3 December 2010 - Guinea-Bissau Government will set up a Transnational Crime Unit in the country, according to a memorandum today signed in Bissau with the United Nations.

The document was signed by the Guinean Minister of Justice and the Public Security Secretary of State and a representative of the Minister of Finance. The document is backed by UNODC, UNIOGBIS, UNOWA and INTERPOL.

The memorandum was signed within the framework of the West African Coast Initiative (WACI), a program aimed to support ECOWAS Regional Plan of Action on drug trafficking and organized crime. The initiative focuses four countries, namely Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The agreement occurred 10 days after the adoption of the Security Council Resolution 1949, which extended the UN Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) mandate, until 31 December 2011. The resolution urged relevant national entities to establish a Transnational Crime Unit in Guinea-Bissau through adequate mechanisms.

The Council also urged "the international community, including the Peacebuilding Commission and regional organizations such as the AU, EU, ECOWAS and CPLP, as well as bilateral partners as appropriate, to increase their political and financial support to WACI to fight transnational organized crime and drug trafficking which threaten peace and security in Guinea-Bissau and in the subregion."

At the same time, the resolution welcomed "the commitment of ECOWAS with the UN, the EU and other partners for the immediate implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime, including options for targeted sanctions against those individuals identified as members or supporters of the drug trafficking network, and agrees to keep the situation under active review, and to consider appropriate action".