Dakar: Sixth Meeting of the High-Level Committee on Peace and Security in the WAEMU Area

Introduction
At the extraordinary session of their Conference held on May 30, 2011 in Lomé, the UEMOA Heads of State and Government, after an in-depth analysis of the political security situation prevailing in the Union, a situation then exacerbated by the post-electoral crisis post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, decided to make the issue of peace and security a major a major project for UEMOA.
Indeed, in terms of performance, it was, and still is, the case that UEMOA has followed an upward trajectory in the pursuit of its regional integration agenda. The results achieved in the fields of macro-economic and financial policy and financial policy, trade policy and/or sectoral policy management.
These achievements deserve to be preserved and protected against all kinds of threats that could jeopardize them.
Developments in the international environment already indicated that, in order to consolidate,

the economic success of the Union’s member states had to benefit from a stable, peaceful and secure environment. However, the scourges looming on the horizon made it abundantly clear that the Community was a zone of fragility:
✓ economic fragilities linked to the multiple food and energy crises… and to natural disasters ;
✓ institutional fragilities due to weak political governance ;
✓ political and security fragilities due to the upsurge in crime, drug trafficking and terrorism. terrorism.
These worrying observations were more than enough to justify the creation of a Chantier dedicated to the Union’s peace and security, with a view to establishing the conditions for successful regional economic integration.
Following the creation of the Chantier, and to accelerate its implementation, the Conference of WAEMU Heads of State and Government, held on June 6, 2012 in Lomé, Togo, created a “High-Level Committee on the Peace and Security Chantier” chaired by His Excellency
Mr Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal.

Context and rationale
The High-Level Committee is the decision-making and policy-setting body of the UEMOA
peace and security program. Under the leadership of its Chairman, it has given impetus to the
implementation.
It is composed as follows:
✓ the ministers responsible for security ;
✓ the ministers responsible for foreign affairs ;
✓ the ministers responsible for the economy and finance;
✓ the President of the WAEMU Commission;
✓ the Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO);
✓ the President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD).
Also taking part in the proceedings are the Chairman of the UEMOA Interparliamentary Committee (CIP) and the Chairman of the West African Development Bank (BOAD).
and the President of the UEMOA Court of Justice.
The following key achievements have been registered since 2012:
On the legal and institutional front:
✓ elaboration of an Orientation Document on the implementation of the Chantier Paix et Sécurité
Security in 2012;

✓ adoption of an additional act establishing the Common Policy on Peace and Security in the peace and security in the UEMOA region in 2013;
✓ development of a Strategic Program for Peace and Security in the UEMOA (2PS) in 2015;
✓ establishment of a General Delegation for Peace and Security in 2016 within the UEMOA Commission;
✓ adoption by the Union’s Conference of Heads of State and Government of an Action Plan for Peace and Security in 2016;
✓ elaboration of the Typology of crises, conflicts and vulnerabilities in the UEMOA UEMOA member states in 2017;
✓ Establishment of the Monitoring and Early Warning Mechanism (MeVap);
✓ Adoption of a Framework Agreement on cooperation in security and intelligence matters intelligence between UEMOA member states in 2018.

On the operational front, numerous advances have been made through the Commission, in this case the General Delegation for Peace and Security:
✓ States organize operations to combat terrorism and organized crime;
✓ community or proximity policing is functional in the various initiatives to strengthen public security;
✓ initiatives are underway to ensure that borders are no longer barriers but bridges of cooperation between member states and peoples;

✓ FDS personnel benefit from operational capacity-building actions ;
✓ collaboration and cooperation between the security and intelligence services and intelligence services are strengthened;
✓ projects are underway to strengthen the traceability of the movements on both sides of borders;
✓ a project document for the computerization and interconnection of border police stations border police stations in the UEMOA area has been drawn up and is currently being implemented;
✓ Terms of reference for a strategy document on combating terrorism and transnational organized crime have been drawn up;
✓ frameworks for national commissions to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons small arms and light weapons (ComNat ALPC) trained;
✓ ComNat computer equipment provided;
✓ computer equipment acquired for implementation of the 2i-PPF project.

The 5th meeting of the High Level Committee, held on October 07, 2022 in Dakar, defined the orientations
to ensure a stable and secure environment for successful economic
for successful economic integration in the UEMOA region.
The sixth meeting is scheduled to take place in Dakar on November 24, 2023.

Objectives
The aim of the High-Level Committee meetings is to define appropriate guidelines to ensure a stable and secure environment for the success of economic integration in the in the UEMOA region.
Specifically, the sixth meeting will:
✓ take stock of progress made in implementing the recommendations of the 5th meeting of the High Level Committee Comité de Haut niveau sur le Chantier Paix et Sécurité ;
✓ analyze the security situation in WAEMU member states;
✓ examine the state of implementation of the Framework Agreement on cooperation in security and intelligence matters between UEMOA member states;
✓ assess the conclusions of the third edition of the concertations on peace, security and peace, security and development in border areas, held in Ouagadougou Ouagadougou, from September 19 to 21, 2023.

Expected results
At the end of this edition, the following results are expected:
✓ the state of implementation of the diligences of the 5th meeting of the High Level Committee
on the Chantier Paix et Sécurité Za has been made;
✓ the security situation in UEMOA member states was analyzed;
✓ the state of implementation of the Framework Agreement on Security and Intelligence Cooperation intelligence between UEMOA member states was examined;
✓ the participants took note of the Statement of conclusions of the third edition of the concertations on peace, security and development in border areas, held in Ouagadougou, from September 19 to 21, 2023.
Date and venue
The meeting will take place in Dakar, Republic of Senegal, on November 24, 2024, under the chairmanship of SEM Macky SALL. presidency of SEM Macky SALL.
It will be preceded by the following two meetings:
✓ November 21 – 22, 2023: experts’ meeting at the Axil Hotel ;
✓ November 24, 2023 in the morning: ministers’ meeting at the Radisson Hotel ;

Methodology
The meeting of experts will prepare the meeting of ministers and other committee members. Work will take place in plenary session. They will be led by the UEMOA Commission and experts from UEMOA member states.
The Committee of Ministers will examine the report of the meeting of experts, and present the conclusions to the Chairman of the Committee.
Participants
The sixth meeting of the High-Level Committee will be attended by representatives
member states, as well as the bodies concerned.