WANEP Reiterates Commitment to Peace Efforts
21st September 2016: 2016 International Day of Peace
The
West Africa Network for Peace building, WANEP joins the global community to
celebrate the 2016 International Day of Peace with the theme: “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.” This year’s theme once again
reinforces WANEP’s belief that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are
critical to the achievement of lasting peace and that the attainment of
sustainable peace is a collective responsibility. When the SDGs were
unanimously adopted in September 2015 by 193 world leaders, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described it as “our shared vision of humanity
and a social contract between the world’s leaders and the people. They are a
to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success.”
WANEP
believes that the relevance of the World Peace Day lies in a holistic approach
and sustained efforts of all relevant stakeholders in achieving sustainable
peace. Therefore, in celebrating this day, WANEP appreciates the efforts of
ECOWAS Commission and its member states at reducing the number of active
conflicts in the region. WANEP takes special note of recent peaceful elections
in the region, the efforts at curbing and curtailing violent extremism and the
collaboration between the UN system through UNOWAS, African Union and ECOWAS in
this regard.
WANEP
however calls attention to the remnants of Ebola scourge, violent extremism and
religious fundamentalism, the growing impact of agro-pastoral and communal
conflicts, piracy and maritime insecurity and how it continues to undermine the
economic potentials of the region. We implore ECOWAS and its member states to
ensure that programs aimed at rehabilitating victims is instituted including
trauma healing, investment to resuscitate Small and Medium Scale businesses in
order to improve livelihood.
ECOWAS
member states should also consider the institutionalization of long-term strategies
aimed at preventing violent extremism and to adopt a more community approach in
tackling insecurity in the region.
As
Ghana and The Islamic Republic of Gambia go to polls this year, WANEP uses this
platform to call on the governments and citizens of the two countries to toe
the line of peaceful elections already witnessed in other countries in the
region. We implore politicians in these countries to imbibe the values of
respect, tolerance and compliance with electoral laws as a panacea for peaceful
transition.
In
its capacity as the civil society partner to ECOWAS in peace and security
particularly in the operationalization of the ECOWAS Early Warning Mechanism
(ECOWARN), WANEP reiterates its support for the African Union vision of
Silencing the Gun by 2020 and its continued commitment to support AU, ECOWAS
and National Governments in its peace efforts.
For
further information, please contact the Secretariat on 8805885 or via email
info@wanepgambia.org.
