On 8 September 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) hosted a Media Speed Date event to mark the end of the activities of the Migrants as Messengers (MaM) Project in Sierra Leone. The objective of the event was to share the successes of the MaM Project through the voices of the MaM volunteers and to promote the migrant returnees-led efforts for information and experience-sharing through coordination and collaboration with the Government, development partners, and the media. Since 2019, IOM Sierra Leone has worked closely with migrant returnees to build their capacity to deliver impactful awareness-raising activities using digital and traditional media and community engagement to provide potential irregular migrants with information to make informed decisions. Speaking at the event, the IOM Head of Office ad interim Mr Christos Christodoulides highlighted the capacity development of returnees and their association as a key intervention of the project that enabled MaM volunteers to effectively deliver awareness-raising activities on irregular migration in Sierra Leone. “Successful and sustainable peer-to-peer awareness raising requires a considerable investment in training and capacity building. A wide range of relevant trainings were made available to the MaM Volunteers, taking into account the communication and technical skills required for successful awareness raising, as well as their psychosocial needs, to enable them to perform these tasks,” said Christodoulides. Mr Christodoulides also indicated that the migrants’ led associations, including Women and Girl Child Against Irregular Migration (WAG-CAIM) and Advocacy Network against Irregular  Migration ( ANAIM), have been pivotal in helping to achieve the outcomes of the project. The Head of Communications and Media at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Mr Mohamed Atata Mansaray, commended Migrants as Messengers volunteers for delivering a successful peer-to-peer awareness-raising campaign on the dangers of irregular migration, especially among the youth.   Whilst calling on migrants to continue their engagement with youth, Mr. Mansaray stated that “migrants returnees’ effort to serve as volunteers to engage the young people of this country is a show of patriotism to the people of Sierra Leone. We are pleased with IOM to have these returnees as volunteers rolled out this kind of project in the country”. MaM was implemented in Sierra Leone based on three strategies—digital, on-air, and on-ground media, with returnee migrants at the center of awareness-raising through a peer-to-peer approach. From April 2020 to September 2022, MaM Volunteers created 11,205 multimedia content, organized 55 community events, and participated in 48 radio talk shows, among many other events, to dissuade young people from embarking on irregular journey.

UN Resident Coordinator (RC) Babatunde Ahonsi, in his first official engagement with recently appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) William Fayia Sellu, underscored that conflict prevention, human rights and sustaining peace are the foundation for achieving sustainable development. He also emphasized that effective policing is not only compatible with human rights laws and standards but is enhanced through compliance with human rights principles.   The RC met with the IGP on Tuesday at the Police Headquarters in Freetown, where he congratulated him on his appointment to the position, especially at such a critical time. He stressed the importance of the good relationship between the United Nations and the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), especially as the country seeks to build back better following the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis.   On behalf of the UN Country Team (UNCT), the RC also expressed his condolences for the loss of lives of civilians and police officers during the 10 August incident. Additionally, Mr Ahonsi said, “there are opportunities for learning and improvement, and also increased collaboration,” and concluded that by restating the critical role of the Police, the IGP could count on the UN as a partner.   Responding specifically on the 10 August incident, IGP Sellu reported that all children in detention have been released and reunited with their families. Police stations attacked were being rehabilitated by the government. He assured the RC that the human rights of all detainees in the custody of the Police had been respected but indicated that organizers did not follow the process to hold a public demonstration or protest.   Furthermore, the Police Chief appealed to the RC and the wider UNCT for training, logistical and communication support. He acknowledged that tensions are currently high, and the priority is election-specific training, which should bring all security sector actors on board.   The meeting also highlighted the long-standing partnership between the UNCT and the Family Support Unit (FSU) of the  SLP and underlined the critical need to strengthen its gender violence prevention and mitigation work prior to, during and after the 2023 multi-tier elections

Late Wednesday afternoon, United Nations Resident Coordinator Babatunde Ahonsi called for calm and dialogue over the spate of violent incidents that occurred in Freetown earlier in the day.   In a tweet issued on his Twitter account and later retweeted by the official UN in Sierra Leone Twitter account, Mr Ahonsi said, "The United Nations in Sierra Leone expresses serious concerns over the violent incidents that occurred today in Freetown, including reports of causalities."   The highest-ranking UN official in the country also indicated the United Nations' willingness to facilitate such dialogue.

On Tuesday, 2 August, UN Resident Coordinator (RC) Babatunde Ahonsi emphasized that disability rights and inclusion are a critical element of the United Nations Country Team’s (UNCT) multi-year Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) with the Government of Sierra Leone. Speaking at the launch of the “Advancing Disability Inclusion in Sierra Leone” programme, done in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Welfare at the New Brookfields Hotel earlier in the day, the RC said the programme was made possible by the UNCT’s earnest pursuit of a funding opportunity provided through the global UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD). Mr. Ahonsi emphasised that partnerships will continue to be critical throughout the programme and, therefore, called for continued support in the areas of technical inputs to the design of new systems, compiling and sharing of good practices, tracking progress on identified objectives, and raising awareness of disability rights. He commended the Ministry of Social Welfare, Organisations of and for Persons with Disabilities, the NGOs, and UN colleagues, who contributed to the initial Expression of Interest and other elements of the inspection phase in 2021, which included Research and Report and development of the full proposal. Also, the RC stressed that the UN is committed to the success of the programme, especially the three implementing agencies – UNFPA, UNDP and UNICEF. The Country Representatives of UNFPA and UNICEF joined the RC with other UN personnel at the event. In his statement, Mr. Vandy Konneh, Executive Director of Disability Rights Movement, commended the increased efforts from all stakeholders towards addressing disability-related issues. “Today, we can talk about cash transfer, the review of policies and most importantly, the implementation of the livelihood project”, Konneh said whilst referring to the UNPRPD as the “leading edge of the removal of barriers to people with disabilities.”   Officially launching the UNPRPD Programme, Minister of Social Welfare, Madam Baindu Dassama-Kamara, said the event was an outcome of the first ever expression of interest jointly developed by her ministry, the UN and other stakeholders. “This is an initiative to shift from reactive to more proactive, result-oriented programming to drive implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and disability-inclusive SDGs with meaningful participation of persons with disabilities themselves”, she informed her audience.   The Minister also expressed the government’s appreciation to development partners, including the UN, for their remarkable contribution to processes that would advance disability inclusion across all levels of national development. “The launch of this partnership is a significant event as we gradually realise the prominence of disability in the UN agenda for sustainable development,” she stressed.    Sierra Leone was among the 26 countries in 2021 to receive funding from the UNPRPD on its fourth call to advance the Convention on the Rights of People with Disability and increase the implementation of disability-inclusive SDGs.  In 2021, the UN worked closely with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to implement an inception phase of the programme, constituting an induction workshop on CRPD and SDGs, a country situation analysis, and the development of a full proposal for additional funding.    The Advancing Disability Inclusion in Sierra Leone Programme is a partnership of stakeholders including the UN, Government, civil society and organisations for persons with disabilities, seeking to actualize provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.