UNESCO, in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Co-operation (AICS), launched on 13 July 2019 in Dakar a project on migration issues. Covering eight countries, the 3-million EUR project aims to better inform young people in West and Central Africa about the opportunities and challenges of international migration. The project will focus on capacity-building activities for young journalists and media representatives with a view to producing reliable information and creating a more balanced coverage of migration issues. Read on

ECOWAS leaders gathered at the 55th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on 29 June in Abuja, Nigeria. Taking stock of 44 years of co-operation, they committed to consolidating the region’s integration. However, security challenges continue to undermine West Africa’s integration efforts. An ECOWAS extraordinary summit will be held on 14 September 2019 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to better co-ordinate the fight against terrorism. Read on

Launched at the occasion of the transnational security issues roundtable in June, this report provides some examples of transnational illicit flows that endanger global security by funding conflicts and perpetuating instability. It focuses on four key areas of illicit flows: people, goods, money and data. The report sounds the alarm about the main threats posed by illicit flows and identifies possible co-operative approaches to address the issue, building on the ongoing efforts of multilateral and national bodies. Read on

According to UNICEF, a total of 894 children, including 106 girls, were released from the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Maiduguri, in northeastern Nigeria, on 10 May. The CJTF was formed in 2013 a local militia that supports security forces in the fight against insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and protects communities from attack. The release is part of CJTF’s commitment to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. Read on