Statement by Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Samuel Žbogar at the UNSC meeting on peace consolidation in West Africa

Thank you, Mr. President.

As the calls of urgency come directly from the region, we thank Sierra Leonefor convening today’s briefing on counter-terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.

We also thank the Secretary-General, the ECOWAS Commission President and you, Mr. President, for valuable insights.

This morning, we heard a lot to reflect on and we should heed to the appeals of the region addressed to the United Nations and to the Security Council.

Mr. President,

We share everyone’s assessment that terrorism remains the gravest security threat facing the region. In an already complex social, political, and climate environment, it is one of the main drivers of instability. It displaces whole communities, it fuels hunger and it closes schools. It erodes trust and tears the very fabric of societies.

Slovenia condemns, in the strongest terms, the actions of terrorist and violent extremist groups across the Sahel.

The international community in close partnership with the region must use every means at our disposal to cut off the financing of terrorism, prevent the links between terrorist groups and organized criminal, and halt the flow of arms and ammunition.

Cease the fueling of social, ethnic, and religious divides. Address the root causes and local grievances before they are exploited by violent groups, prioritize empowerment and employment of youth and full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

Address climate security risks, environmental degradation and shrinking livelihoods.

And invest in community resilience and local peacebuilding, ensuring that development, humanitarian, and peace efforts reinforce each other.

All this, and more is urgently needed. To stop the attacks. To protect civilians. To safeguard women and girls. To bring back children and youth who have been recruited by terrorist groups. Back to their classrooms, and back to safety.

To enable unhindered humanitarian access and to ensure that communities themselves are empowered as partners in prevention.

At the same time, Slovenia urges counter-terrorism efforts be grounded in respect for international law.

Embedding human rights protection in all operations, ensuring strict compliance with International Humanitarian Law, International Refugee Lawand International Human Rights Law are not impediments to action, quite the opposite.

Justice and accountability are essential to achieving lasting results. And democratic governance and a free civic space form the very foundations of sustainable peace.

Finally, Slovenia strongly encourages regional unity and cooperation in countering terrorism and violent extremism. As the Secretary-General recently underlined, and I quote: “Trust must be urgently restored, and cooperation between countries across the region must be re-established,” end of quote.

Building trust is indeed emerging as a crucial takeaway from the meeting today.

Intelligence sharing, joint early warning systems, and collective prevention efforts form the backbone of regional stability and preventive diplomacy. We support the work of the Accra Initiative, the Multinational Joint Task Force and a prospective ECOWAS Standby Force.

The United Nations, and this Council, have the tools to support these regional efforts. Security Council Resolution 2719 could be helpful in this regard. And Slovenia stands ready to discuss further, should the region so wish.

I thank you.

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