VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0682/01 1941609
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131609Z JUL 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6913
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN PRIORITY 1578
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 0406
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY 0256
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN PRIORITY 1546
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA PRIORITY 1508

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000682 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY
SUBJECT: UN OFFICE FOR WEST AFRICA BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL, 
ANNOUNCES NEW JOINT INITIATIVE AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING AND 
ORGANIZED CRIME 
 
¶1. (SBU) UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) SRSG Djinnit 
briefed the Security Council on July 7 on the biggest 
challenges facing the region, namely unconstitutional changes 
of government, security sector reform, and drug trafficking. 
He warned of the slow pace of reform in Guinea.  Djinnit said 
UNOWA would continue to partner with Economic Community of 
West African States (ECOWAS) to address regional concerns, 
and introduced the new "West Africa Coast Initiative," (WACI) 
a joint program intended to improve local police capacity in 
addressing drug trafficking and organized crime.  WACI was 
officially launched on July 8.  UN Office of Drugs and Crime 
Executive Director Costa told the Council some gains had been 
made to combat drug trafficQrough the West African 
region, but traffickers were now using different routes 
through the north and south of the continent to get to 
Europe.  Costa warned of the growing problem of fake 
medicines, electronic waste dumping, and oil bunkering that 
plagued West Africa.  Ambassador Rice encouraged UNOWA to 
help strengthen the UN's integrated efforts.  Rice also noted 
the threats terrorism, sexual violence, drug trafficking and 
youth unemployment posed to the region.  Burkina Faso 
introduced a draft Presidential Statement (PRST) which, inter 
alia, commend UNOWA's role in consolidating peace and 
security in the region.  Negotiations of the text continue, 
and the UK and Russia expressed reservations about the need 
to issue it.   END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) Special 
Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) Said Djinnit 
summarized current developments in West Africa during an open 
meeting with the UN Security Council on July 7.  He said the 
success of numerous governments' determination for peace was 
evident in the absence of any current armed conflicts. 
Djinnit also explained that the prospects for peace and 
security was fragile due to the existing root causes of 
conflict as well as the destabilizing impact of the global 
financial crisis. 
 
¶3. (SBU) SRSG Djinnit cited West Africa's three biggest 
challenges as: 1) the resurgence of violent and/or 
unconstitutional changes in government, 2) the need for 
security sector reform, and 3) drug trafficking.  Djinnit 
stated that all recent examples of unconstitutional changes 
in government in Africa, except for Madagascar, occurred in 
West Africa. On the other hand, he said collaborative efforts 
of UN agencies including UNOWA and the Economic Community of 
West African States (ECOWAS), with regional governments, have 
resulted in establishing peaceful elections in Togo, as well 
as cooperative efforts to return Mauritania to constitutional 
rule. Djinnit warned of the slow pace and of Guinea's 
progress in returning to its constitutional order, and said 
the July 16-17 International Contact Group meeting should 
provide the opportunity for a critical review as well as 
offer ways to revamp the process. In regards to security 
sector reform, Djinnit stated that UNOWA will focus attention 
in countries where critical elections are scheduled for 2009 
and 2010. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Finally, Djinnit explained that West Africa has long 
been an important route for drug trafficking, especially of 
cocaine, originating in Latin America and destined for 
Europe. He introduced the "West Africa Coast Initiative" 
(WACI), (officially launched on July 8, see para. 12) 
cosponsored by UNOWA, ECOWAS, and the International Criminal 
Police Organization (INTERPOL). The initiative focuses 
initially on improving the police force in four important 
drug trafficking countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, 
Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Djinnit ended by stating that 
UNOWA will continue to work closely with agencies, especially 
ECOWAS, for the prevention, management, and termination of 
conflicts. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Executive Director for UN Office on Drugs and Crime 
(UNODC) Antonio Costa said the efforts the international 
community has made in addressing drug trafficking in West 
Africa seem to have had a positive effect, citing a 
significant diminishment of drug trafficking through the 
region in 2009.  He added that so far this year, there have 
been no drug seizures, a positive indication decrease in drug 
trafficking.  Yet, he explained the situation remains 
volatile as he believes there is about 20 tons of cocaine 
flowing through West Africa every year. Costa stated that 
drug traffickers are diversifying the routes, including 
throughout the Sahel and North Africa and down the south-west 
 
 
 
coast towards Southern Africa, and illicit drugs will 
continue to destabilize the region. Costa explained that the 
UNODC and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) 
both supported ECOWAS' action plan against crime.  Costa 
urged Security Council members to help regional presidents 
protect their borders by supplying hardware and helicopters. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Moreover, Costa asked developed countries to stop 
using West Africa as a dump for waste and fake medicines. He 
added that up to 60 percent of medicine in West Africa was 
counterfeit, 80 percent of its cigarettes were of illicit 
origin, and that the region was a major destination for 
European electronic waste, totaling about 8.7 million tons 
from Europe alone. He also said oil bunkering derives from 
the theft of ten percent of the region's oil output. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Continuing the meeting in closed consultations, 
Ambassador Rice encouraged UNOWA to strengthen its efforts to 
coordinate a more coherent and integrated UN effort across 
the sub-region.  She said the U.S. remained gravely concerned 
by the threat of terrorism and the cycle of kidnappings and 
ransoms that continued to help finance al-Qaeda in the 
Islamic Magreb, and called on UNOWA to continue to focus on 
security and development in the region.  Ambassador Rice said 
drug trafficking through West Africa put the region in 
serious peril.  She also encouraged UNOWA to help build new 
partnerships and strengthen existing ones to ensure human 
rights, especially the rights of women and children, are 
fully protected.  Finally, she supported UNOWA's hosting of 
the Youth Employment Network and noted youth unemployment was 
a major potential cause for unrest. 
 
¶8. (SBU) French PermRep Ripert stressed the need for improved 
maritime security along West Africa's coastline.  Ripert also 
said democracy was being threatened in Niger and called on 
UNOWA to use its good offices in conjunction with ECOWAS to 
ensure Niger does not have an unconstitutional change of 
government. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Burkina Faso introduced a draft Presidential 
Statement (PRST) that would, inter alia, commend UNOWA's role 
in consolidating peace and security in the region.  Experts 
continue to negotiate the text.  Both the UK and Russia noted 
during the closed meeting that a PRST might not be the most 
preferred product to show Council support for UNOWA.  Russia 
said a press statement would send all the necessary signals, 
but it would not block consensus.  China, Viet Nam, Libya, 
Croatia and Uganda welcomed the draft PRST. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Russia asked the Secretariat for more details on 
UNOWA's request for an additional police component. The UK 
asked for more information on how UNOWA can assist with 
regional security sector reform in its next report (due in 
six months). 
 
¶11. (SBU) Austria, Libya and Japan echoed the U.S. concern 
for youth unemployment.  Austria and Costa Rica urged 
Guinea-Bissau to create a "hybrid" (national with 
international logistic and technical support) commission to 
investigate its recent politically-motivated violence. 
 
12 (SBU) UNODC Executive Director Costa said the West Africa 
Coast Initiative (WACI) would be launched on July 8, 2009. 
NOTE: USUN witnessed its launch on July 8, presided over by 
Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS.  WACI's purpose is to build 
national and regional capacities to combat illicit drug 
trafficking and organized crime in West Africa.  The 
Initiative is a led by ECOWAS Qeration with the UN 
Department of Political Affairs, UNODC,  UN DPKO, and 
INTERPOL.  The Initiative will initially target Cote 
d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia-nations in 
which there is already a United Nations police presence-but 
will eventually be expanded to other ECOWAS states.  It seeks 
to combat illicit drug trafficking and organized crime in the 
region by creating a comprehensive, coordinated, approach to 
building national and regional capacities in the areas of law 
enforcement, forensics, intelligence, border management, 
money-laundering, and strengthening criminal justice systems. 
END NOTE. 
RICE