14 November 2014 - The United Nations Strategic Assessment Mission (SAM) has ended today its two-week visit in Guinea-Bissau. "A very useful mission with the full collaboration of the authorities and a broad array of the civil society and the international community".

According to Christopher Coleman, Deputy Director of the Africa II Division at the Department of Political Affairs who led the eleven-person delegation, the various meetings they had enabled them to fully complete what they set out to do, which was to see how best to align the work of UNIOGBIS with the priorities of the legitimate democratic authorities.

"There was a very broad consistency of views and it is widely agreed amongst Guineans and also the international community. The role of UNIOGBIS remains essential, the good offices role of the SRSG is a crucial element and the work of UNIOGBIS across the board remains important, in fact now that Guinea-Bissau has returned to constitutionality, support to the authorities is even more important", the UN Senior Official explained.

Addressing the question of the UN system in the country, Christopher Coleman emphasized that "there is also a wide spread view, which we share, that the work of the country team is also central and that if we deal only with political and security matters and we neglect social and economic matters success will be elusive". So he stressed that this has to continue to be a comprehensive UN approach, dealing with all the issues across the board so that at the end of the day the lives of the people of Guinea-Bissau are easier, they have more access to health, education, justice, jobs.

During two weeks, the UN multidisciplinary team met a wide range of interlocutors, including top national authorities, the judiciary, the UN system in the country, international partners, youth, women organizations, civil society and the media.

It will prepare a report to the Secretary-General of the UN for his consideration and decisions. Ban Ki-moon would then submit a report with recommendations to the UN Security Council which in February 2015 will decide on the new mandate of UNIOGBIS.

UNIOGBIS' current mandate ends on 30 November 2014.