Sustaining peace in the Sahel region - UN Deputy Secretary-General

Remarks by Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, at the Peacebuilding Commission annual session on peacebuilding and sustaining peace in the Sahel region.
The United Nations deputy chief Amina Mohammed said “only a collective, integrated and inclusive approach owned and led by countries of the region will support the sustain progress towards lasting peace and development that are urgently needed in the Sahel.”
Speaking today (12 Nov) at a Peacebuilding Commission annual session on peacebuilding and sustaining peace in the Sahel region, Mohammed said that the total needs to implement the Sustainable Development Goals for instance in the Sahel region are “estimated 140 billion dollars this year, rising to 257 billion annually by 2022.”
She continued, “it is therefore imperative that we increase our advocacy and resource mobilization efforts in a much more joined-up manner. Investing in this region is vital not only as a matter of human dignity and to meet humanitarian needs, but prevent countries that are experiencing fragility today from becoming the failed states tomorrow.”
The UN deputy chief also highlighted the importance of women’s role in peacebuilding for the region.
She said “women including young women are agents of change. They are not only custodians of peace, they also have the greatest transformative effect on our societies.”
Mohammed added “peace that are made without women’s contributions and mediation is less likely to last. Development without women in leadership roles will be slower and less successful. We must remove the obstacles that women and girls face in the Sahel, so they too, can lead the change.”