Promotion+of+durable+peace+and+sustainable+development+in+Africa


 * The Issue: **

Upon holding ‘fair’ democratic elections and attempting to change electoral laws through referendums in several western African nations, regional disputes have occurred revitalizing instability. Nations such as Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau, rely heavily on UN peacekeeping missions to ensure democracy and development. Respectively, UNOCI (UN Operation in Cote D’Ivoire), UNMIL (UN Mission In Liberia), UNIPSIL (UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone) and UNIOGBIS (UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau) have been created to monitor peace and security issues arising in the region. The attempt to develop free and just government is a long and tedious process, simply because under the surface are boiling issues creating vulnerability and insecurity. “These vulnerabilities include weak border control systems (leading to porous territorial boundaries), the inability of criminal justice systems to ensure effective operation of the rule of law and inadequate coordination and information-sharing among relevant national agencies, as well as limited institutional cooperation across borders with neighboring countries.” Four issues that threaten emerging security in West Africa include: Drug Trafficking, Terrorism, Piracy and Challenges to Democratic Governance. Firstly, the widespread illicit trade of drugs, especially cocaine from Latin America to Europe, dramatically impacts local economy, especially that of nations suffering from poverty. Secondly, “terrorist groups have begun exploiting structural state weaknesses in the West African sub region, including especially the porous borders and socioeconomic discontent.” For instance, Al-Qaida organizations (AQIM), Hezbollah as well as the Taliban are seizing the opportunity to connect the threads between money laundering and financing terrorism in West Africa. Thirdly, in the 2009 Annual Report, West Africa was listed as one of the top seven hotspots for piracy worldwide. High levels of youth unemployment as well as the lack of law enforcement have increased its spread unceasingly. And lastly, internal challenges such as electoral disputes and resurgences of coups d’état are threatening the deterioration in national security and peace. UN’s intervention could be seen as infringement on sovereignty but yet national police have been regarded unreliable in administering citizen security. Additionally, all four issues transpiring currently in West Africa are a threat to international security and must be dealt with not only rapidly but also with sensibly.


 * Acronyms: **


 * ECOWAS: Economic Community of West African States
 * UNOWA: UN Office of West Africa
 * UNODC: UN Office for Drugs and Crime
 * PBC: Peace Building Commission
 * GIABA: Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa
 * WACI: West Africa Coast Initiative
 * AQIM: Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb
 * CTC: Counter-Terrorism Committee
 * PSC: AU Peace and Security Council
 * AU: African Union
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">IMB/O: international Maritime Bureau/Organization


 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Steps that have been taken to resolve this Issue: **


 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">The creation of WACI and CTC
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">The formation of the 4 Missions
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resolutions:
 * o <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resolution 1947
 * o <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resolution 1892
 * o <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resolution 1890
 * o <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resolutions 1876/1829
 * o <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resolution 1373

Although Colombia has no tight connections or close relations with any west african nation, Colombia, as a member of the United Nations, would like to see peace and equality worldwide. Colombia must focus on its internal and international conflicts and unrest before seeking to aid other nations who suffer a similar fate.
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Colombia's POV: **


 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Steps that Could be Taken: **


 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Addresses the core issues that are preventing peace and development (drug trafficking, terrorism, Challenges to democratic governance and piracy) further diminishing and annihilating each of the issues,
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Ensure the development of fair government with just law enforcement,
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Diversifies economical income to not solely depend on illicit trafficking,
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Pursues initiatives to reduce terrorism and protect the lives of innocent civilians,
 * Encourages the reduction of piracy and the right to security.

Some Clauses:
 * 1) 1. __ Proposes __ that West African states converge to agree upon, and later apply, ways to strengthen their border control systems. This convergence would be carried out in a conference taking place in Accra, Ghana, in May 2012, which would be led by UNWOP and supported by ECOWAS, UNODC, the CTC, the PBC, and the AU. The purpose would be to:
 * 2) a. Fatally weaken criminal organizations that transport drugs across international borders, and
 * 3) b. Avoid that conflicts and terrorist organizations move across borders, hence:
 * 4) i. Avoiding that turmoil in one country spreads to neighboring countries
 * 5) ii. Weakening terrorist organizations by disallowing them to leech off and move between states undergoing turmoil

2. __Calls upon__ the UNOCI to implement a mandate that would strengthen disarmament, demobilization, and resettlement in order to: <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> i. Assist the current Government of Cote d’Ivoire in undertaking the regrouping of Ivorian forces involved and to assist in ensuring the security of their disarmament and demobilization sites. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ii. To secure, neutralize or destroy any weapons, ammunition or any other military material surrendered by the former combatants. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">3. __Condemns__ the governments of West African nations for allowing appalling human rights violations and electoral corruption to intervene in the progression of peace and development in the region.


 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sources: **
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[]
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] (West Africa-Section 6)
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] (Liberia)
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] (GB)
 * <span style="color: #423130; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">@http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N00/367/33/PDF/N0036733.pdf?OpenElement <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (GB)
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (CI)
 * <span style="color: #423130; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">@http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N08/423/31/PDF/N0842331.pdf?OpenElement <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (pages 33-40--CI)
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] (SL)
 * <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] (SL)