Secretary-General, in Message, Encourages UN Standing Advisory Committee

on Security in Central Africa to Find Solutions to Subregion’s Threats

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Abou Moussa, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for Central Africa, to the thirty-sixth ministerial meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, in Kigali, 20 August:

I thank His Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame, the Government and the people of the Republic of Rwanda, for hosting the thirty-sixth ministerial meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on security questions in Central Africa.  This meeting offers a unique opportunity to find concerted and innovative solutions to problems that threaten peace and security in the Central African subregion.

I am pleased to note that the issue of elephant poaching is on your agenda.  We must fight this illegal and intolerable activity vigorously, particularly given its alleged role in the illicit financing of some rebel groups.

Your agenda also includes a thematic focus on conflict prevention in Central Africa.  I encourage you to build on past efforts, including in the Central African Republic, to devise a collective approach in this field.

Last year, this Committee established a network to contribute to the fight against terrorism, following a workshop held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on 1 and 2 December 2012.  The time is ripe for a mid-term review of the activities of this network.

Finally, this thirty-sixth ministerial meeting will focus on the issue of piracy and armed robbery at sea.  In that regard, I commend the Member States and the Secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) for their pioneering efforts to address this scourge and for their active collaboration with the Member States and the Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission.  This leadership paved the way for the successful Summit of Heads of State and Government, which took place on 24-25 June in Yaoundé, Cameroon.  The United Nations Security Council has recognized your efforts and welcomed the adoption of your regional strategy.

I congratulate ECCAS for already initiating the implementation of the regional strategy against piracy through the meeting held on 29 and 30 July in Libreville, Gabon.  I am also pleased that the Gulf of Guinea Commission Summit of Heads of State that took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 7 to 10 August, discussed follow-up actions.

I encourage you to use this meeting to consolidate the implementation plan for the Central Africa region.  In that regard, the United Nations stands ready to continue to assist you, through its Regional offices in Central Africa.  I wish you great success in your deliberations.

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For information media • not an official record