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10/10/2012

Assembly High Level Meeting at the UN on the Sahel: International Consensus without concrete solutions (DIEEEA45-2012)

On 26 September 2012, the Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, will host a High-Level Meeting on developments in the Sahel on the margins of the 67 periods of sessions of General Assembly. An international meeting attended by a large number of Member States of the United Nations, including Spain, and representatives of regional and international organizations participated in the meeting. In his opening speech, Ban Ki-Moon remarked that “the Sahel is at a critical juncture. Political turmoil, extreme climatic conditions and fragile economies are combining to create a perfect storm of vulnerability”. In order to alleviate the crisis in the Sahel, the Secretary General announced the development of the United Nations Integrated Regional Strategy for the Sahel, which was welcomed by all the participants, and emphasized the need for further consultation with national and regional organizations.
However, Ban Ki-Moon did not consider, for the time being, the deployment of an international operation to expel terrorist groups in the North of Mali, and thus restore territorial integrity to the country. An initiative presented by Mali and ECOWAS, with the strong support of France. Regard military intervention, the majority of participants subordinated it to the restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Mali through a legitimate and democratic electoral process.
The meeting ended without concrete solutions, but was an important step to show the determination of the international community to urgently address the crisis in Sahel, which threatens the viability of a stable peace for millions of people living in the region.

Author: Jesús Díez Alcalde

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