Between the 29 May and 8 June, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have carried out a joint mission in the Sahel to understand how multilateral peacebuilding is being implemented in the region. The mission was facilitated by UNDP, which meant that UNDP peacebuilding programming was the main focus of the visit. Nonetheless the four likeminded countries have also tried to look beyond UNDP, to understand how the broader UN system is delivering on its sustaining peace agenda together with its partners (e.g. World Bank) and within the UN system (see agreed joint questions at the end of the document). The following are joint observations and thoughts done by the members of the mission. Having been in the Sahel for only 10-14 days, with a very packed and fast-paced agenda, these observations are not objective nor a solid analysis of the realities on the ground, they rather want to encourage debate and, finally, common understanding on certain key aspects of the multilateral peacebuilding work in the region.
The mission started with a one day visit in Dakar to discover the UN’s regional architecture and the regional hub that UNDP has established in support of country operations. It then continued in Niger with two days of field visits and two days of meetings with partners, national actors/Ministries and UN colleague’s in Niamey. It then moved to Burkina Faso with a similar set up. NL could not attend the introductory regional Dakar leg of the trip. NOR had to unexpectedly interrupt the mission during the Niger visit, and is therefore not signing this joint note.