UN Sierra Leone and Ambassadors of ECOWAS Member States commit to enhanced partnership

The UN Resident Coordinator (RC), Mr Babatunde Ahonsi met ECOWAS representatives in an informal gathering on Tuesday, 16 February 2020 to kick off closer engagement between ECOWAS member states with diplomatic representation in Sierra Leone and the UN Country Team.

Liberian Ambassador Ms Musu J. Ruhle, Consul, High Commission of Nigeria Mr Paul Alabi and Ghanaian High Commissioner, Mr Francis Abakah attended the meeting. Guinea’s Ambassador and the High Commissioner of The Gambia sent apologies for their unavoidable absence at the meeting.

The RC informed participants that the UN supports regional agendas and priorities, highlighting the cross-boundary dimensions of the economy, communicable disease outbreaks, democratic processes and climate change impacts, among others.

He opined that with a meeting platform, ECOWAS member states and the UN may be more proactive in their collective engagements in support of Sierra Leone’s quest for sustainable development and durable peace.

The Liberian Ambassador appreciated the initiative and welcomed subsequent meetings, mentioning the importance of information-sharing, discussions on specific topics, and having a common voice.

The Consul in the Nigerian High Commission indicated that there was robust cooperation and partnership during the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak (EVD) in 2014-2016, the 2017 mudslide, and the 2018 general elections, and that with current developments particularly in the health sector, the meeting was quite timely.

The Ghanaian High Commissioner also mentioned the role of the UN in democratic processes and looked forward to more ECOWAS Group’s engagement with the UN and continued UN leadership.
The RC acknowledged the participants’ views and expressed interest in future prospects for engagement and partnership.