Panafrican News Agency

Top UN delegation In Liberia on MRU peace building mission

Monrovia, Liberia (PANA)   -  A high-level delegation from the UN Peace-Building Commission (PBC) Tuesday arrived here on a joint peace building mission to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. 

The delegation is on a sub-regional peace tour, specifically in the Mano River Union (MRU) region from November 3-10.

The three West African nations have had their share of civil conflicts over the past three decades, requiring UN intervention to restore peace and calm. 

The visiting PBC delegation is headed by Oliver Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-building and assisted by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

According to a Liberian foreign ministry statement issued here Tuesday, the aim of the visit is to assess United Nations support to peace-building priorities in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire.

The mission will also explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation in support of cross-border issues, relevant peace-building as well as sustaining peace challenges in the Mano River Union countries. 

The statement revealed that Dr. Chambas arrived in Liberia via UN Special Flight, while Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-building Support, and other members of the PBC delegation flew in from Freetown, Sierra Leone.      

The high-level visit will seek to discuss and highlight national and regional peace-building efforts, focusing on the linkages between peace-building priorities and development plans.

The delegation will also discuss challenges and identify opportunities for further constructive engagements of the United Nations, including the PBC and the Peace Building Fund (PBF).  

The release also stated that the aim of the visit was to draw international attention and mobilize support for cross-border and sub-regional peace-building priorities, including strengthening partnerships with international financial institutions.

The visit of Dr. Chambas and members of the Joint UN high level team and their discussions will also provide an opportunity to strengthen coordination and coherence of UN support as well as to enhance synergies between the PBF and the PBC. 

 

-0-      PANA     PTK/RA    5Nov2019