WACI is a joint project implemented by the United Nations and Interpol in collaboration with ECOWAS.

Participants

• Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and Chairman of WACI POLCOM
• Mr. Miguel Trovoada, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS)
• Mr. Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, President of ECOWAS Commission
• Mr. Pierre Lapaque, Regional Representative for West and Central Africa of the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• Mr. Serge Ngoma, Head of Yaoundé Regional Office, INTERPOL
• Ministers of WACI Member States (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone)

Interviews by media would be arranged on request on the sidelines of the press conference with the Ministers of Interior or Justice of participating countries and the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General in the sub-region.
 

Where: Hotel Azalaï, Bissau, Guinea Bissau

When: Tuesday, 24 November

Time: 1:00 PM

Background: A press briefing will be held on the occasion of the meeting of the High Policy Committee (WACI POLCOM) including WACI partners and government representatives of pilot countries. The meeting aims to take stock of progress in the implementation of WACI, discuss solutions for countries where implementation is slow, and agree on new strategic directions for the extension of the WACI program until 2017.
The cornerstone of WACI is the creation of units against transnational crime (CPU / TCU). WACI was implemented in three pilot countries of the sub-region in which there is a UN peacekeeping mission: Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where CPUs are operational. The project is in inception in two other countries, Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Guinea.

West Africa is well known as a transit area for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe and more recently, for production of methamphetamine. Organized crime, including drug trafficking poses a serious threat to the stability of the sub-region and an obstacle to its development.

For further information, visit www.unowa.unmissions.org/ www.unodc.org

-Vicky Delore Ndjeuga, Public Information Officer, United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA)

 Cel:+221 77- 3339414 – E-mail : ndjeuga@un.org

-Júlia Galvão Alhinho, Chief Public Information Unit, United Nations Integrated Peace-building Office in Guinea (UNIOGBIS) Cel: +245 613 60 45 - E-mail: alhinho@un.org