathogens). He pointed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a new framework for guidance: indeed if all states strengthened their preparedness and capacity to respond effectively to naturally occurring diseases, this would make deliberate use of pathogens less attractive to potential perpetrators.

During the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone, hundreds of people – teachers, builders, taxi drivers – volunteered to support not only those who contracted the virus but also their families.

The work of burial teams was crucial in stopping the spread of Ebola, which claimed almost 4,000 lives in Sierra Leone and more than 11,000 across west Africa.

Read the full article here

I have just concluded a three-day visit to Sierra Leone, during which I had a fruitful exchange of views with various stakeholders in the context of the preparations for the presidential and parliamentary elections due to take place in early 2018.

The purpose of my mission was to consult on the level of preparedness and the challenges to the electoral process and how the United Nations could accompany the people of Sierra Leone at this important juncture in the country’s democratic journey.

During my visit, I held consultations with the National Electoral Commission, which has the responsibility for the organization of the upcoming polls. I met with members of the Diplomatic Corps and had discussions with political parties and members of civil society. I also had the opportunity to exchange views with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Minister of Internal Affairs, and I was received in audience by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, whom I briefed on my exchanges.

In the course of my discussions, I underlined the confidence of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Sierra Leone’s democratic system and its capacity to organize peaceful, credible, and participatory elections. It is significant to note that Sierra Leone’s 2018 elections will come at the end of a series of eight recent successful elections in West Africa.

In all my encounters, I recalled that in 2012 the people of Sierra Leone managed to hold elections, which were widely praised as peaceful, transparent, and credible. I expressed my conviction that Sierra Leone will build on this achievement and maintain a conducive environment, ensuring a level playing field, for transparent, peaceful, and credible polls in 2018.

In this vein, it will be important to scale up preparations for the polls and not to be distracted from the need to meet constitutionally required timelines.

I wish to commend the National Electoral Commission for its outreach efforts, and want to encourage dialogue between political actors and other stakeholders. I equally urge civil society, the private sector as well as the media to be aware of their important responsibilities, and encourage youth and women to participate actively in the process.

I call upon the security services to undertake their responsibilities for securing the electoral process and protecting political activists and leaders with professionalism and impartiality.

The United Nations will pursue its collaboration with the people of Sierra Leone, whom I would like to commend for its resilience displayed during difficult times such as in the fight against the Ebola crisis. At this crucial moment, we are confident that the upcoming elections will mark another milestone in Sierra Leone’s aspiration for the consolidation of democratic governance and sustainable development.

I thank you very much for your attention.

Freetown, 8 November 2016

Le Réseau de systèmes d’alerte précoce contre la famine (FEWS NET) surveille les tendances des prix des aliments de base dans les pays vulnérables à l'insécurité alimentaire. Pour chaque pays et chaque région couvert par FEWS NET, le Bulletin des prix fournit un ensemble de graphiques indiquant les prix mensuels de l’année commerciale en cours pour certains centres urbains, et permettant à l’utilisateur de comparer les tendances actuelles à la fois aux moyennes quinquennales, qui indiquent les tendances saisonnières, et aux prix de l'année précédente.

L'Afrique de l’Ouest peut être divisée en trois zones agro-écologiques ou en trois bassins commerciaux (bassins de l’ouest, bassin du centre, bassin de l’est). Les deux sont importants pour l'interprétation du comportement et de la dynamique du marché.

Les trois principales zones agro-écologiques incluent la zone Sahélienne, la zone Soudanaise et la zone Côtière où la production et la consommation peuvent être facilement classifiées. (1) Dans la zone Sahélienne, le mil constitue le principal produit alimentaire cultivé et consommé en particulier dans les zones rurales et de plus en plus par certaines populations qui y ont accès en milieux urbains. Des exceptions sont faites pour le Cap Vert où le maïs et le riz sont les produits les plus importants, la Mauritanie où le blé et le sorgho et le Sénégal où le riz constituent des aliments de base. Les principaux produits de substitution dans le Sahel sont le sorgho, le riz, et la farine de manioc (Gari), avec les deux derniers en période de crise. (2) Dans la zone Soudanienne (le sud du Tchad, le centre du Nigéria, du Bénin, du Ghana, du Togo, de la Côte d'Ivoire, le sud du Burkina Faso, du Mali, du Sénégal, la Guinée Bissau, la Serra Leone, le Libéria) le maïs et le sorgho constituent les principales céréales consommées par la majorité de la population. Suivent après le riz et les tubercules particulièrement le manioc et l’igname. (3) Dans la zone côtière, avec deux saisons de pluie, l’igname et le maïs constituent les principaux produits alimentaires. Ils sont complétés par le niébé, qui est une source très significative de protéines.

Les trois bassins commerciaux sont simplement connus sous les noms de bassin Ouest, Centre, et Est. En plus du mouvement du sud vers le nord des produits, les flux de certaines céréales se font aussi horizontalement. (1) Le bassin Ouest comprend la Mauritanie, le Sénégal, l’ouest du Mali, la Sierra Leone, la Guinée, le Libéria, et la Gambie où le riz est le plus commercialisé. (2) Le bassin central se compose de la Côte d'Ivoire, le centre et l’est du Mali, le Burkina Faso, le Ghana, et le Togo où le maïs est généralement commercialisé. (3) Le bassin Est se rapporte au Niger, Nigéria, Tchad, et Bénin où le millet est le plus fréquemment commercialisé. Ces trois bassins commerciaux sont distingués sur la carte ci-dessus

This brief summarizes FEWS NET’s most forward-looking analysis of projected emergency food assistance needs in FEWS NET coverage countries. The projected size of each country’s acutely food insecure population is compared to last year and the recent five-year average. Countries where external emergency food assistance needs are anticipated are identified. Projected lean season months highlighted in red indicate either an early start or an extension to the typical lean season. Additional information is provided for countries with large food insecure populations, an expectation of high severity, or where other key issues warrant additional discussion.

Improvement in Household Food Security as harvesting progresses

Key Messages

• Harvesting of main season crops, including rice, cassava, sweet potato, vegetables, and cocoa, are in progress and providing improved food availability and income for poor households across the country. All of the districts, including Port Loko and Kailahun will improve to Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity by January 2017 when both commodity and food crop harvests are complete.
• In Kailahun and Port Loko districts, the residual shocks of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak have led to a slow economic recovery. In addition to being two of the worst affected districts, the closure of two iron ore mines in Port Loko District and heavy rains that atypically disrupted transport and commodity crop trade in Kailahun have further slowed recovery. These districts will remain in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) acute food insecurity through January 2017.
• Full economic recovery from EVD related shocks is expected by the end of the main 2016/17 food and commodity crop harvests across the country. From February to May 2017, it is expected that off-season production of rice, vegetables, cassava, and sweet potato will be average to above-average across the country, improving food consumption. Additionally peak cocoa, coffee and palm oil production and marketing will occur during this period, further improving incomes.

SC/12590

7813TH MEETING (AM)

Speakers Reject Terrorism Link with Any Specific Religion, Culture, Nationality

Speakers in the Security Council this morning called for a stronger strategic partnership between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on peace and security, particularly in relation to countering extremist ideology.

The relationship between the two organizations was invaluable, given the magnitude and complexity of global challenges, Miroslav Jenca, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said during a meeting that also heard from OIC Assistant Secretary General Hameed Opeleyeru and Columbia University professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne.

Mr. Opeloyeru described OIC and United Nations objectives as broadly similar, both organizations being devoted to the cause of international peace, security and development. The OIC was a natural partner of the United Nations in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism. Having adopted the Convention on Combating International Terrorism in 1999, the OIC had been among the first to formulate a clear and principled position against terrorism, he pointed out.

Among many such initiatives, he continued, the OIC was developing narratives to counter extremist ideologies by elevating credible and authentic religious voices supporting tolerance and non-violence. It had established the Centre for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding for that purpose and to expose the reality of terrorist groups claiming to belong to the Islamic faith. The OIC looked forward to further engagement with the United Nations in addressing the immediate and future challenges facing the Muslim world, he added.

Mr. Diagne cautioned that, in the sound and fury of the violence unleashed in the name of religion, one might lose sight of the fact that it had its roots in the promotion of human values. He said the promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue must focus on the universal values that made human coexistence possible, including respect for universal human rights. Describing pluralism as a cornerstone in the promotion of peaceful coexistence, he said it was the authentic response to extreme violence. The OIC and the United Nations had a shared belief in advocating the unity of the human community and full respect for pluralism, he said, pointing out that Islamic texts also evoked pluralism. A core principle of Islam was that humankind was the lieutenant of God on earth and should therefore ensure the continual renewal of Creation, he emphasized.

Following those briefings, Council members affirmed the importance of enhancing United Nations-OIC cooperation in conflict prevention and counter-extremism, as well as the need for a comprehensive global counter-terrorism strategy supported by all regional partners. In that regard, most speakers stressed the importance of fighting terrorism, not only through security efforts, but also through development initiatives, conflict-resolution measures and the dissemination of voices challenging extremist ideology, including prominent religious voices.

Speakers including the representatives of Angola, Uruguay and Malaysia encouraged the OIC to enhance efforts to promote tolerance within its various member States and around the world. In that regard, France’s representative highlighted the importance of all fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression. Many speakers underlined the importance of ensuring that terrorism was not associated with any one religion.

Underlining that there could be no differentiating between “good” and “bad” terrorists, the Russian Federation’s representative said it was important to prevent terrorism by eliminating radicalism. Anti-terrorism efforts must be built upon the solid foundation of international law, he said, adding that attention must be paid not only to the military threat, but also to underlying causes, including conflict.

The representative of the United States suggested the appointment of a dedicated counter-terrorism coordinator to liaise with the OIC and other partners, in order to enhance cooperation in that field between the OIC and the United Nations.

Also speaking were representatives of Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, China, Venezuela, Egypt, Uruguay, Japan, Malaysia, France, New Zealand and Senegal.

According to a concept note prepared by the Senegalese presidency (document S/2016/965), the OIC is mindful that fighting terrorism requires a comprehensive and inclusive approach that takes realities on the ground into account. The United Nations and the OIC have worked closely to restore peace and security in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Darfur/the Sudan, Libya, Mali, Somalia and Yemen. They have also worked together on reconstruction and development in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sierra Leone and Somalia, the note states.

The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 12:33 p.m.

Briefings

HAMEED OPELOYERU, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said that body’s goals and objectives and those of the United Nations were broadly similar because both organizations were devoted to the cause of international peace, security and development. The OIC and the United Nations had engaged in successful bilateral coordination and exchanges, and based on its firm belief in the critical role played by international organizations, it had also built close cooperative relations with other regional and subregional organizations. The OIC was a natural partner of the United Nations in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism, and had continually been at the forefront in that fight. Having adopted the Convention on Combating International Terrorism in 1999, the OIC had been among the first to formulate a clear and principled position against terrorism, he said.

The OIC viewed the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy as a viable guideline for Member States in countering terrorism, he said, noting that it had organized, jointly with the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), a workshop in 2013, and was now organizing a second one. In addition, discussions were under way with the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) on how to promote implementation of the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. One of the projects under consideration was a high-level event on the prevention of youth radicalization in the Middle East, he said. The first step in countering radicalization was to deprive terrorist groups of legitimacy in the eyes of the people they exploited by repudiating the very arguments they used to justify their criminal acts. The OIC was developing counter-narratives by elevating credible and authentic religious voices supporting tolerance and non-violence.

He went on to state that, among other efforts, the OIC had established a Centre for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding which aimed to debunk extremist narratives through counter-messaging over social media outlets and the production of videos and animations exposing the reality about terrorist groups claiming to be Islamic. The OIC, as one of the leading inter-governmental organizations in the area of South-South cooperation, had developed strong partnerships with United Nations entities engaged in promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention in its 57 member States. In a rapidly changing world, strengthening cooperation between the OIC and the United Nations would both promote multilateralism and boost international collective security mechanisms, he emphasized. The OIC had played an important role in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts, in promoting post-conflict reconstruction and in defusing humanitarian crises in its member States, and had also been active in combating violent extremism and terrorism. It looked forward to further engagement with the United Nations in addressing immediate and future challenges facing the Muslim world, he said.

MIROSLAV JENCA, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said the magnitude and complexity of current challenges were too great for any one organization alone, adding that the Secretary-General welcomed the OIC’s valuable support in a wide range of United Nations initiatives, particularly in the areas of conflict prevention and implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The United Nations had been working with the OIC for many years and the Department of Political Affairs had recently stepped up efforts to enhance that relationship. To be sure, there were challenges in the relationship, he said, emphasizing that the best way to harmonize goals and practices was to maintain direct contact between the leaders of the two organizations.

He went on to note that the respective Secretaries-General of the two organizations had met during General Assembly sessions and on many other occasions. They held general cooperation meetings every two years, and the last one had taken place in May 2016. He described the cooperation between the two entities in the areas of mediation and election assistance, peace and security, economic cooperation and humanitarian issues; OIC activities in favour of a two-State solution to the question of Palestine; as well as conflict settlement and humanitarian assistance in Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, Mali and others. He called for further enhancement of the relationship between the United Nations and the OIC with the aim of fostering peace, respect for human rights and better opportunities for people in all regions of the world.

SOULEYMANE BACHIR DIAGNE, Professor and Chair, Department of French and Romance Philology and of Philosophy, Columbia University, cautioned that, in the sound and fury of the violence unleashed in the name or religion, one might lose sight of the fact that religions had old roots in the promotion of human values. The promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue must focus on the universal values that made human coexistence possible, including respect for universal human rights, he emphasized. Describing pluralism as one value that served as a cornerstone in the promotion of peaceful coexistence, he said it was the authentic response to extreme violence. The OIC and the United Nations had a shared belief in advocating the unity of the human community and full respect for pluralism, he said, pointing out that the Islamic texts also evoked pluralism.

Pluralism and difference were natural, created by God and thus right and proper, he said, adding that there was also urgent need to promote ecological awareness because climate change had become clear in all the world’s regions. Emphasizing that religion had a natural role to play in promoting that awareness, he said a core principle of Islam was that humankind was the lieutenant of God on earth and should therefore ensure the continual renewal of Creation. For humankind to achieve full awareness of its identity was to have a full understanding of its responsibility to protect the environment, he stressed. Underlining the importance of education in helping to implement the philosophies of pluralism and ecological awareness, he said it was vital to build cooperation between the OIC and the United Nations on that cornerstone.

Statements

ROMÁN OYARZUN MARCHESI (Spain) said the OIC was a key actor in the maintenance of international peace and security, and a vital partner of the Council. Its role was born of the fact that Muslim-majority societies were paying a high price in terms of terrorism, which had no root in religion. Preventive action was an area in which the OIC could play a vital role, he said, noting that it could contribute to broader dissemination of the spirit of the Plan of Action to Counter Violent Extremism. Spain proposed the creation of a task force that would be deployed in cases of inter-religious crisis or violent extremism, he said, emphasizing that more space must be accorded to victims of terrorism, who could be key allies in the anti-terror struggle. There was also need for a counter-narrative, he stressed, adding that Spain proposed to create an international private-public committee to debunk extremist messages. Intercultural and interreligious experts could also be deployed in peacekeeping operations, he said, calling also for a long-term focus on youth, and on taking every possible step to ensure that young people were properly educated.

VOLODYMYR YELCHENKO (Ukraine) said the international community required a comprehensive approach in addressing the root causes of terrorism based on the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. Cooperation between the United Nations and the OIC would be most effective if there was sufficient political will to reveal the drivers of violent extremism, including corrupt institutions, poor governance and gross human rights violations. Counter-extremism efforts should be combined with preventive measures to address governance deficits and promote social development, he said, adding that civil society actors should play a more active role, particularly representatives of local communities and religious leaders who could help to reverse the spread of violent extremist ideology.

MATTHEW RYCROFT (United Kingdom) said his delegation looked forward to continuing its work with the OIC on a range of current challenges, among them countering violent extremism, which had done great harm in the Muslim world. The United Kingdom was helping to disseminate Muslim voices to expose the false messages of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and other groups, he said, adding that it was also working with many Muslim countries on holding terrorist leaders accountable for their crimes. It was now especially important to mobilize the expertise to put into action strategies developed to counter extremist ideologies. In the realization that inclusive development was another antidote to terrorist ideology, the United Kingdom was working with the Islamic Development Bank on many projects aimed at helping people escape marginalizing poverty, he said, adding that he looked forward to further enhancement of his country’s work with the OIC in many areas.

JULIO HELDER MOURA LUCAS (Angola) said it was clear that the goals of the United Nations and the OIC were very similar and that there were many areas in which their cooperation could be enhanced. On extremism, he said it was vital, first and foremost, to end ongoing conflicts that fed radicalism. Also, political processes must be based on inclusivity because disenfranchisement created space for extremism. Angola welcomed OIC initiatives to elevate genuine religious voices to counter extremist narratives. Emphasizing that terrorism was not associated with any religion, he called upon the OIC to play a more decisive role in mediating the relationship between religion and politics in order to prevent marginalization and promote interfaith dialogue. He also encouraged the OIC to continue to work with the United Nations in addressing the causes of extremism in the Muslim world and beyond.

LIU JIEYI (China) affirmed the OIC’s positive role in many areas of cooperation with the United Nations, and expressed support for strengthening and consolidating the security mechanisms of regional organizations. Expressing support for cooperation on counter-terrorism, he called for a more comprehensive strategy, led by the United Nations and supported by regional organization, that would block the flow of funding and other resources to terrorists as well as their use of the Internet. Dialogue among civilizations should promote world harmony and mutual respect, he emphasized. China supported OIC activities in preventing conflict and promoting intercultural dialogue, and looked forward to further joint efforts to create a better future for humankind.

HENRY ALFREDO SUÁREZ MORENO (Venezuela), emphasizing the important role played by regional and subregional organizations in settling conflicts, noted that the United Nations and the OIC had been cooperating closely in the areas of peace and security, humanitarian assistance and the promotion of dialogue among civilizations. Emphasizing that the OIC was a strategic ally of the United Nations in the fight against terrorism and the spread of violent extremism, he said the fight against terrorism should be undertaken through full and non-selective implementation of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Such an effort must also focus on prevention, he said, stressing that the promotion of religious and cultural tolerance should include efforts to effectively counter terrorist narratives that used religion to justify violence.

AMR ABDELLATIF ABOULATTA (Egypt), urging a comprehensive, coordinated approach in confronting the ideology of terrorism, said it should rely on partnership between States and regional as well as subregional organizations within a legal framework. Noting that confronting extremist ideologies was a long-term endeavour, he said the OIC’s Centre for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding used the Internet and social media to confront messages leading to violent extremism. Cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and OIC, particularly with such entities as the CTED and the CTITF, must be more effective in order to set out priorities, identify challenges and find the best means by which to confront extreme messages while respecting freedom of speech, he emphasized. Cooperation and coordination between the two organizations must also be promoted in confronting all types of extremism leading to terrorism and to Islamophobia.

ELBIO ROSELLI (Uruguay), emphasizing the importance of pluralism, said that extremist ideologies could only be combatted through freedom and tolerance, with education the cornerstone of the struggle. Education was vital to fostering tolerance and pluralism. Stressing the importance of cooperation with the OIC, he noted its support for the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and said that its member States had maintained a united front in addressing the root causes of violent ideologies.

MICHELE J. SISON (United States), welcoming the growing recognition of the need for international cooperation in countering violent extremism, suggested, in order to strengthen that partnership, the appointment of a counter-terrorism coordinator to liaise with the OIC and other partners. A coordinated strategy must also prioritize human rights, in practice as well as policy, she emphasized. Furthermore, it was vital to communicate with young people, to fight intolerance and to ensure that terrorism was not associated with any one religion. The momentum built in all those areas must be maintained, she stressed.

VLADIMIR K. SAFRONKOV (Russian Federation) said that, in countering terrorism, it was critical to forge a broad, global coalition that would counter any support for terrorist activity, without differentiating between such groups or allowing exceptions. Emphasizing that there were no good terrorists or bad terrorists, he said it was important to prevent terrorism by eliminating radicalism. Citing a draft resolution submitted by his delegation on counteracting extremism, including through the Internet, he expressed hope that the Islamic world shared the Russian view of such initiatives, and the need to fight terrorism by building on the solid foundation of international law. Attention must be paid not only to the military threat, but to underlying causes, including conflicts, he stressed. In that regard, the Russian Federation called for a comprehensive review of the situation in the entire Middle East, he said, underlining that no conflict in the region could be resolved by force. There was need for a holistic strategy that would include a two-State solution to the Palestinian question, he said, pledging that Russian Federation would continue to work with Muslim countries and the OIC to foster peace and security throughout the world.

RAMLAN IBRAHIM (Malaysia) emphasized the importance of dissociating terrorism from religion in enhancing the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the OIC so as to curb extremist ideology. The advent of Islamophobia had created a convenient “false truth” in substantiating the agenda of terrorists, allowing a misleading psyche to prevail through the association of terrorism with religion, he noted. The international community must address the rise of Islamophobia, which had led to the marginalization and alienation of Muslims as well as to discrimination against them. International efforts to counter extremist ideology should focus on instilling a culture of peace, tolerance and understanding in those vulnerable to and targeted by terrorist groups, especially young people, he stressed. Noting that extremist ideology could have roots in the prolonged illegal occupation of Palestine, non-inclusive governance, dysfunctional institutions and gross violations of human rights, he said those factors had in turn bred anger, frustration and despair – powerful tools for recruiting foreign terrorist fighters. Cooperation between the United Nations and the OIC on a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy should consider policies based on dialogue, socioeconomic inclusion and non-discrimination in support of minority groups, he said.

ANNE GUEGUEN (France) said cooperation between the OIC and the United Nations was important on all fronts of the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. Despite significant success in the fight against ISIL/Da’esh and its diminishing online propaganda, the group still exercised a significant pull over young people, she noted. The propaganda of terrorist groups played on feelings of injustice and marginalization and on financial need, luring young people into a theatre of barbarism and death, she said, adding that it was most effective on the Internet. Enhanced cooperation with the OIC could lead to better understanding, and effective debunking, of terrorist ideology, she said, pointing out that Muslims were the main victims of terrorism. The OIC Programme of Action for 2020-2025, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism were excellent platforms for cooperation between the two organizations, she said, adding that cooperation with the private sector and civil society was also important in countering terrorist propaganda.

GERARD VAN BOHEMEN (New Zealand) said there had never been greater need for a strong partnership between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Describing the OIC as a natural partner in terms of conflict prevention, he said many of its member States had made tremendous contributions in managing unprecedented global refugee flows. The OIC’s greatest potential, however, was in preventing and combating violent extremism, he said, commending its long-standing commitment to promote interfaith understanding and its rejection of all forms of intolerance. He encouraged the OIC to deepen its cooperation with the United Nations in fighting violent extremism, and welcomed the Programme of Action aimed at strengthening its role in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding.

TAKESHI AKAHORI (Japan) said conflict and violent extremism were rooted in weak governance and a lack of inclusiveness, adding that it was encouraging that the OIC shared that view and was undertaking an inclusive and comprehensive approach. The OIC could play a more prominent humanitarian role and in the area of the return and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons. Commending its contributions in Yemen, he said the OIC could do more to improve the situation in Syria, help the Israel-Palestine peace process and improve relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

FODÉ SECK (Senegal), Council President for November, spoke in his national capacity, noting that the OIC and the United Nations shared the same views when combating violent ideologies. There was a dynamic framework of cooperation between the two organizations, as seen in their more than 25 years of bilateral biennial meetings, he said, adding that their close relationship was also illustrated by the OIC’s cooperation with the CTED. Noting that terrorism harmed Muslims and unjustly led to fear of Islam, he rejected any attempt to make terrorism representative of any religion, culture or nationality, emphasizing that Senegal also renounced Islamophobia. Pointing out that both organizations had made intercultural dialogue an essential element of their cooperation, he called for greater involvement of young people and women in designing anti-terrorism strategies. There was also a need to address poverty and unemployment and to enhance pluralism and environmental awareness through education.

Mr. OPELOYERU, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, expressed sincere appreciation and gratitude on behalf of the OIC Secretary-General for the Council’s profound contribution in seeking ways and means to enhance cooperation between the OIC and the United Nations in combating terrorism and violent extremism. The OIC remained committed to consolidating and expanding relations with the United Nations in the interest of a peaceful world community and hoped that sessions like the one held today could take place biennially.

For information media. Not an official record.

Situation des cultures et prévisions des rendements des prinicpales céréales pluviales en Afrique de l’Ouest

Situation pluviométrique

Vers la fin de la saison agricole 2016, la situation hydrique a été très contrastée dans les pays de la zone CILSS/CEDEAO. En effet, les anomalies des pluies au cours des trois décades du mois de septembre et la première d’octobre montrent des zones déficitaires un peu partout dans la zone (figure 1). Ainsi, la première décade de septembre a été caractérisée par des poches de déficits pluviométriques ayant particulièrement concerné le Nord et le Centre Burkina Faso, la zone pastorale et quelques localités du Centre et l’extrême Ouest du Niger, le Sud Mali, la zone littorale de la Mauritanie, le Nord Sénégal le Nord Benin, certaines localités du Nord et du Sud Nigéria et plusieurs localités du Centre et l’extrême Sud du Tchad (figure 1A). Pendant la deuxième décade de septembre, la situation de déficit hydrique a persisté dans plusieurs localités (le Nord du Burkina Faso, Ouest et Centre du Niger, le Nord Nigéria, le Sud Tchad) et s’est étendue à d’autres localités, notamment au Nigeria, en Côte d’Ivoire, au Ghana, au Libéria, en Sierra Léone, en Guinée et au Mali (figure 1B). Pendant la troisième décade du mois de septembre, le déficit hydrique a encore pris de l’ampleur dans le Sud Tchad, le Centre et Sud Nigeria, le Nord Benin, le Centre Burkina Faso, la majeure partie de la zone agricole du Mali et le Nord Sénégal (figure 1C). Cette figure montre que c’est la troisième décade du mois de septembre qui semble marquer le début du retrait de la saison des pluies notamment dans le Sahel Est. Au cours de la première décade du mois d’octobre, le retrait des pluies a été effectif au centre du Tchad, au Niger et gagne progressivement la bande agricole du Sahel Centre et Ouest (Burkina Faso, Mali et Sénégal) et la partie Nord du Nigeria et le Sud du Tchad.

Two of Sierra Leone’s Ebola hardest hit districts have benefitted from a new USD 1.5 million project to help improve their livelihood and basic services in rural communities on November 18, 2016.

The initiative, launched by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon Maya Kaikai, is part of the government's post Ebola recovery strategy aimed at giving power to the local communities to be at the helm of decision-making process on development and basic services delivery.

The border community-led development and governance project will empower the VDCs, particularly women to sit side-by-side with the local authorities using healthcare as entry point to identify and priorities health related issues affecting their communities. The initiative seeks to strengthen community capacities and participation in the local development planning processes in the major border districts of Kambia and Kailahun.

The project will also rehabilitate 95 social amenity structures including drinking water and sanitation facilities, schools and primary healthcare units (PHUs) prioritized by the beneficiary communities. Additionally, the community members will be empowered to lead the planning and implementation of the rehabilitation of the identified social amenity structures. This will provide employment to the members of the beneficiary communities and boost their livelihood.

Sierra Leone’s Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Honourable Maya Kaikai told beneficiaries of the project that the intervention would go a long way to improve the basic service delivery in the two border districts with Guinea in the north and Liberia in the east .

“The lack of basic but essential services are negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of his people,” said Foday Conteh chief of the Village Development Committee for Samu chiefdom in Kambia district.

Samu chiefdom, with 64,572 inhabitants has one basic healthcare centre. It is not uncommon for patients to travel very long distance in dusty and bumpy roads to access health facilities.

With mostly ill-equipped hospital and poorly motivated staff, the community members think issues related to health are not their business except when they are ill or their family members are sick, lamented by community members at launching ceremony.

In Kambia, the project will cover three chiefdoms Samu, Magbema and Gbinle-Dixon all predominately farming, cross-border trading and fishing communities and in Kailahun district four chiefdoms of Luawa, Kissy Teng, Jawei and Peje, which are agriculture and small-scale mining dominated chiefdoms.

“The UNDP intervention in these three chiefdoms means that 60 percent of the kambia people will be covered and we would have a healthy population,” said PC Alimany Lahai.

UNDP Inclusive Growth Cluster lead Ghulam Sherani, noted UNDP’s invaluable partnership with the government and the people of Sierra Leone spanning 4 decades.

“Involving communities in development planning and decision making process is an excellent opportunity to solve socio-economic challenges at community levels,” Mr. Sherani said.

The launching of the new project titled: Access to HealthCare and Community Led Development” with funding from the Government of Japan is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry comes just two weeks after the nation commemorated its one-year anniversary of the end of the Ebola epidemic.

By Harriet Mason

Sierra Leone health workers are now using a SMS reporting platform. The system makes reporting quicker and more transparent, helping the government track healthcare supplies across the country and plan availability for where they are needed most.

PORT LOKO, Sierra Leone, 21 November 2016 - Nurse Kabiru Kargbo knows what to do. As soon as his health facility receives a delivery of supplies he pulls out his mobile phone and gets ready to report. He responds to some basic questions by SMS and sends the information back to the national level. Almost immediately the Ministry of Health and Sanitation knows its supplies have reached their destination.

The supplies – procured by UNICEF with funding from the European Union, the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and USAID – are part of the government’s Free Health Care initiative and will be given out free of charge to children under five and to pregnant and breast-feeding mothers.

Everyone involved wants to make sure the life-saving supplies make it to the 1,200 government-run health facilities across the country. Thanks to USAID support, UNICEF’s open source RapidPro system is being used to track the supplies by mobile phone.

Ahead of the latest distribution, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation together with UNICEF trained health workers from around the country on how to use the platform, which allows reporting on basic mobile phones.

“I encourage you to fully utilize the system as it will make your work easier and even increase trust from the donors, government and the communities you serve in,” UNICEF Health Officer Diana Koroma told health staff during one training session.

Every health facility is required to report on the drugs and supplies within 24 hours of receiving them by mobile SMS. In comparison, the previous reporting system could take many days, particularly for those in hard to reach areas of the country. The long paper-based chain of reporting slowed down the response system – making it difficult to get an accurate picture of where supplies had been delivered.

Now, in the capital Freetown, the results are only a click away. “This new technology is making our work much easier by giving us a shorter and more direct chain of reporting,” said Nurse Kabiru. “I simply need to have a charged phone and mobile network – no need for an internet connection or even phone credit.”

Back at the Port Loko District Government Hospital, the district pharmacist takes note of the newly arrived Free Health Care supplies while a group of pregnant women attend an antenatal session. “The Free Health Care programme has really helped us the women of child bearing age and our little children in Sierra Leone,” said Khadija Koroma, who is eight months pregnant and has been accessing the Free Health Care services for over five months. “Now I don’t have any reason to miss clinic sessions because it is free and I don’t have to worry about money,” she said.

As efforts to improve maternal and child health in the country continue, data collected through the new system will go a long way in helping the government make sure supplies are available throughout the country, especially for those most in need.

In 2015, 230,000 babies were born in Sierra Leone, or around 630 every day.

Among young women (aged 20-24), 36 percent gave birth by age 18.

Approximately 21 babies will die each day before reaching their first month3; 15 stillbirths occur every day.

Neonatal mortality rate:

Sierra Leone’s neonatal mortality rate (NMR)^ is 35 deaths per 1,000 live births.

NMR≠ in rural areas is 41 deaths per 1,000 live births and 48 deaths per 1,000 live births in urban areas for an urban-to-rural ratio of 1.2.

NMR≠ among the poorest households is 42 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 52 deaths per 1,000 live births among the richest households.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Ebola epidemic that swept through Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone during 2014 and the first half of 2015 was by far the worst outbreak of the disease ever, killing thousands of people. Countries with already poor health care systems struggled to contain the early stages of the outbreak, and one of the worst problems they faced was the lack of any quick, reliable way to identify patients infected with the virus.

“Tests would take two or three, sometimes four days to get results back" to hospitals, recalls Matt Scullion of BioFire Defense, a biotechnology firm in Utah. "In the meantime you had malaria patients in with Ebola patients, and if you didn't have Ebola before, you'd be likely to have Ebola after.”

Images that linger after the outbreak ended are stark reminders of the suffering in West Africa: deserted villages, a little girl found alone in a house with her sister dying of Ebola, a husband watching his dead wife being carried away by undertakers, a gravedigger wearing worn-out personal protective equipment, and thus likely to become a patient soon himself.

But as Ebola was multiplying unchecked across large areas of West Africa, a rapid-testing kit that had been in the works for years was ready to go at BioFire Defense, more than 10,000 kilometers away in the western United States.

The U.S. firm, a subsidiary of a large French biomedical corporation, focuses on innovative technologies to help workers in the life sciences identify pathogens quickly and easily. Cynthia Phillips worked on BioFire Defense's Ebola testing kit, known as FilmArray.

Test results in an hour

“The FilmArray kit is both an instrument that is a diagnostic, and a little pouch that’s room-temperature stable that you put a human sample in and some water," Phillips said.

"You put [the sample] into the instrument and it gives you back results on a whole series of tests for pathogens - about 30, usually," she told VOA, adding that the U.S. Defense Department had previously asked the firm to include Ebola among the pathogens its kits can identify.

"We had, I think, three [working] tests before the Ebola outbreak, on two different platforms," Phillips said.

By the time it was ready to distribute its FilmArray kits, BioFire Defense's Scullion said, "The device gave us the ability to test patients in one hour."

WHO-approved diagnostic tools

FilmArray is now one of seven diagnostic tools the World Health Organization has approved for emergency use.

“Before we had to transport samples to Dakar, Senegal, or Lyon, France. But today, thanks to our partners in France, the CDC in the U.S., and many others, we are able to make rapid diagnoses for Ebola,” the inspector general of Guinea's Health Ministry, Aboubakar Sidiki Diakite, told VOA.

"Ebola is a frightening disease, very infectious, and the mortality rate is quite high, and that shouldn’t be taken lightly," said Scullion, who is BioFire Defense's business development director.

During the height of the Ebola crisis, when the first patient evacuated to the U.S. for treatment, he recalled that hospital personnel "had problems just getting couriers to deliver samples to the Centers for Disease Control. That's how big of a fear there was around the handling of a package that had suspected Ebola samples in it."

The first Ebola patient to arrive on U.S. soil was an American physician who had been working in Liberia, Kent Brantly.

Test kit allayed lab workers' fears

Eileen Burd, a professor of pathology and the clinical microbiology director at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, recalls those first days.

“In the laboratory, we felt comfortable with the level of protective equipment, we felt comfortable with our abilities to do the test," Burd told VOA. "But I’ll admit, the first time I opened that first tube of blood, knowing what was in there and what it was doing to the patient down the hall was daunting. So it gave me pause, but then you take a deep breath and ... do the work you need to do.”

“Shortly after our first patient arrived we started using the BioFire FilmArray Ebola Kit," Burd said. "We were lucky that our patients came in [with confirmed Ebola infections], so we didn’t have to use [the kit] to make the diagnosis. But we did use it to follow patients, to test different specimen types … and for patients under investigation, worried travelers.

"We always backed it up with a test at the CDC (which also is in Atlanta) but it was wonderful in this epidemic that the test was available."

Like Professor Burd, Dr. Colleen Kraft is an infectious-diseases specialist and medical microbiologist at Emory. She also was one of the physicians who treated the hospital's Ebola patients, and she agreed that easy and quick testing is critical to enable the rapid detection and management of Ebola virus infections.

"The crucial part of testing is really moving the patient to the right next place, so is the right next place to be admitted to the Ebola treatment unit or is the right next place to be able to go home and not be in a place where they could contract it from another patient?" Dr. Kraft noted.

The World Health Organization declared in May 2015 that the Ebola outbreak of 2014 in West Africa was over, and has since declared that Ebola no longer is "a public health emergency of international concern." However, scattered clusters of cases have been reported every few months, and medical experts caution that no one should conclude that the deadly virus is no longer a risk. They hope that better preparation for future outbreaks and rapid testing tools can drastically lower future death tolls.

Highlights

• WFP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security and FAO launched the 2015 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis report (CFSVA).

• WFP provided a two-week ration to 138 flood-affected households in Freetown including their host families. This was complemented by a distribution of non-food items by Red Cross and Save the Children.

• As lead for the social protection pillar of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, WFP met with other UN agencies to review the status of social protection activities in preparation for the United Nations Country Team retreat in November.

WFP Assistance

WFP is implementing activities to support the Government’s National Ebola Recovery Strategy and reverse the negative impacts of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak on food security and nutrition among vulnerable populations.

The Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) will (i) strengthen the livelihoods of vulnerable communities through community asset creation and rehabilitation; (ii) improve the nutritional status of malnourished children aged 6-59 months, pregnant and nursing women and people living with HIV and TB; and (iii) develop national capabilities to prepare and respond to future emergencies.

The PRRO contributes to restoring and rebuilding livelihoods devastated by EVD, focusing on the most food- insecure populations and Ebola survivors, while enhancing utilization of health and nutrition services weakened by the Ebola outbreak. The PRRO contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Zero Hunger, as well as SDGs 1, 3, 8, 15 and 17. Under the PRRO, WFP will continue to implement Purchase for Progress (P4P) to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers to access reliable markets.

Participation in P4P enables smallholders to sell their surplus crops at competitive prices, thus bolstering their income and reducing their poverty. Food procured through P4P is used to support nutrition and asset creation activities under the PRRO.

Activities under the Country Programme (CP) include school feeding support to primary education of boys and girls. WFP's CP, which contributes to Sustainable SDGs 2 and 17, was designed to empower vulnerable households and individuals with the highest rates of food insecurity and illiteracy in meeting their food and nutrition needs in a sustainable way. The CP is also designed to support the Government to realise its priorities set forth in the Agenda for Prosperity, particularly advancements in the education sector (SDG 4).

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Above-average rice production expected in 2016

• Coarse grain prices showed seasonal increases in previous months but declined in August with end of lean season

• In spite of significant improvements in food security situation, about 392 000 people still need food assistance

Above-average harvest anticipated in 2016

Harvesting of the 2016 paddy crop, virtually the only cereal grown in the country, is underway and is scheduled to be completed by the end of December. According to satellite imagery, rains and soil moisture have been generally favourable in most regions since the beginning of the cropping season, allowing the satisfactory development of crops. Rice production is forecast to expand further this year.

An above‑average harvest was already gathered in 2015, owing to favourable climatic conditions in the main rice-growing regions. In spite of the floods in some areas, which partly affected the production of rice and tubers, the 2015 cereal production is estimated to have increased by 10 percent compared to the previous year’s output. Production of rice, the main cereal grown in the country, also increased by 10 percent. Similarly, the cassava harvest increased significantly.

In 2014, the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak resulted in a serious shock to the agriculture and food sectors. Rice production declined by 8 percent compared to 2013. In particular, cereal production in the Kailahun District was substantially affected by the outbreak that started to spread when crops were being planted and grew during the crop maintenance period, and then expanded rapidly during the critical harvesting period for the staple rice, maize and cassava crops.

Food markets and trade activities continue to improve

Although the country’s dependency on imported rice has been decreasing in recent years, it remains a net importer, with a cereal import dependency ratio of about 18 percent. Trade flows of agricultural commodities to Guinea, Mali and Senegal have recovered significantly.

In addition, most public gathering restrictions have been lifted improving domestic food markets and trade activities. Prices of local staples, including local rice and cassava, showed seasonal increases in recent months, which were amplified by the significant depreciation of the Leone which led to an 80 percent increase in domestic oil price. However, food prices declined slightly in August reflecting new supplies from the first harvests in August and the end of the 2016 lean season.

Food situation improving

Beyond its impact on the agriculture and food sector, the EVD has seriously affected all other sectors of the economy. The mining, manufacturing and service sectors have been the hardest hit. According to the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), Sierra Leone’s real GDP grew by just 4.6 percent in 2014, compared to 20.9 percent in 2013 before the EVD. In 2015, the effects of the EVD epidemic resulted in a sharp decline of 25 percent. With the EVD largely under control, real GDP is predicted to grow by 1 percent in 2016. The disruption of food chains due to the closing of markets, road blocks and quarantines, restricted cross‑border trading, as changes in traders’ behaviour due to the fear of Ebola, significantly reduced the income of EVD‑affected communities, including producers, consumers and traders. Specifically, income‑generating activities typically led by women, such as small trading, were hit hard and the ban on bush meat has also deprived many households of an important source of nutrition and income. Although the Ebola outbreak has ended and the economic situation is improving, about 392 000 people were estimated to be in Phase 3: “Crisis” between June and August and continued to need food assistance. This represents a significant improvement from the 1.1 million estimated during the Ebola crisis.

Freetown November 28, 2016: The 2016 African Human Development Report (AHDR) launched today offers pathways to reducing the persistent gender inequality in Africa.

The report titled “Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa,” highlights deeply-rooted structural obstacles such as unequal distribution of resources, power and wealth, combined with social institutions and norms that sustain inequality holding African women, and the rest of the continent, back.

This is the 2nd edition of the AHDR since it was first launched in 2012. In Sierra Leone, the report is jointly launched by UNDP, Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs. The report estimates that a 1 percent increase in gender inequality reduces a country’s human development index by 0.75 percent.

According to the report, gender inequality is costing sub-Saharan $US95 billion a year, peaking at US$ 105 billion in 2014 – or six percent of the region’s GDP – jeopardizing the continent’s efforts for inclusive human development and economic growth.

Tackling contradiction between legal provisions and practice in gender law; breaking down harmful social norms; transforming discriminatory institutional settings; and securing women’s economic, social and political participation are concrete actions African governments must take to end holding the continent’s women back, the report suggests.

The Report notes that women in Sierra Leone achieve only 81.4 percent of the levels of men in health, education and command over economic resources, which is significantly below the level of 87 percent achieved by women in Sub-Saharan Africa in general. This means that women in Sierra Leone have less choices, freedoms, capabilities and opportunities to lead long and healthy lives, be educated, and enjoy a decent standard of living compared to women in other Sub-Saharan African countries.

The African Human Development Report traditionally addresses relevant issues of public interest which are scrutinized from a human development lens in Africa. The launch was witnessed by representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies, ambassadors, high commissioners, parliamentarians, development partners, policy-makers, gender activists, academicians, media, civil society and officials of the United Nations.

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis and drive and sustain crisis, and help sustain the growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer perspective and long insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

Although challenges remain, ECOWAS has done well to implement the AU’s Peace and Security roadmap.

BY AMANDA LUCEY

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been at the forefront of West African peace and security efforts. This has been challenging given that security threats in the region have been complex and manifold – but the organisation has gone to great lengths to ensure timely and effective responses. As a result, ECOWAS has made progress in implementing the African Union’s (AU’s) Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), as new research by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has found.

The AU considers Africa’s eight regional economic communities (RECs), including ECOWAS, to be its ‘building blocks’. The APSA 2016-2020 Roadmap specifies that partnerships with RECs are a priority; which includes the need to better define roles and responsibilities in such a partnership arrangement.

RECs have developed differently, which makes it impossible for these organisations to apply a ‘one size fits all’ approach in achieving the objectives of the APSA Roadmap.

RECs arguably enjoy some areas of comparative advantage over the AU. These include a better understanding of socio-cultural and political nuances in their respective regions, which might make them more appropriate for mediating context-specific peace agreements. However RECs suffer from challenges, such as financial constraints and divisive politics between member states.

There are several lessons to be learnt from ECOWAS’ experience.

For one, ECOWAS’ desire to take ownership of regional peace and security processes is evident. Like other RECs and the AU itself, ECOWAS has been largely dependent on external funding, which forces it to rely on the whims of donors, rather than the combined vision of its member states. Yet ECOWAS is the only REC that has put in place a 0.5% levy on all goods imported into the region, which it uses to fund ECOWAS activities and decrease its dependency on foreign funding.

Furthermore, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current ECOWAS chair, has prioritised the payment of levies as well as institutional reforms to make the organisation more efficient and effective.

Secondly, ECOWAS recognises that it is stronger when it builds partnerships, including with civil society. This relationship has been formalised through agreements, which makes collaboration easier and more effective. ECOWAS policies are, furthermore, not adopted without input from civil society platforms.

This relationship extends to carrying out joint activities – for example, ECOWAS’ Early Warning Directorate has a laudable relationship with the West African Network for Peacebuilding, its main implementing partner for early warning.

Such efforts are in sharp contrast with other RECs, who rely on intelligence-driven systems where member states don't share information about their own weaknesses, for fear it could be used against them. Further efforts to build partnerships based on openness and transparency are signified by ECOWAS’ Vision 2020, which has rebranded the organisation from an ‘ECOWAS of states’ to an ‘ECOWAS of people’.

Thirdly, ECOWAS’ sustained commitment to peace and security is visible. It has a number of comprehensive frameworks in place to allow it to respond to peace and security challenges. ECOWAS was established in 1975 under an economic mandate, but revised its treaty in 1993 to also focus on peace and security.

A number of frameworks followed, including the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Security; the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; and the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF).

The ECPF in particular is unique because it comprehensively defines conflict prevention – a hot topic of debate in United Nations (UN) and AU circles, where a clear definition and path to implementing the concept have remained elusive. ECOWAS is currently revitalising this comprehensive framework, by establishing an internal steering committee to measure its implementation.

Fourth, ECOWAS has shown a willingness to move beyond talk to implementation. For example, ECOWAS has played a peacekeeping role in Liberia, Guinea Bissau and Mali, among others.

A review of ECOWAS success and failures identified a need to better link early warning to early response. As a result, ECOWAS is now decentralising the early warning system, with member states establishing response mechanisms that involve government authorities, civil society and other national institutions, whose reports feed into regional headquarters.

These efforts are now being piloted in some member states. The move once again signifies ECOWAS’ efforts to enhance member state ownership of responses to dealing with conflicts.

ECOWAS’ abilities to deal with different aspects of conflict, including early warning and mediation, mean that it is capable of using its mechanisms to implement the APSA Roadmap.

But, as with everything, there is room for improvement.

A major issue, raised in the recent ISS paper, is how to deal with governance challenges. Some countries continue to contravene the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance, for example by intimidating political opposition members prior to elections.

This leaves ECOWAS in a legal and political quandary. In such cases, should ECOWAS observe elections that aren’t free and fair? Should ECOWAS enforce sanctions, as the protocol suggests, or try the route of quiet diplomacy? And how can national early warning and response centres be trusted to respond on governance issues when member states are actually part of the problem?

Another neglected area is an ECOWAS framework and response to peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction and development, which relates to efforts to address the root causes of violence and post-conflict reconstruction. ECOWAS has been strong at peacekeeping, for example, but has not been able to provide strategies beyond keeping warring parties apart.

The organisation has identified the absence of a peacebuilding strategy as its weakest link, particularly with regard to issues of transitional justice and reconciliation. Although it has begun to initiate peacebuilding activities in Guinea-Bissau, for example, it still lacks a framework that would allow it to respond across the region.

But most importantly, ECOWAS must define clear responsibilities for its partnership with the AU.

ECOWAS has many structures similar to those of the AU, but it is unclear what the AU’s exact relationship with RECs should be. (A memorandum of understanding on the AU and RECs provides some indications, but leaves this very broad.) While the AU should, ideally, only be playing the role of facilitator, it often plays the role of implementer as well.

This means that resources are sometimes duplicated. Given that ECOWAS has such a well-developed early warning system, for instance, can the AU rely on this instead of producing its own reports? The AU could rather direct its efforts at ensuring that ECOWAS’ early warning reports better reach decision-makers at the PSC – and are acted upon.

The APSA Roadmap notes that the AU and RECs will have to work together to develop a clear set of guidelines on their respective roles and responsibilities across different aspects of the conflict spectrum, based on comparative advantages. For example, ECOWAS may be best placed to intervene first, followed by AU intervention if unsuccessful. In this regard, the AU and ECOWAS must develop clearer guidelines on how mediators are chosen and how they collaborate.

ECOWAS has demonstrated its willingness and ability to be a major player in the peace and security arena. Its experiences should be shared and encouraged among other RECs. However, ECOWAS also has to address some gaps in its engagement, such as a peacebuilding strategy, and more importantly, a clearer way of working with its continental counterpart, the AU. A better understanding of roles and responsibilities will make both organisations more effective.

Amanda Lucey, Senior Researcher, Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Division, ISS Pretoria

West Africa can be divided into three agro-ecological zones or three different trade basins (West Basin, Central Basin and East Basin). Both important for understanding market behavior and dynamics.
The three major agro-ecological zones are the Sahelian, the Sudanese and the Coastal zones where production and consumption can be easily classified. (1) In the Sahelian zone, millet is the principal cereal cultivated and consumed particularly in rural areas and increasingly, when accessible, in urban areas. Exceptions include Cape Verde where maize and rice are most important, Mauritania where sorghum and maize are staples, and Senegal with rice. The principal substitutes in the Sahel are sorghum, rice, and cassava flour (Gari), the latter two in times of shortage. (2) In the Sudanese zone (southern Chad, central Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, southern Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Serra Leone, Liberia) maize and sorghum constitute the principal cereals consumed by the majority of the population. They are followed by rice and tubers, particularly cassava and yam. (3) In the Coastal zone, with two rainy seasons, yam and maize constitute the most important food products. They are supplemented by cowpea, which is a significant source of protein.
The three trade basins are known as the West, Central, and East basins. In addition to the north to south movement of particular commodities, certain cereals flow horizontally. (1) The West basin refers to Mauritania, Senegal, western Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and The Gambia where rice is most heavily traded. (2) The Central basin consists of Côte d'Ivoire, central and eastern Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo where maize is commonly traded. (3) The East basin refers to Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Benin where millet is traded most frequently. These three trade basins are shown on the map above.

Les plus graves niveaux d’insécurité alimentaire persisteront dans le nord-est du Nigeria

MESSAGES CLÉS

• Dans le nord-est du Nigeria, l’insécurité alimentaire de niveau Crise (Phase 3 de l’IPC) continue à l’ouest de Yobe, au sud de Borno et dans le nord de l’Adamawa du fait de l’impact du conflit de Boko-Haram, tandis que celle d’Urgence (Phase 4 de l’IPC) prévaut à l’est de Yobe et dans le centre et le nord de Borno. Nombreux ménages dont les moyens d’existences sont détruits font face à des larges déficits de consommation et des taux de malnutrition élevés.

• Dans les zones isolées et inaccessibles au nord-est du Nigeria, bien que les données sont rares, l’information disponible suggère qu’il est possible qu'une Famine (Phase 5 de l’IPC) y est en cours. Compte tenu de situation préoccupante au nord-est du Nigeria et dans le bassin du Lac Tchad qui pourraient continuer jusqu’au moins en mai 2017, l’assistance humanitaire est nécessaire de toute urgence.

• L’insécurité alimentaire de niveau Stress (Phase 2 de l’IPC) se maintiendra jusqu’en janvier 2017 pour les ménages pauvres affectées par le conflit de Boko Haram dans la région du Lac au Tchad et dans la région de Diffa au Niger. Ces zones pourraient évoluer en Crise (Phase 3 de l’IPC) dès février à cause du conflit qui engendre des personnes déplacées, des perturbations de leurs moyens d’existence, des pressions sur leurs ressources limitées, rendant ces ménages déplacés et ceux pauvres incapables de couvrir leurs besoins alimentaires.

• En Centrafrique, malgré la généralisation des récoltes et la fin de la période de soudure en octobre, la sécurité alimentaire reste préoccupante car les disponibilités alimentaires ne pourront pas compenser les déficits alimentaires chez les ménages pauvres résidents dans les zones d’insécurité, les déplacés, et les familles hôtes. Ils seront incapables de couvrir leurs besoins alimentaires et resteront en Crise (phase 3 de l’IPC) jusqu’au moins en mai 2017.

• L’insécurité alimentaire de niveau Stress (Phase 2 de l’IPC) se maintiendra jusqu’en mai dans l’ouest de la zone agropastorale en Mauritanie du fait de l’échec des cultures pluviales. Par contre, ce niveau d’insécurité alimentaire n’interviendra qu’à partir de mars/avril au Mali dans les zones rizicoles du fleuve du fait des baisses importantes des productions suite aux inondations et au Tchad, dans le Kanem, BEG, Guera et Wadi Fira suite à une forte baisse de leurs sources principales de revenus (transferts des migrants, exportation de bétail).

• La majorité des zones restera en situation Minimale (Phase 1 de l’IPC) jusqu’en mai 2017 grâce au bon niveau des stocks ménages, des tendances de productions agricoles supérieures à la moyenne cette année, au fonctionnement normal des marchés et à la mise en œuvre des stratégies habituelles de moyens d’existence Toutefois, des productions inférieures à la moyenne seront observées localement en Mauritanie, au Mali, au Niger et au nord-est Nigeria.

• Les marchés sont bien approvisionnés en divers produits issus des nouvelles récoltes avec des prix stables voir en baisse, facilitant ainsi l’accès. Cependant, au nord du Mali et dans le bassin du Lac Tchad, l’insécurité civile continue de perturber le fonctionnement des marchés. Aussi, la dépréciation de la Naira continue de limiter les opportunités de vente de bétail et de produites de rentes des pays sahéliens vers le Nigeria.

• Le bon niveau de remplissage des points d’eau augure de bonnes perspectives pour les cultures de saison sèche. Les productions de pâturages sont globalement satisfaisantes au Sahel excepté localement au Niger mais les mouvements de transhumance habituels permettront de satisfaire l’alimentation du bétail. Cependant, dans le bassin du Lac Tchad, l’insécurité continuera d’impacter négativement ces mouvements de transhumance.