Presentation of PBF Mauritania Senegal Cross-border Project to the Community of Moussala
The border between Mauritania and Senegal, marked by its permeable nature and proximity to Mali's security instabilities, faces multifaceted challenges. These include restricted access to natural resources, basic social services, and the exacerbation of risks to security and social cohesion due to limited cross-border cooperation, which are particularly affecting women and young people.
To tackle these challenges, UNODC and IOM, through the project "Promoting inclusive cross-border governance and strengthening people's resilience to mitigate security risks in the border areas of Mauritania and Senegal", financed by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), are supporting the strengthening of border community resilience and cross-border cooperation.
Following the project’s launch, UNODC and IOM organized joint missions in Mauritania and Senegal between October and December 2023, together with national stakeholders, to ensure the full engagement of local authorities and communities at borders and understand their specific challenges. These missions reached Rosso, Boghé, Aleg, Kaedi, Selibay, Gouraye and Nema in Mauritania, and Tambacounda, Matam, Saint- Louis and Kedougou in Senegal. The Commission Nationale de Gestion des Frontières (CNGF) joined the missions in Senegal.
In addition to securing the stakeholders’ engagement, these missions identified critical implementation areas, and facilitated gathering valuable insights in collaboration with local border counterparts, including governors, community and religious leaders, defense and security forces and local populations, with the full participation of men, women, and youth, including persons with disabilities. Moreover, UNODC and IOM supported the creation and the official launch of the regional border management sub-committee of Matam, which will support the CNGF in anticipating and resolving border conflicts at local level.
Presentation of the PBF Mauritania Senegal Cross-border Project to the security and defence forces and Civil Society of Gouraye
These missions mark the beginning of a promising journey towards cross-border collaboration, fostering mutual understanding, inclusion and enhanced cooperation between Mauritania and Senegal, and symbolizing a future in which borders are not barriers, but rather bridges to peace and prosperity for all.
Presentation of PBF Mauritania Senegal Cross-border Project to the Governor of Matam, Security and Defense forces and representatives of communities & Lauch of the Regional Sub-Committee of Matam supported by UNODC and IOM
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 « Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for Sustainable Development provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels», the project also aligns with UNODC's Africa Strategic Vision 2030 to strengthen Africa's responses to counter Drugs, Transnational Organized Crime, Terrorism, Corruption, illicit financial flows, and improve the rule of law, border management and build resilience.
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