Dakar, 30 September 2024
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Dear Youth and Women of the Sahel, Colleagues, and Partners,
Let me start by welcoming you to the second edition of our regional Consultation; the Voices from the Sahel, a platform where youths and women of the Sahel and beyond, and the United Nations, engage directly on key topics that accelerate durable progress of the region.
Our region – the Sahel, beyond the challenges we see and hear, is not without its unmeasurable potential. Of, course, the opportunities for development, peace, stability and progress in this region supersede the current challenges confronting it. As I recalled to you in my opening message in 2021, at our first consultation, most of the challenges the Sahel is facing are more, man-made than natural, which makes the challenges solvable than perennial.
The United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel and the United Nations Support Plan fully recognize women and youth of the Sahel as key players in our implementation process. This means, our reflections on how to accompany the States and people must always ensure your inclusion and active participation, so that collectively, we can engage in frank, durable and transformative solutions to achieve stable development, peace and prosperity. Read Full statement: Here