COP23 opened in Bonn, Germany, on 6 November. Africa, which is extremely affected by climate change, is at the centre of the discussions – a fact highlighted by the creation “Africa Day” during this edition, which is organised jointly by the AfDB, the African Union, UNECA and NEPAD. The continent’s core concern is its ability to put the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), which were announced at COP21 in Paris, into operation from a financial perspective. This issue was discussed in the West African context at a side event organised on 9 November by CILSS, ECOWAS, UEMOA, BOAD and OIF. Read on

ECOWAS Commission President Alain Marcel de Souza met with the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, in New York on 26 September. Their meeting focused on the security situation in West Africa, notably the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, on-going tensions in Togo and the unstable situation in northern Mali. Read on

Following the green light from the United Nations on 21 June, G5 Sahel leaders officially launched a joint military force (FC-G5S) during an extraordinary summit held on 2 July in Bamako. French President Emmanuel Macron participated in the event. He confirmed that the French would back the new force and called for its rapid and effective implementation. Read on

SWAC Secretariat Director Laurent Bossard participated in the weekly radio podcast “Affaires étrangères” (Foreign Affairs) presented by Christine Ockrent on France Culture. In his contribution, Laurent Bossard recalled that Africa is a continent in progress, notably in the field of food security. Read on