UN General Assembly
2017

“Obviously, mediation remains a powerful instrument for the prevention and settlement of armed conflicts and must be utilized to the fullest extent possible. My country has indeed benefited from mediation efforts under the auspices of the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States. We have learned from experience that for mediation efforts to be fruitful, they must embrace such measures as the timely cessation of hostilities, credible ceasefire agreements and the timely deployment of peacekeeping and observer missions to be able to undertake and supervise the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants and displaced persons. “Furthermore, the role of regional organizations in partnership with the United Nations must be further strengthened to ensure a greater response at the regional level in implementing preventive measures such as early-warning mechanisms. Regional organizations are usually better positioned to generate the necessary political will for conflict prevention within their regions.